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Craft Tips and Techniques from
Today’s Blockbusters
Flawed Plotting: The Secrets of
National Treasure
When I plot a book, I always
start with a hero’s greatest dreams and greatest fears. Getting to the
bottom of what my character dreads the most is a great way to develop
the ultimate black moment.
But it’s not the only way. What
if, in fact, you started with a character’s greatest FLAWS…and wrapped
the black moment and the entire plot around your Character’s foibles?
This is exactly the kind of plotting technique used in one of my
favorite series of movies – National Treasure. And
most specifically, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.
Benjamin Gates. National Hero.
Treasure Hunter, Historian and adventurer. He’s a guy with a long
family history, and a firm belief in the secrets of our country. But
Benjamin has a few flaws.
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Such Is My Life
It’s
Saturday night, and I’m
squinting at my computer screen through eyes blurred by the lack of
sleep. Why? I’m an author by night, and quite honestly, I forgot I had
promised to write this article . . . in spite of the numerous e-mail
reminders sent by my dear friend and editor to jog my memory.
Such is my life right now. I
work full time as a physician in a state women’s prison. I have two
published novels and often travel on the weekends for book events. I’m
preparing for a March 2009 release, so I’m in marketing and advertising
mode. And if all that wasn’t enough, in a moment of overwhelming
inspiration and surrender, I signed up for my church’s ministry school,
which meets at least three times a week. Insane? Absolutely. I have no
choice but to admit it.
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The princess sank, still
weeping, into a cushioned chair. While a woman-in-waiting poured her a
cup of wine, Daymonde sat on the edge of a sofa and glanced back at
Captain Strathmuir, guarding the door of the private parlor. This was
the most privacy he could expect.
Where to begin?
While Glenmarr’s daughter sipped
and tried to compose herself, Daymonde studied her.
WINDOWS HAS DETECTED AN ERROR IN
THE PROGRAM.
SEND ERROR REPORT.
DON’T SEND ERROR REPORT.
Julie groaned at the two little
boxes that popped up on her computer screen. Send an error
report or not? How should I know? Who does the report go to, anyway?
She imagined fifty people in a windowless room cackling as they deleted
error reports received from around the world.
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Story Resolution-Part IV
Last month we talked about
designing a resolution for a novel that is character-driven, not
fact-driven. A scene that gives the readers a satisfying look at the
character’s life after all the action is over. I noted that in this
type of resolution it’s very hard to weave in all the facts that still
need to be explained in a natural way. So how to do that?
On the personal side, I try to
bring as many characters into the scene as possible. Either they are
physically present, or there’s a phone call, or the main character is
thinking of a recent conversation with that person, or all of the
above. A lot of the characters will...
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The Making of a Masterpiece -
Part One
I read an altogether fascinating
book entitled Mockingbird by Charles J. Shields—a
book about the life of novelist Harper Lee. Though, it’s frustrating
that Shields has no first-hand interaction with his subject, I am
learning a lot about what went on behind the scenes of my favorite
novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
Here’s what surprised me. Nelle
Harper Lee wrote a novel based very closely on her life growing up in
Monroeville, Alabama. I knew, of course, that Dill was Truman Capote,
that Atticus was a prototype of her father, A. C. Lee. But many other
details of her life correspond to the story as well: a character who
looked and...
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Five Secrets of Best-sellers
J.K.Rowling, John Grisham, Karen
Kingsbury, Tom Clancy, Jane Austen, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkein,
Robert Ludlum: all best-selling authors, from different genres,
markets, even eras. How? What sets their stories apart from others that
make them a must-buy for readers?
They know the secrets to a
best-selling story. And you can to.
Secret #1: A
Sympathetic Hero or Heroine
Harry. Jack Ryan. Jason Bourne.
Frodo.
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