Monday, June 6, 2011

Plot Whisperer + Follow Love + Tag You're It = Good Stuff

If you haven't signed up for the Gearin' Up to Get an Agent Blogfest, now's your time!

This weekend you guys made me blush.  How?  Well, I passed the 200 follower mark and I am thrilled for the love.  I hope you come back often and enjoy what you see.  Leave me a comment too because I am addicted to checking out other blogs.  It gets me all warm and fuzzy inside to find like-minded friends.

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Now, on to writing endeavors...I have found a new love...other than my 202 followers:)  Ok, and maybe it's not brand new, but I'm just getting around to telling you all about it.  What, you may ask, could possibly make me weak in the knees and googly eyed in love?  Martha Alderson is what, or as she is known in the writer's circles...the Plot Whisperer.

How often have you had a story idea that seems an insurmountable obstacle you couldn't possible keep in check so you give it up rather than trying, move on to something you think might be more doable?

My new wip has been this kind of challenge...until I found the Plot Whisperer.  She breaks the story down in such a way that you have no choice but to know the ins and outs of the Protagonist, Antagonists, the world and so on. 

Her plot series layers your novel so important pieces don't get lost or she takes your idea and helps you build a well thought out masterpiece.

Here are her 27 steps from You Tube which are each from 5-10 minutes and well worth your time.  They are:


  • Step 1: Dramatic Action Plot





  • Step 2: Character Emotional Development Plot





  • Step 3: Setting for the Beginning





  • Step 4: Exotic World





  • Step 5: 3 Major Plots in Every Story





  • Step 6: Secondary Plots & Subplots





  • Step 7: Climax Affect on Beginning (part 1)





  • Step 8: Climax Affect on Beginning (part 2)





  • Step 9: Energy Anatomy of the Universal Story





  • Step 10: Plot the Beginning





  • Step 11: Turning Points





  • STEP 12: Goal for the Middle





  • Step 13: Antagonists in the Middle





  • Step 14: The Exotic World of the Middle





  • Step 15: Halfway Point -- Recommitment Scene in the Middle





  • Step 16: Rediscovered Skills and Knowledge in the Middle





  • Step 17: Cause and Effect in the Middle (scenes and emotion)





  • Step 18: Character Emotion and Thematic Significance





  • Step 19: Creating Conflict & Tension in Prep of Crisis





  • Step 20: Writing the Crisis





  • Step 21: Developing the Threshold Scene after the Crisis in the Middle





  • Step 22: The Beginning of the End





  • Step 23: Thematic Significance





  • Step 24: Relationship Bond





  • Step 25: Develop Scene Sequence to Climax





  • Step 26: How to Create the Climax





  • Step 27: Resolution




  • ***
    Last item of business, I was tagged by uber-talented Juliana Brandt.  If you haven't checked out her blog...click on her name darn-it, she is awesome!

    So here we go.
    Do you think you're hot?This may be tmi, but it depends on if it's that time of the month or not
    Upload a picture or wallpaper that you're using at the moment.
    This is for my current wip.  It gets me motivated.

    When was the last time you ate chicken meat? For lunch, we had Hawaiian haystacks.

    The song(s) you listened to recently.  Arms of an Angel by Sarah McLachlan


    What were you thinking as you were doing this?
    That the guy singing above song on America's Got Talent was rockin' it

    Do you have nicknames? What are they?   Umm, yea.  They are in no particular order: Bean, Sunny D, Sweetie Pie, Deana Beana, Smile Child


    Tag 8 blogger friends...
    Katie Ganshert
    Lora Rivera
    Robin Weeks
    Cara Nelson
    Pk Herzo
    LisaAnn
    Ashley Nixon
    Leslie Rose

    15 comments:

    Juliana L. Brandt said...

    Awesome! Now I know what I'm doing with the next hour of my life...watching all those youtube videos :)

    Deana said...

    They really are fantastic!

    Katie Ganshert said...

    Wow! What a wealth of info on youtube! So cool.

    Thanks for the tag. I was always really horrible at that game. :)

    PK HREZO said...

    I have not heard of the Plot Whisperer. Must check it out. Thanks for those links. And thanks for the tag.

    Great to learn more about you. Love Sarah McLachlan.

    Donna K. Weaver said...

    Congrats on being tagged! I was too and will post about it on Wednesday.

    Leslie S. Rose said...

    The Plot Whisperer videos are GOLD. I've shared them with my class. The kids love her. Her book is coming out soon. Thanks for the tag. Loved your picture.

    Lora Rivera said...

    Oh wow, what a wealth of info! I will definitely have to check out Plot Whisper's video. Thanks for the tag and great work!

    That pic is your WIP inspiration?? Post-apocalyptic? Will have to think of my own....

    Kristin Lynn Thetford said...

    I am completely loving your blog. :) Thanks for the Plot Whisperer links! I will definitely check out those videos.

    Deana said...

    Katie, I was never good at the game either so don't you worry:)

    Pk, you're welcome and you won't regret it, the plot whisperer is awesome!

    Donna, congrats to you too! I'll have to check out your tag fun:)

    Leslie, I saw her new book, I might just have to get that. Her smile is infectious on the videos. I don't see how you can't watch and love her:)

    Lora, you're welcome and yes, TOTALLY end of the world stuff. Crazy motivation to have right:)

    Kristen thanks so much, you are making me blush:)

    Book Lover said...

    I love the Plot Whisperer thanks to you :)

    Deana said...

    Oh good Mandie, I'm glad I could point her out to you:)

    LisaAnn said...

    Wooohoooo, thanks for the tag! And I love the nickname Bean. I call one of my dogs Bean (although that's not his name), and I've already decided I'm going to call my unborn child Bean as soon as I have an unborn child to call Bean--which won't be any time soon, but still! ;)

    Unknown said...

    OH man, where was this two years ago when I was getting started? This very helpful thank you so much for sharing.

    RAD - Dot Painter said...

    I've met Martha at a workshop. She was so calming, especially as I was freaking out about the difference between Crisis and Climax in a plot. She was so patient! Her book is amazing.

    Christa Desir said...

    That plot whisperer blog rules. I get so much from it. Congrats on the followers.