Story Idea: Self-Sustaining or in need of Life Support?

A recent workshop topic on the subject started me thinking. How do I know if I have a sustainable plot?

Ordinary People in Extra-Ordinary curcumstances.

I used this rule loosely for many years while I wrote short romantic comedies (some regencies, others contemporary). And it worked great because I'm a plotter. I love the physical comedy and ironies of life. But it didn't work so well with the larger books. It took me a while to figure out what was missing. With the greater word count, I was forced to dig deeper into my characters and avoid the temptation of throwing in too much plot. (please see Candace Havens workshop on Revision Hell.)

A sustainable plot means the premise, internal and external, must resonate with the reader on a deep emotional level. It's been referred to as the Universal Theme. Which is misleading. Let's face it, some of us don't know the theme until the end. (I think I threw darts at mine!) The moniker is misleading in it's sublety.

Ask yourself this: Could I take the internal conflict and move it to any location and still have a story? If your answer is yes, you have a sustainable story.

Yes, really. The external plot, whatever it may be, is (or should be!) crafted around the hero/heroine's internal issues. It's used to drive the protagonist (and the antagonist) to confront their inner angels/demons and change/grow from the experience.

Ponder on this, from Donald Maass's Breakout Novel:

"A combination of high public stakes and deep personal stakes are the most powerful engine a breakout novel can have."

In a nutshell, the two go hand in hand. Who would argue with Donald Maass?

One more lithmus test from Maass:

Ask yourself these questions about your premise.

Does your story have:

PLAUSABILITY -- Could it really happen?
INHERENT CONFLICT -- Does the world of my story have conflict built in?
ORIGINALITY -- Is my premise a truly fresh look at the subject?
GUT EMOTIONAL APPEAL -- Does my story have a strong emotional appeal?

These questions have become so important to me in my writing process, I wrote them on a 3x5 notecard and taped it to my desk. If I can answer yes to all the questions, my story is sustainable.

How about you? How do you know?

New Release from my CP!

Check out this great book! It's my cp's first romantic suspense and I highly recommend it. It's available from Wild Rose Press and Amazon.com

Happy Reading

Catching up :)

Okay. No excuses. I've been busy. Really, really busy.

The graduation thing kicked my butt! But I'd do it all over again. It was fun. And after all her hard work, my daughter was accepted at UNT. Go Mean Green!

I taught the two week Summer Science Camp. Glad that's over, although I do love science. :)

I've been working hard on the revision of Residuals. I've streamlined all the goals and motivations, clarified the conflicts of the protagonist and antagonists. Strengthened the romance plot line. Added texture to the setting, created emotion I *thought* was already on the page.
Overall, it's a great rewrite. And I only have 80 pages to go!! :)

In my spare time, I've been following (perhaps a bit obsessively) the demise of Triskelion Publishing. Mainly because I had a book on the senior editor's desk for 9 months. Yes. Nine long months without a contract to buy.

Initially, I questioned my ability to write. How could it sit on her desk for that long without a decision? Two separate editors had recommended it for contract. I just didn't get it. Then, as the month of May stretched out, I realized it wasn't me. It was the Publisher.

They're filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy on July 2. The newly appointed Publisher has resigned (former Sr. Editor).

So sad. My sympathies go out to all the authors published or under contract with Triskelion. They were doing so well. I've been diligently reading the blogs to find out what exactly happened. How could this up and coming company slide downhill so fast? Didn't they have a management team conducting their affairs? Who was the leadership behind the throne?

I don't know. Maybe my attempt to assign blame is macabre. It just feels like somewhere, someone pulled the rug out from under these people. I know it's not the first time a publisher has gone under and it won't be the last. It's just sad.

There were grumblings. Mostly attributed to a few authors who were "let go" from Triskelion's line up for whatever reason. I'm sure they have a legitimate "beef" against the company. There is a lot of "told you so" out there, too. It's out of place and completely uncalled for.

The best case scenario is the displaced authors receive their rights back and are able to take their books to other houses. That's IF their contracts aren't considered assets by the Trustee in charge of disbursing assets to the secured creditors (yes, I used to work in Bankruptcy in another life).

All that said, it just goes to prove that authors cannot rest on their muse. They have to become business savvy if they are to survive in the publishing industry. We have to wear both hats, creator and business professional.

So, here's the phrase for the day:

Write with your heart but think with your brains.

Write on!