Fiction Workshop 17 Bringing the story theories together

Do all of these story theories work together or do they overlap and contradict each other? A little bit of all of that really.  

I have created a spread sheet that you can download at : https://www.dropbox.com/s/wv1cawg9y7rjfdi/Story%20Theory.xlsx?dl=0

 

Note, you can use this for both planning and analysing.   

First of all, save a copy of it for future reference and then save another copy as “Name of Your Story Planner” or “Name of Your Story Analyser” 

There are empty cells next to each named cell for you to fill in details about your story. The first two blocks are about the characters, however, and here you fill the details in the named block.  Remember it is the tension between them that creates the story. You must establish the hero, friend, mentor and enemy. Only the hero needs to be a sentient being. The other blocks are optional and you may find you don’t have any ideas until after you’ve filled out the rest of the spread sheet. 

There is only one column of empty cells next to all of Booker’s theories. Delete all of the columns except that which best fits your story. 

The number of subplots will vary according to the size of the book. Add in cells and columns as you need to. Shorter stories and flash fiction may not have subplots.  

   

Now, make every effort to fill in all of the empty cells. 

Save a third copy as “Name of Your Story Spine Analysis” or “Name of Your Story Spine Planner”  

Then, delete all of the theory columns except the one with which you feel most comfortable. Now you have a good analysis or a plan from which you can create the spine of your story.

Happy reading and writing!   

Fiction Workshops 16 A simple way of planning

This might suit those of you who consider yourselves to be "pansters". You know, you just write and see what happens. It's useful, though, if you know the outcome of the story first. You write the opening scene and then the final scene. Then you write the second scene followed by the penultimate scene. And so on.

I know of one writer of crime novels who works this way. I'm using it for my autobiography, Sunset over the Gasworks (don't ask – it becomes clear when you read it) where I'm putting together short scenes in this way. List to date:

·         Room with a View

·         Granny's House

·         Familiar Ground

·         Goodbye to the Gasworks

You can of course also use this as a planning tool.

Writing exercises

For pansters

As long as you know your outcome, use this to write a short story.

For plotters

Use this to plan and write a short story  

Fiction Workshops 15 Christopher Booker's Seven Basic Plots

Christopher Booker has produced a great tome of a book in which he defines seven plot outlines.  These don't actually contradict Campbell, McKee, Propp or Vogler but flesh out and fine tune some story lines. The rest of Booker's book discusses story in more detail. It is well worth a read and after you've read it you may want to go back to it from time to time.

You can take a short-cut to remembering the seven plots by just looking at the cover of the book. You'll see what I mean if you look at the link below.

Here's a summary:

 

The Seven Plots

Overcoming the Monster

Rags to Riches

The Quest

Voyage and Return

Comedy

Tragedy

Rebirth

 

Overcoming the monster

The call

Initial success

Confrontation

Final Ordeal

Miraculous escape   

 

Rags to Riches

Initial wretchedness at home (call)

Out in the world – initial success

Central crisis

Independence and the final ordeal

Final union, completion and fulfilment

 

Quest- Odyssey

Problems encountered:

Monsters

Temptations

Deadly opposites

Journey to the underworld

Story arc:

Call

Journey

Arrival and frustration

Final ordeals

Goal

 

Voyage and return

Anticipation

Dream stage

Frustrations stage

Nightmare stage

Thrilling escape and return

 

Comedy

Often contains:

• Characters dressing up in disguise or swapping clothes 
• Men dressing up as women  or vice versa
• Secret assignations when the wrong person turns up
• Characters hastily concealed in cupboards etc. 

Types of comedy:

• Burlesque
• Dark figure is hero themself
• No dark figures

 

Macbeth (and other tragedies) 

Act One - anticipation

Act Two – dream stage

Act Three – frustration stage

Act Four – nightmare stage  

Act Five – destruction stage 

 

Rebirth

Hero falls under shadow of dark power

Threat may seem to recede

Threat approaches with full force

Dark power seems to triumph

Miraculous recovery – some input from hero, though

 

Some archetypes

Booker also mentions some common archetypes:

• Good old man
• Innocent young girl
• Rival or “shadow”
• Temptress

 

Dark figures

As well as archetypes, Booker identifies some common dark figures:

• Father
• Mother
• Rivals
• Other self 

Underlying shape

Booker also defines an underlying shape that is very similar to the ones we've met before.  

• Initial phase
• Opening out
• Severe – constriction
• Dark power dominant
• Reversal and liberation

Reading exercise

Consider the novel you have most recently read. Which of Booker's stories does it conform to? Does it follow the underlying shape? Can you identify any archetypes or dark figures?

