WHAT’S YOUR STORY?BY NICHOLE MCGILL

27 JANUARY 2011

OTTAWA INDEPENDENT WRITERS AGM

TONIGHT!

1. WHAT

2. WHY

3. WHAT SPECIFICALLY

4. WHO

5. WHAT EXACTLY

6. 10 FRAMES

But first…

“A CAUTIONARY TALE”AKA “HOW NOT TO WRITE A NOVEL”

• Short story collection?

• Novel?

• Film?

• TV – Movie of the week?

• Producer?

What was the heart?

!ONCE UPON A TIME, I HAD A…

TELL T

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• Novel!

• First person!

• Young adult!

• Thriller!

• Hero: Suspicious!

• Wants: Independence!

• Needs: Tell the truth!

• Arc!

NEW PURPOSE

ON WRITING: “CAMILLA VS. YANN”

HEADLIGHTS PLOTS, PLOTS, PLOTS

RECOMMEND: BOTH

“VOICE”, FLAVOUR ACTION, ENGAGED READER

1. WHAT?

1. Type / Format

2. Genre

3. Message

4. What happens (one sentence)

i. Who is your main character

ii. Transformative action

iii. End result

1. WHAT?

1. Novel (200 pages)

2. Young adult, thriller

3. Telling the truth

4. Logline:

i. A teenage girl who mistrusts adults…

ii. …decides to take on a stalker by herself, endangering herself…

iii. …but ultimately learning the importance of telling the truth.

A WORD @ LOGLINES• Writing a good logline is an art

• It will transform

• This is your pitch: test this with strangers and friends

• “What are you writing?”

“I’m writing a YA novel about a teenage girl

who takes on a stalker by herself”

“I’m writing a thriller about a papergirl who is obsessed with the abduction of girls in her neighbourhood.”

TIP: An incomplete logline will tell you what you’re missing.

1. WHAT ABOUT YOU?

1. Type / Format

2. Genre

3. Message

4. What happens (one sentence)

i. Who is your main character

ii. Transformative action

iii. End result

2. WHY?

• Inspiration

• Moral

• One message

Your message will dictate your ending.

Your ending will dictate the entire story.

MORAL FOR GIRL #3

• “The Girl Who Cried Wolf”

• Importance of telling the truth

Ending = transformative action

Story = tension

***

Ending = she has to tell someone about the stalker

Story = her not telling

2. WHY – YOUR TURN

Why are you writing what you are writing?

• Inspiration

• Moral

• One message

Your message will dictate your ending.

Your ending will dictate the entire story.

3. WHAT EXACTLY?

The WHY drives this:

1. Type / Format

2. Genre

3. Message

4. What happens (one sentence)

i. Who is your main character

ii. Transformative action

iii. End result

YOU CAN’T FOOL THE READER

If it doesn’t ring true for you, it won’t ring true to your readers

4. WHO: GOOD GUY/GAL

The Protagonist (#1)

(aka The Hero/Heroine/Main Character)

1. What does my main character want?

2. What does my main character need? *

3. What is their arc/journey?

 

4. WHO: BAD GUY/GAL

The Antagonist (#2)

(aka The Bad Guy/Bad Girl/Person or Thing Thwarting Your Protagonist)

1. What do they want and how are they thwarting your protagonist?

2. Does your antagonist have a character arc? (Not necessary but could be interesting.)

4. WHO: OTHER GUYS

1. Protagonist & Antagonist

• Driver vs. Inhibitor

2. Reason & Emotion

• Logic vs. Feelings

3. Sidekick & Skeptic

• Faith vs. Doubt

4. Guardian & Contagonist

• Guiding Light vs. Temptation

4. WHO: OTHER GUYS1. Protagonist & Antagonist

• Harry Potter & Voldemort

2. Reason & Emotion

• Minerva McGonagall & sometimes Hermione, Ron, (changes)

3. Sidekick & Skeptic

• Ron, Professor Snape

4. Guardian & Contagonist

• Dumbledore & Draco Malfoy; Contagonist changes for each novel

4. WHO: GOOD GUY/GAL

The Protagonist: Syd Johanssen

1. What does my main character want?

• Live, be independent

2. What does my main character need? *

• Reach out to others

3. What is their arc/journey?

• She has to reach out in the end and she has to BELIEVE in it.

