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Novelists Essential Guide to Creating Plot
This book covers the most popular element among our fiction-writing plot. Appealing to novelists of any stripe. The Novelist's Essential Guide to Creating Plot allows readers to focus on and examine in depth the structure of the novel - either one they're currently working on or one that they are planning. Light in tone and friendly to the beginner, Davis' instruction is accessible and practical, guiding readers to implement the lessons of the text in their novels. Readers will learn how to increase the intensity of their plots, enrich their work with multiple and parallel plots, and weave in subplots, leitmotifs, backstories and more. From planning the plot to polishing it, Davis covers every aspect of how the plot works in concert with the other elements of fiction writing and putting plot into perspective, allowing the reader to more clearly understand how novels are shaped and structured.
184 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 29, 2010
Date First Read: 19-Jul-2010
This book was my first formal introduction to the subject of creating plot for a novel. Since it is my first book on the subject, I don’t have a good feel for how good this book covers the subject matter. I did learn the basics of how to create a plot for a novel, so I believe that it was worth the time and effort to read. I may find with further study that this book deserves a higher rating.
Some of the key concepts that I learned about plotting from this book:
1. The plot in a novel is much like the foundation of a building. When the plot is broken you know there is a problem as much as you know a building has a problem when there are problems with the foundation. Similarly, the rest of the elements of a story; such as characterization and word, sentence, and paragraph choice; are like the other parts of a building; walls, ceiling, furniture, and accessories.
2. Plot is a sequence of events in the story. It does not have to be in an earliest event to last event sequence. In fact, it was recommended that you don’t start at the earliest event in the story but some place after the beginning where intensity is greater to hook the reader to continue to read the novel. The author will need to present the necessary information from early scenes through several different methods such as dialogue or reflection.
3. The different scenes (can be chapters) should generally increase in intensity throughout the novel until the culmination of the story. There can be scenes where the intensity is lessened for a short duration to allow the reader to regroup and then press forward when the story’s intensity continues.
4. There should be some logical flow to the book. A plot that continuously jumps from unrelated scene to unrelated scene in the story is confusing to the reader.
5. Also, other topics such as parallel and multiple plots, foreshadowing, how to create intensity in the plot, relationship between plot and developing characters, and using to the plot to “show and don’t tell” are covered in the book.
I would recommend this book to those, like myself, who want to get a good introduction to the subject of creating plot. I believe this book has set a good foundation for me to understand the fundamentals of creating plot. I will use it as a resource book for my writing.
This book was my first formal introduction to the subject of creating plot for a novel. Since it is my first book on the subject, I don’t have a good feel for how good this book covers the subject matter. I did learn the basics of how to create a plot for a novel, so I believe that it was worth the time and effort to read. I may find with further study that this book deserves a higher rating.
Some of the key concepts that I learned about plotting from this book:
1. The plot in a novel is much like the foundation of a building. When the plot is broken you know there is a problem as much as you know a building has a problem when there are problems with the foundation. Similarly, the rest of the elements of a story; such as characterization and word, sentence, and paragraph choice; are like the other parts of a building; walls, ceiling, furniture, and accessories.
2. Plot is a sequence of events in the story. It does not have to be in an earliest event to last event sequence. In fact, it was recommended that you don’t start at the earliest event in the story but some place after the beginning where intensity is greater to hook the reader to continue to read the novel. The author will need to present the necessary information from early scenes through several different methods such as dialogue or reflection.
3. The different scenes (can be chapters) should generally increase in intensity throughout the novel until the culmination of the story. There can be scenes where the intensity is lessened for a short duration to allow the reader to regroup and then press forward when the story’s intensity continues.
4. There should be some logical flow to the book. A plot that continuously jumps from unrelated scene to unrelated scene in the story is confusing to the reader.
5. Also, other topics such as parallel and multiple plots, foreshadowing, how to create intensity in the plot, relationship between plot and developing characters, and using to the plot to “show and don’t tell” are covered in the book.
I would recommend this book to those, like myself, who want to get a good introduction to the subject of creating plot. I believe this book has set a good foundation for me to understand the fundamentals of creating plot. I will use it as a resource book for my writing.
January 29, 2019
3.5-ish. Good book on high level plot. Completely useless in terms of helping you figure out how to convert that high level plot into a sequence of events/scenes.
September 11, 2014
Unlike Davis, I don't think plot is more important than character, but I have shifted a bit and now I'd say it's more like 60/40 character to plot. Plot gives your characters something to do, and pulls them along so that they don't wander off aimlessly and get into trouble in ways that you just can't fix.