Writing exercises

1.Your work in progress

Take a look at your story. Does it follow one of Booker's templates? If not, would making it adhere more closely also make it more effective?

Would the inclusion of additional archetypes or dark figures make it more engaging?   

2. Start a new story

Take one of Booker's templates that appeal to you. You might like to consider one you've not used before. Now craft a story according to that template.    

         

Fiction Workshops 14 The Universal Story

Three people have analysed stories and found a template. Vladimir Propp 1895-1970 analysed folk, Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) in his Hero with a Thousand Faces discusses the journey of the archetypal hero in world mythologies. (1949 - ) adapts Campbell's work for use with the film industry. What Vogler suggest is also very helpful for novelists. An important note from Vogler: this works best when it is slightly skewed.

I have found much overlap between the three templates and have produced an amalgamated template:

Campbell, Propp, Vogler amalgamated theory

a. The Ordinary World (V)

b. Call to adventure (V) Hero leaves society (P) 

c. Refusal of the Call (C,V)

d. Meeting with the Mentor (V) Supernatural Aid (C) Meets a stranger (P)

e. Crossing the First Threshold (V)

f. The Belly of the Whale (V), Trials, Allies, Enemies (V), The Road of Trials, Arduous Journey (P) Capture by Strange Warriors (P)

g. The Meeting with the Goddess (C) Protection by ugly girl (P)

h. Woman as temptress (C) Appearance of the Queen, the beloved one (P)

i. The Approach to the Innermost Cave (V) Lovemaking (P)

j. Ordeal (V) 

k. Atonement with the Father

l. Apotheosis ( C )

m. The Ultimate Boon (C), Reward (V), Resolution (P)

n. Refusal of the Return (C)

o. The Magical Flight (V)

p. Rescue from without (C)

q. The Road Back (V)

r. Master of Two Worlds (C) Resurrection (V)

s. Freedom to Live (C) Return with the Elixir (V)

Possibly one does not need not to include each element every time. Also, we may need to skew it a little as Vogler suggests, so that our stories remain fresh. Nevertheless, this can make a useful planning tool

Exercise 1

Find a novel you love and see how well it pins itself to this template

Exercise 2 (for those writing a novel)

Check your plan to see if you have all of these elements.  You may not have, and that may be fine but would it hurt to add the missing ones in? You will probably realise after completing exercise 1 that you can interpret these themes very broadly.  And don't forget to skew them. If you don't plan, skip this exercise and go on to exercise 3.

Exercise 3 (for those writing a novel)

Check your novel against the template. Are there any elements missing? Would your novel benefit from including them? Is there something about your novel that is not working? Is there anything in this template that can help?      

    

Fiction Workshop 13 Plot Pyramids

Novels, plays, films and longer short stories will have plots and sub-plots. Andrew Melrose identifies a pyramid. The main plot takes up most of the room and the smallest plot the least of the text. Pile these plots one upon another – we get a pyramid. There is a strict relationship between the size of the plots. Possibly it relates to the Golden Segment and the Fibonacci series. It may be a learnt response; even if it is, it is what we are used to and what we enjoy and expect.  

I add to Melrose's proposal. I argue that subplots are not extra plots but that they are part of the main plot. Thus we get in Cinderella:

Main Plot = transformation

Plot 2 = battle with Ugly Sisters and Stepmother

Plot 3 = Can she get to the ball? (aka her rightful place in society)

Plot 4 = Cinders and the Prince

Plot 5 = The Prince and the shoe

Plot 6 = The shoe and the foot

Plot 6 is the small one at the top. 

All plots resolve at the same moment. As the shoe fits on to Cinders' foot, the Prince is rewarded for persevering. Cinders' relationship with the Prince is confirmed. Cinders takes up her rightful place in society. She wins her battle with her stepsisters and her life is transformed.  

Note also how that important final small sub-plot contains that all important crisis point; if the shoe does not find its way to the foot, life will be forever different for both Cinders and the Prince. There's a good argument here also for having one last nasty thing happen before it all resolves. This heightens the tension. So, sometimes Cinders is hidden in a cupboard. In more gruesome versions the sisters chop off toes.  

 

Creative reading exercise:

Take a novel you've enjoyed and work out what are its sub-plots. Do they relate to each other to form a pyramid? Do they all resolve at the same time? Does the smallest one include the crisis point?

Creative writing exercise

For planners

Look at the plan of your latest story. Does it contain balanced sub-plots? If not, can you put them in? Can they all resolve at the same time? Does the smallest contain the crisis point?  

For pansters

Use the sub-plot / plot theory to see whether your text has balance. Possibly if it seems out of kilter something is not quite right here. Try balancing these plots / sub-plots in a pyramid. Remember to have all the drama in the smallest sub-plot and let them all resolve at the same time.