Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
Welcome back to Masterplots Theater! I often see authors describing their stories as quests in their book blurbs. Sadly, many of these books are not quests and that leads to reader disappointment. The Quest might be the most misunderstood of all the masterplots. Just because a story is High / Epic Fantasy, or follows Joseph Campbell’s …
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Welcome back to Masterplots Theater! Today we’re going on a wild ride with the Pursuit masterplot, which is more commonly known as the Chase plot. But hey, this is the A-Z Challenge where coming up with a suitable synonym so one has a post for a tricky letter is fair game. 😉 Pursuit Plot Notes: …
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Welcome back to Masterplots Theater. Do you dream of writing stories with flying carpets, or wishing wells? Or maybe you want to write a story where the bad guy gets taken down by a witch with a sense of humor. Great, because this masterplot takes us to a land of all plots magical. Out Of …
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Welcome back to Masterplots Theater where we examine archetypal plots in books and film. Today we’re going to study a plot often referred to as “Rivalry”, but I need an “N” post for the purpose of the #AtoZChallenge, so I’m going to call this masterplot “Nemesis.” After all, there is no rivalry if the hero doesn’t …
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Welcome to Masterplots Theater. Today we have Metamorphosis! This masterplot is not new. It dates back to the classic Greek writers, but it takes it’s name from a 1915 German novella by Franz Kafka. I just read the original Metamorphosis at the urging of my friend Cindy who guest posted (Writing Sci-Fi) a few weeks …
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Welcome back to Masterplots Theater! Today we are exploring one of the most popular masterplots of all time: The Love Story. And even if you’re not writing a full-on romance, most stories have an amorous subplot which contains the same plot elements. So without further ado, let’s fall in love! Love Story Plot Notes: The …
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Welcome back to Masterplots Theater. You just sat down to work on your next book and it features an explosive family relationship. If it spans decades of betrayal, abandonment and emotional scarring, chances are you’re writing a Kinsmen story. The Kinsmen is the classic family drama. It’s what most people call the family saga. For …
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Welcome to Masterplots Theater! Today we’re examining Juvenile Journal, which admittedly is a term I just made up so that I have something to write for the letter J. But still, there are many books out there written in a diary format. Perhaps your own teenage scribblings would make a great story… Journal Plot Notes: …
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Welcome back to Masterplots Theater! So far we’ve covered: A is for Adventure B is for Buddy Love C is for Chosen One D is for Dystopia E is for Escape F is for Fool Triumphant G is for Gothic H is for Happily-Ever-After Today we take on the Institutionalized Masterplot. Do you love to write about …
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Welcome back to Masterplots Theater! So far we’ve covered: A is for Adventure B is for Buddy Love C is for Chosen One D is for Dystopia E is for Escape F is for Fool Triumphant G is for Gothic And today we’re discussing Happily-Ever-After stories. Do you like happy endings? According to this article, most people …
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