Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
Welcome back to Masterplots Theater on this the very last day of the A-Z Challenge! Yippee! We made it! And as happens every year, we get to Z and go, “What the heck are we going to write for this letter?” Of course, now that I think of it, we could have picked zombies, but …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: Z is for Zoomorphic”
Welcome back to Masterplots Theater! All month we’ve been talking about writing individual masterplots, but what if you’re deliberately writing a story in two genres? What the heck is that? Well, I’d call that a “mashup”, or for the purposes of the A-Z Challenge, an “X Meets Y” masterplot. But the real question is: should …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: X is for X Meets Y (Genre Mashups)”
Welcome to Masterplots Theater. Does your main character start out fine? The have a fulfilling job, a loving partner, and a family life any one would be envious of? But writing a character with everything is pretty dull. You throw in a few bad events, and during this new stressful time, your hero falls under …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: W is for Wretched Excess”
Welcome back to Masterplots Theater! Is your story about a someone on a mission to stop a murderer? Great! But do you know whether it’s a thriller or a mystery? If you’re like me, you might have answered, “It’s both — a mystery thriller!” Thing is, I’ve discovered that mysteries and thrillers are not the …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: T is for Thriller”
Welcome to Masterplots Theater. Do you crave brave and selfless acts in your stories? The Sacrifice Masterplot requires these, because this hero is facing gut-wrenching decisions. This is a master plot for powerful emotional tales, ones that might leave your keyboard soggy and your readers emotionally devastated, but that’s just another part of the sacrifice. …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: S is for Sacrifice”
Welcome back to Masterplots Theater! When people hear “Rite of Passage plot” they often think it’s another term for “coming-of-age story.” While youthful tales involving loss of innocence and puberty most definitely fit the Rite of Passage mold, not all ROP stories are about teenagers. Allow me to explain… Rite of Passage Plot Notes: The defining …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: R is for Rite of Passage”
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 …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: N is for Nemesis”
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 …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: M is Metamorphosis”
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 …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: L is for Love Story”
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 …
Continue reading “Masterplots Theater: K is for Kinsmen”