Plot Goggles: The Best Tool I Acquired at Taos Toolbox

At a workshop like Taos Toolbox, so much happens that you could never relay completely just what you've learned. In truth, I don't know if you can fully comprehend all that you have learned for at least six months to a year, and even then you may not have the whole picture. Learning is like that. Things take time to seep into your brain.

But there are always some immediate takeaways. As I've mentioned previously, I went to the Toolbox with the distinct intent of mastering plot. While learning Plot Breaking, a Hollywood technique for hashing out major plot points, was probably the most practical thing I learned, there was a more conceptual point of realization that I think is going to help me as I move forward on this writing journey.

It's not a new concept, not even to me, but sometimes you have to see things multiple times and then see it from a different angle to fully understand. It's this. For a story to be emotionally satisfying, you have to make a big promise* in the beginning and then deliver an ending that is unique, but appropriate to the characters and situation involved. Oh, and the stuff that happens in the middle needs to be interesting and/or entertaining.

Sounds simple and obvious, right? That doesn't mean it's easy to do. How many movies have you seen that you've enjoyed, up until the end where it fizzles or lets you down in some other way? Same with books. And it's frustrating because you want to love it; instead, it leaves you wanting. And sometimes it's not just the ending. Sometimes the story goes wrong much sooner.

Take, for example, the movie Pacific Rim. If you love the movie, great, no offense meant here, but for me it didn't work. The prologue where the main character's brother is killed is interesting and moving and makes it look like this monster movie is going to have a little more depth than your standard monster action flick. After that, they deliver an illogical premise filled with contrived character arcs and a few ridiculous characters doing stupid things. It's not that I can't hang with this kind of movie, but the beginning promised me something else, so I was disappointed in what they actually delivered.

A better monster picture, in my opinion, is Megashark vs. Giant Octopus. The title lets you know this is going to be an absurd monster picture - so get your popcorn and be prepared to razz the movie all the way through because it's not taking itself seriously. Megashark delivers exactly what it promises, and hilarity ensues.

A great book that lost me, a little bit, at the end, was The Martian by Andy Weir. I highly recommend it, but the denouement (the capper at the end) felt slight. I wanted more emotional resolution so that I could cheer bigger and love this book. Instead, I have to say that I really, really like it – with this one little reservation.

As I look back at some of my older stories, I can see where I failed to deliver an emotionally satisfying story arc. Either the promise wasn't big enough, or the challenges not great enough or the end didn't fulfill the promise of the beginning. Going forward, I will be much more conscious of this. The best tool that I acquired in Taos was a pair of plot goggles that allow me to see story more clearly. I'm sure other attendees of Taos Toolbox acquired different tools, but this is what I am most grateful for.

*NOTE: When I talk about a big promise, I don't mean that you're characters have to be saving the world, but the stakes need to be high – for them.

Blogging from Taos Toolbox - a Master Writing Class in Science Fiction and Fantasy

For two weeks I am in Taos, New Mexico at an advanced writer's workshop called Taos Toolbox held by Walter Jon Williams and Nancy Kress. So far, it has been quite the learning experience. There are things I've known on the periphery but never fully understood the importance of until discussion and explanation crystallize their importance here.

The setting is beautiful, high up in the mountains. There can be some issues with altitude. More than a week in and I still get a little more winded than I should going up a flight of stairs, but not as bad as the first day. We've seen squirrels and chipmunks, mule deer and some of went on a horseback ride even higher in the mountains. Some people have gone to the gorge, others to Taos Pueblo. Sounds like a lot of fun, and it is. But mostly we've been working.

My purpose in coming to the Toolbox is to improve my plotting skills. I want to write novels, but I'm never sure how to sustain tension and interest over the course of 100,000 words. This is almost funny because usually, when I sit down to write a short story it ends up a novelette. Writing long comes easy. But spinning threads and adding layers and texture, which requires world building in addition to plotting isn't just about writing long. You have to do a lot of things to keep you reader in suspense, wanting to turn the page. That's one of the many things I'm learning here.

I will tell you, there is nothing better than sitting around with a group of smart, like-minded people who are kind enough to lend their energy and time to help you hammer out your plot. In Hollywood it's called 'plot breaking'. I call it, 'thank you all so much for helping me figure this monster out'. Mine especially, since it's a science fiction mystery, has a lot of different threads, with different color post-its. I needed tags for not only the plot and sub-plot, but for clues, red herrings and the crazy neighbor. Yes, even though there's murder, it's a lighthearted tale.

