Weeks 3-4. From idea to story.

“Resistance to change is a natural part of the human

condition. Whenever I hear someone described as ‘not
taking criticism well’, I want to ask, ‘Who does take
criticism well’?

Mary Pipher (2003: 154)

1. From idea to plot.
 Ideas are nuclear, i.e., they are meant to receive additions. They are also
unclear. Part of the story inventor’s job is therefore to let those additions come
and manage that lack of clarity. Here are some procedures that can help:

1.1. Mind Mapping. Start with something you know, write it in the center of the
page, and then surround it with all the things that might be associated with it. Then
look at those associated things, pick the ones that stand out as most important and
relevant, and then repeat the process.
1.2. Make a List. Using only
sentence fragments, write down
everything you think might happen
in your story. Force you brain to
keep going, even if things start
getting ridiculous. Play with the so-
called MONSTER IDEA.

1.3. Image banking. In thinking up

stories, one tends to conjure up
images. It is important to make a
habit of noting these, put them in
THE BANK.

1.4. The ‘What if…?’ question.

Have no mercy with your idea.
1.5. Interview your idea,
starting with the six key
questions: Who? What?
When? Where? Why?
How?

1.6. Be Active. When all else

fails, move. Stand up and
dance. Go for a walk.
Clean your room. Do
laundry. Get in the shower.
Take a yoga class. While
your conscious mind
focuses on your body, your
subconscious will be
thinking about your idea.
Don’t be surprised if
answers show up out of
nowhere.
2. But… how many stories there are?
1. Cinderella − the dream come true.
2. Achilles − the fatal flow which leads to
destruction.
3. Faust − selling your soul and paying the
price.
4. Candide − the triumph of naïve
optimism.
5. Tristan − the trouble which follows
falling in love wioth an unavailable other.
6. Orpheus − the gift taken away and the
consequences of that loss.
7. Romeo & Juliet − boy meets girl. Boy
loses girl.
3. So… what do we mean when we talk about The
Plot.
 The plot is the essential series of events which immediately
involves the protagonist and which unfolds around him to
advance the story.
 According to Gustav Freytag, all elements of the plot should
be placed into one of the following parts: Exposition, Rising
Action, Crisis-Climax, Falling Action, and Denouement.
 The plot is also the result of how Tension and Time develop.
 Exposition, where your audience should
know your characters, their goals and
where they are. It leads to the INCITING
INCIDENT which forces the character to
leave the COMFORT ZONE.

 Rising Action, takes the inciting incident to

the next level. a series of grabbing-
attention events that lead to a/the TIGHT
SPOT.

 Crisis-Climax, where your audience will

find out if the characters will or wont
succeed. The climax is the top but also
turning point of the main action. It's also the
turning of tide for the protagonist's primary
conflict.
 Falling Action, where the
resolution to all the problems is
clearly presented. The resolution
is the event that starts untying
the main conflict.

 Denouement, where your

audience can contemplate the
results of the crisis-climax. In a
comedy the protagonist is
usually winning or better off then
in the beginning. If it's a tragedy
the protagonist is usually losing
something or somebody and is
worse off then when he started.
4. The importance of research.
 The explanation of common things: asking experts
to explain how ordinary things work can be a
source for inspiration, preferably things invisible to
the public. For example, how does your town’s
water-purification system work? What happens to
recycled plastic? How do wine aerators work? What
do lifeguards look for? What makes chocolate taste
good?
 ‘Always talk to strangers’.
 Reasons for research:
1. A Tool for Building Knowledge and Efficient
Learning
2. Rigour: A Way to Prove Lies and to Support Truths
3. Means to Find, Gauge, and Seize Opportunities
4. A Seed to Love Reading, Writing, Analyzing, and
Sharing Valuable Information. In other words: the
more research you do, the more research you want
to do.
5. Nourishment and Exercise for the Mind
5. The tripartite self of the writer.

 The inner writing self. Drawn by desire and the

pleasure of discovery, its needs good habits of
attention and perception.
 The ideal self. Its quest for perfection and
refinement drives revision.
 The guide self negotiates between the writing
self and the ideal self- the self that actively
questions and reflects, seeks response and then
uses response to re-visión the work-in-progress.