U is for Unexpected

There is a whole lot of advice out there on how to plot. One of the simplest guidelines is to never make anything easy on your characters. If things are going well, then the chances that the reader might be bored are pretty high. This advice has been extremely helpful for me because I have a tendency to want to protect my darling characters, let them bask in their success for a bit too long, and also to have them quickly/easily go through necessary steps to get to the next plot point. Nothing should be quick and easy though - it's either a missed opportunity to make the character's life just a bit more difficult (and thereby raise the stakes, show character growth, etc.) or it's something that needs to be cut.

At first, I took this advice for face-value and had my characters always take the rockier road or make the more difficult choice. But then, I realized that everything they did was totally predictable. The reader basically knew from the get-go that these characters were always going to run into the worst possible situation. And when a story is predictable, it can be boring. So there I was, back at potentially bored readers.

That was when I realized that putting my characters into tough situations wasn't enough. I needed to make sure that the tough situations were the result of something unexpected. And even better if I could make the reader think they knew where the story was headed, think they could anticipate the next plot twist, and then rip the rug right out from under their feet! That might not sound that difficult, but in reality, I can be far less clever than I think I am. With one of my CPs, we critiqued one chapter at a time and wrote down our predictions for the next chapters. And I couldn't believe she knew (or didn't know, in some cases) where my story was headed.

What about you? How do you make sure your MS doesn't become too predictable? Do you have an tips or tricks for creating unexpected plot twists?

H is for the Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey is another name for the Monomyth which, according to Joseph Campbell, is the basic pattern or template for plot in narratives around the world. Some of the most successful narratives (ex. Lord of the Rings, Ender's Game, and Star Wars) fit this template.


There are 17 steps to the Hero's Journey, although very few narratives contain all 17 steps. The basic steps, along with the corresponding character arc are broken down by Darcy Pattinson as:

Ordinary World – Limited awareness of problem

Call to Adventure – increased awareness

Refusal of Call – reluctance to change

Meeting the Mentor – overcoming reluctance

Crossing the First Threshold – committing to change

Tests, Allies, Enemies – experimenting with 1st change

Approach to the Inmost Cave- preparing for big change

Supreme Ordeal – attempting big change

Reward – consequences of the attempt

The Road Back – rededication to change

Resurrection – final attempt at big change

Return with Elixir – final mastery of the problem

If these steps are taken generally and "Refusal of Call" is taken out, then my most recent MS does actually fit this template, though I didn't use a plot template while writing. I guess this is a relatively good sign :)

While researching the topic of plot templates, I read a lot of back and forth between writers about the benefit/detriment of using plot templates. The critics are afraid of a loss of creativity and an onslaught of stories which are all the same. Those for templates argue that it is important to meet reader expectations, but to understand the templates well enough to be able to make the changes which will make the story unique.

What do you think? Can every story be squeezed into a template (29 Plot Templates)? Can yours? Would you ever use a plot template as a starting point for a new idea? Or as a tool during revisions?