Best Plot Help Ever

Saturday was an amazing day at our local Writing for Charity event. Good people, good food, good cause...fabulous!

In any case, I promised my critique group (hi, guys!) that I would post my spectacular 9 box plot chart here on my blog this week. It is truly the best plot device I have found and suits me well as I like to generally outline - but really don't know everything going in. This chart tells you what needs to come next in your story and then, in revision, you can go back and make sure all the adjoining boxes are addressed.

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So here goes...

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Step #1: take a basic 9x13 piece of paper and fold it into 9 even squares

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Step #2: write the numbers 1-9 starting with 1 in the upper left and ending with 9 in the lower right.

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so like this...

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1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

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Then write the following in each box:

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box 1: Triggering Event - why is your character here in this moment? Main characters introduced. Draw you line in the sand.

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box 2: characterization - build traits of your main character, evoke connection to him/her and introduce secondary characters

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box 3: 1st major turning point in story - what happens to really get this story going? Some flip of circumstance will add great momentum here. It could be positive or negative, but it needs to matter to your character.

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box 4: exposition, fleshing out the story and forshadowing the darkest hour (in revisions, you should connect box 4 issues to every other box it touches...box 1, 5 and 7)

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box 5: connect the dots - this is the most difficult box. In your revision drafts, think about every box it touches and comment in some way on the events in those boxes. Don't write a sagging middle, though - be sure to include some forward motion...some continuing conflict...some reason for emotional connection. Remember to refer to boxes 2, 4 and foreshadow to boxes 6 and 8

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box 6: Negative turning point - things fall apart for character, relate back to the original turning point in box 3

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box 7: antagonist wins! Protagonist seemingly defeated. You forshadow to events in box 8

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box 8: Revelation...main character vows to overcome obstical..remembers the defeat in box 7 and sets up to win for box 9...

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box 9: main character wins!

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It might sound more complicated than it is, but once you fold your paper and jot this down then you'll see how it is really a map for moving your novel along. You don't have to know about box 7 when you start writing...just start and worry about each box as you come to it. Then, in your revisions, go back and make sure you have all of the touching boxes somehow addressed.

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It is important to note that each "box" in your novel should not be even. It's not like you need three chapters for each box...no, it is just a flow chart for the story. Maybe box #1 is a chapter or two...but maybe box #5 is four chapters. That doesn't matter. What matters is that you have each area addressed.

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Does any of this make sense?

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Hope this is helpful....do you use plotting devices like this? do you outline?

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