4. WHO: BAD GUY/GAL

The Antagonist : Faceless Man

1. What do they want and how are they thwarting your protagonist.

• He wants to “collect” her

2. Does your antagonist have a character arc?

• Archetype

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

PROTAGONIST

• Who?

• Want?

• Need?

ANTAGONIST

• Who?

• Want?

• (Need?)

WHAT SPECIFICALLY?

Plot = action + character

Action =• anything that moves story forward • what the main character does to get what she/he wants• and how they deal with adversity

PLOT TOOLS

1. Three-Act Structure

2. Scene Outline

3. Tell your story in ten panels

TACTIC #1: SYD FIELD’S THREE-ACT

ACT I

• Set-up

• Catalyst

• Beginning

1 – 30 pp

ACT II

• Confrontation

• Obstacles

• Middle

30 – 90 pp

• Resolution

• End

90 – 120 pp

ACT III

SYD FIELD’S THREE-ACTPage 1: Sets the mood

Page 3: Viewers needs to know central question of story

Page 10: Viewers need to know what the story is

Page 30: New world (1st Turning Point)

Page 45: Protagonist has character growth

Page 60: The Point of No Return:

Character commits themselves further to their goal; some success

Page 80: All is Lost! (2nd Turning Point)

Pages 90-120: Climax, End

SYD FIELD’S VIEW OF “ALICE IN WONDERLAND”

Page 1: Alice with her sister doing lessons

Page 3: Alice is bored; sees white rabbit

Page 10: Alice falls down rabbit hole

Page 30: Alice enters Wonderland (can’t escape)

Page 45: Takes control. She can shrink and grow at will

Page 60: Alice decides she wants to go home

Page 80: Croquet with the Queen. “Off with her head!”

Page 90-120 Trial. Alice grows big. Mushroom wears off. Chased by guards. She wakes up.

“It was all a dream!”

“A” STORY VS. “B” STORY

Plot out your “A” story first Everything in your story is a slave to it

Alice in Wonderland

All “A” story

Titanic

A = Love story

B= Boat’s sinking

WHAT ABOUT YOU?Page 1: Sets the mood

Page 3: Viewers needs to know central question of story

Page 10: Viewers need to know what the story is

Page 30: New world (1st Turning Point)

Page 45: Protagonist has character growth

Page 60: The Point of No Return

Character commits themselves further to their goal; some success

Page 80: All is Lost! (2nd Turning Point)

Pages 90-120: Climax, End

TACTIC #2: PLOT OUT SCENESChapter by chapter

Scene by scene

Reader & writer still need to know:

• Central question of story

• 1st Turning Point: Protagonist is in a new world

• Protagonist has character growth

• The Point of No Return

• 2nd Turning Point: All is Lost!

• Ending

 

VERY, VERY IMPORTANT!

Something has to happen

on every page,script or prose.

 

That “SOMETHING” has to move your plot forward.

TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS

This is a test…

Script, novel or long story

“A” storyline

On track

 

TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS

This is a test…

Script, novel or long story

“A” storyline

On track

Can you tell your story in 10 panels?

TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS

Panel 1: Set-up main character and situation

 

Panel 2: Show us what this story is about

 

Panel 3: 1st turning point:

Main character is in new territory

 

 

TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS

Significant Second Act Events

Panels 4 to 7: Character growth

Point of no return

Could test “B” story

Could put 2nd turning point

 

TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS

Panel 8: 2nd turning point

 

Panel 9: Climax

 

Panel 10: End

 

 

TACTIC #3: 10 PANELS

Panel 1: Set-up main character and situation

Panel 2: Show us what this story is about

Panel 3: 1st turning point (New territory)

Panel 4: Character growth

Panel 5: More growth / “B” story / success or failure

Panel 6: No return

Panel 7: Some success

Panel 8: All is lost (2nd turning point)

Panel 9: Climax

Panel 10: End 

WHAT ABOUT YOUR 10 PANELS?

Panel 1: Set-up main character and situation

Panel 2: Show us what this story is about

Panel 3: 1st turning point (New territory)

Panel 4: Character growth

Panel 5: More growth / “B” story / success or failure

Panel 6: No return

Panel 7: Some success

Panel 8: All is lost (2nd turning point)

Panel 9: Climax

Panel 10: End 

www.nicholemcgill.com

nicholemcgill@gmail.com

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