Cheater's Scene Cards for Plotting a Novel

PR GOAL REACTION CONFLICT DILEMMA DISASTER DECISION P R GOAL REACTION CONFLICT DILEMMA DISASTER DECISION P R GOAL REACTION CONFLICT DILEMMA DISASTER DECISION P R GOAL REACTION CONFLICT DILEMMA DISASTER DECISION The Cheater’s Scene Cards for plotting a novel • • • • • • Optimized for printing on A4 paper. Having the actual cards to write on makes it easy to focus on just a sequence, scene or act at a time (divide and conquer). Each card should include either a pro-active or re-active scene (respectively, scenes and sequels). You should alternate proactive and reactive scenes to create sequences. Each card contains the three beats that should make up the scene. These beats, according to some teachers, must each be written as MRUs (motivation-reaction units). I include an example outline for a 4-act novel. Each act is divided into three 4scene sequences, for a total of 48 scenes. I’m using this to plan a short NaNoWriMo novel. In the example outline I highlighted milestones (big disasters, plot turns, etc), and gave a generic name to some sequences as guidelines. Remember rules can be broken. 1. Goal Proactive (Scene) 2. Conflict 3. Disaster (Setback) Types 1. Reaction Reactive (Sequel) Scene • • 2. Dilemma 3. Decision Motivation: external and objective MRUs (motivation reaction units) 1. Stimulus 2. Feeling Reaction: internal and subjective 3. Reflex 4. Rational Action or Speech (c) 2015 Miguel Urdinola 2 13 key points I find that the 3-act structure, or the 7-point method are lacking in milestones for designing a high level plot. I’ve come up with this extended list that works better for me. It ends up looking much more like the Hero’s Journey. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. [Hook] The Ordinary World. Underlying conflict. Presenting the conflict. Hero may meet his mentor here. [Plot Turn 1] This is the triggering event. Call to Adventure. Refusal of the Call. [Pinch 1] First Disaster (1), our hero is pulled into the conflict and barely makes it out, with help from the mentor. These are the consequences of Disaster 1. This is the new world. This is our hero’s reaction. [Try & Fail 1] Our hero tries to fix the situation in his own way, but fails. Maybe he causes the following Disaster. [Midpoint] A new Disaster (2) happens and they make it out again, but this time the hero is personally involved. He can’t escape any more. He accepts his role and switches from reactive to active. This is the world of the adventure. Now hero and mentor travel the world trying to find the answer or solve the problem. [Try & Fail 2] This is another failed attempt by both. After this, they come up with a master plan. [Pinch 2] Maybe as a consequence, a third Disaster (3) happens. Master plan fails. Bad guy wins. Everything is lost. Maybe the mentor dies. Hero is left alone. [Plot Turn 2] This is the epiphany. Out of the jaws of defeat, the hero comes up to the last piece of information or tool he needs to defeat the antagonist force. He learns from the previous failure. New plan. [Resolution] This is the climax, the final confrontation. Our hero, alone, faces the antegonist force and defeats it (or not). He may die. [Denouement] This is what happens afterwards, when the hero or the survivers return home. Act 3 Act 2 Act 1 100 Plot turn 2 Resolution Midpoint Intensity / Conflict 1. 2. 3. 4. Pinch 1 Pinch 2 50 Try & fail Plot turn 1 Denouement Hook Try & fail ACTION REACTION 0 25 50 Time / Scenes (c) 2015 Miguel Urdinola 3 A Novel Outline in 48 scenes • • Having these two pages printed out in front of me while I write each one of my scene cards makes it really easy to understand in what part of the story I am and what should be happening. Scene cards are written in pencil: they will probably change, appear and disappear as the writing moves forward. Act 1 1 R 2 P 3 R 4 P R 6 P 7 R 8 P 10 P 11 R 12 P Hook 5 Conflict 9 R Pinch 1 Plot Turn 1 Act 2A 13 R 14 P 15 R 16 P 18 P 19 R 20 P New World 17 R Try & Fail 1 21 P 22 R 23 R 24 P Midpoint (c) 2015 Miguel Urdinola 4 Act 2B R 25 26 P 27 R 28 P 30 P 31 R 32 P Adventure R 29 Try & Fail 2 33 R 34 P 35 R 36 Plan! P Pinch 2 Act 3 37 R 38 P 39 R R 42 P 43 R P 44 P Resolution New Plan 45 P Epiphany Consequences 41 40 46 R 47 R 48 P The End Denouement (c) 2015 Miguel Urdinola 5