Don't misunderstand, the workshop covers character and world building, as well as many other things. It's just that plot was my bugaboo, and thus, my focus.

The other great thing about workshops like this are the wonderful, creative people you meet. It's a room full of support and friendship where you can geek out to your heart's content and no one is going to look at you strange; heck, they'll join in. These are people I will be calling on in the future when I'm looking for help and support and I expect and hope they'll do the same. These are people I'll always hope to see at cons, or have dinner with if we're in the same town. These people are awesome.

We have three more days, and while there are things I'm missing from home, I'm going to miss these people, and the whole learning experience, when I leave. If/when you're ready, check out the Taos Toolbox. It's a workshop you'll never forget.

Writing a Novel in 90 Days

I lost a month. April disappeared, acted like it never happened. One minute it was Fool's day, the next, it was May Day. Sheesh.

"How do you lose a whole month?" you ask.

Well, I started a story in March that turned into a 16,000 word novelette. And because I was in a bit of a slump, I committed myself to finishing this monster piece no matter what. I continued on, even knowing there will be very few markets to send it to. And then suddenly I realized that Taos Toolbox is only two months away. This advanced workshop I will be attending focuses on novels and I want to walk in with a project in progress. Crumbs. I'd better get to work.

Enter, The 90-Day Novel by Alan Watt.

This book takes you from the humblest beginnings of an idea to a finished first draft in 90 days. You know what almost sounds crazy? You don't start actually writing your first draft until Day 29. Impossible? I don't think so. The first part of the process is all about exploring your characters and story in a loose, free-write style with no pressure. There's a big emphasis on 'holing your story loosely' so that it has a chance to evolve and grow. This actually makes a lot of sense and can prevent you from launching into a story you're not ready to write. I am currently on Day 6 and I will give you my impressions so far. In future posts, I will include an update on my progress so you can see how this unfolds. This is going to be an interesting experiment.

My project: A hard-boiled science fiction mystery set on a planet far, far away. At the beginning of this, I have a 700-word scene introducing the crime. Nothing more.

The first couple of days were fun and easy. Writing didn't feel like work at all. Since I knew this was just an exploration, I got a notebook and a pen and dove in. I don't expect any of this material to make it directly to the page or I would work on the computer. I hate typing from hand-written material. I find a nice bit of freedom working like this. It's a method I can easily see myself applying in the future to help loosen my brain.

By Day 4, I noticed some things I liked and some I didn't. I like the low pressure approach. With every exercise Watt makes sure you know that none of what you're writing is committed in stone and encourages you to explore different facets of your story. This is good. The down side is that a number of the questions presented in the exercises to explore character are rather repetitive. You know, like those personality tests that ask the same question in different ways to see how you respond. I found this a little tedious and if it continues to happen, I will probably start skipping the repetitious questions.

One other thing that is not really a down side but something to note is that the book is geared toward new writers. There are recommendations about how long you should spend on the process and other didactic remarks that a writer who knows their abilities can adjust and work at their own pace.

If you write science fiction or fantasy, I've been warned that little time is left for world building. I'll need to either do my world building separately, alongside the book's exercises, or I will have to allow more days than the 90-day program suggests. Also, I'm expecting this novel to fall in the 60-85k range, but if I were writing an epic 120k monster, I might expect to take more than 90 days. I see both of these solutions as acceptable while staying within the concept of the book. Ninety days is an ideal, not a deadline.

On Day 6 I was supposed to write a one to two paragraph synopsis of my story. I wrote two pages and plan to write more tomorrow. My justification is that my story is a mystery and it requires more plotting than some novels. I had to figure out who the villain is and what his motivations are before I can go much further. Also, this is my first time writing a mystery and I'm very concerned about plotting and creating a good puzzle. The character generation that Watt's book is taking me through this first week is something that comes natural to me and I've been hankering to get into the meat of things.

That leads me to my current feeling about The 90-Day Novel. It's a good concept and well executed. If you're new to novel writing I would suggest following the program pretty closely because I think it takes you through a lot of important steps. If you're a more experienced writer I still think this is a good program, but feel free to deviate from it as needed to suit your style and your story's needs.

If all goes well I will be walking into Taos Toolbox with a solid outline and about 30k words written. This feels like a good place to be. Wish me luck.

PS: Above I linked to the product page on Amazon, but if you're interested in buying the book, I strongly encourage you to find it in your local book store or ask them to order it for you. We need all the independent book stores we can get. Show them your support.