The tone of the book is somewhat condescending, as if he was lecturing a bunch of recalcitrant 8th graders, but for the most part, the advice is sound on the basics. And it's always good to revisit the basics from time to time. Some of the book examples seemed obscure and weren't all that helpful in illustrating his point, and the instant workshops seemed way too time-consuming, like those dreaded term papers back in school (no fun at all).
I did really like this quote: "Writers will tell you that writing is work and must be approaced as work. Most writers have a regular writing schedule, having discovered that the Muse is fickle. She tends to drop in-if at all-when you are already writing."
If you were at the start of your writing career and you internalized that one sentiment, you'd save yourself years of frustration.
The tone of the book is somewhat condescending, as if he was lecturing a bunch of recalcitrant 8th graders, but for the most part, the advice is sound on the basics. And it's always good to revisit the basics from time to time. Some of the book examples seemed obscure and weren't all that helpful in illustrating his point, and the instant workshops seemed way too time-consuming, like those dreaded term papers back in school (no fun at all).
I did really like this quote: "Writers will tell you that writing is work and must be approaced as work. Most writers have a regular writing schedule, having discovered that the Muse is fickle. She tends to drop in-if at all-when you are already writing."
If you were at the start of your writing career and you internalized that one sentiment, you'd save yourself years of frustration.
June 3, 2017
I have found this book to be incredibly interesting as I embark upon my journey to learn the 'craft' of writing and, in particular, the novel or short story. I have been a song lyric writer for many years but feel I'm being drawn now to the longer forms (and those which don't necessarily have to rhyme!). I am realising there is a great deal to learn here and that being 'creative' is certainly not enough. My hope is that I will have the necessary intelligence and the self discipline to get my head around this art form and someday to take my first faltering steps.
This book has laid out the basics of plot (and how it differs from the storyline - something I'd never realised before) and explains, in considerable detail, all the elements and alternatives involved. And it consistently provides clear examples, although with perhaps a little too much emphasis on mythology, of the factors that come into play when approaching plot construction.
Good stuff!
This book has laid out the basics of plot (and how it differs from the storyline - something I'd never realised before) and explains, in considerable detail, all the elements and alternatives involved. And it consistently provides clear examples, although with perhaps a little too much emphasis on mythology, of the factors that come into play when approaching plot construction.
Good stuff!
December 23, 2014
Overall it reads as if it should be shorter. There is a lot of filler and some rather pointless discussion. The book is based on the author's opinion and apparently experiences from his practical writing career. He has written what he knows and what works for him. It is a beginner to intermediate craft book, and it should help all writers in some way. It is not an academic treatise.
I enjoyed the discussion on Aristotle's "Poetics." I agree that plot is most important. I am not sure Davis made the reason clearly enough. If he did, it was buried in excess. But plot is simply objective meets resistance. It is action, and character is the resulting objective, reaction, and decision. Everything else is details. The words conflict, tension, and resistance are not indexed -- a shame.
Most of the rest of the book covers those details. His discussion is logical, accessible, and fairly complete. I suppose it is a three-dimensional approach: hit plot from many possible angles, and by the end of the book, we'll all know everything there is to know about plot. Except how to write a story. Of course writing is harder than color by numbers.
I had issues with the rising intensity chapter. Saying to increase the plot's intensity throughout and alternate with low, reflective sections is about as useful as saying vary your sentence length to make your prose more interesting. There is no guidance on how to do this. He throws his guidance into the penultimate chapter as footnotes. Form! The Hero's Journey or Monomyth is form, not of plot but of rising and appropriate action. It is a rich outline given cursory acknowledgement. It should have been this chapter.
On the same theme, the action-reaction discussion was thin. Dwight Swain's motivation-reaction units and the higher level action-reaction or scene-sequel structures address this idea beautifully. Unfortunately there is no mention in Davis's book.
The character-plot discussion at the end was interesting though wordy. I would have liked to see the discussion address action-based vs. character-based stories and the resulting forms of resistance and conflict. Nope. That's our homework.
Still, all writing discussion is useful, and this book covers large-scale plot elements we all need plus many ancillary points. I enjoyed leitmotifs, episodic plotting, foreshadowing and cliff-hanging, and many other sections. I am glad I read it.
I enjoyed the discussion on Aristotle's "Poetics." I agree that plot is most important. I am not sure Davis made the reason clearly enough. If he did, it was buried in excess. But plot is simply objective meets resistance. It is action, and character is the resulting objective, reaction, and decision. Everything else is details. The words conflict, tension, and resistance are not indexed -- a shame.
Most of the rest of the book covers those details. His discussion is logical, accessible, and fairly complete. I suppose it is a three-dimensional approach: hit plot from many possible angles, and by the end of the book, we'll all know everything there is to know about plot. Except how to write a story. Of course writing is harder than color by numbers.
I had issues with the rising intensity chapter. Saying to increase the plot's intensity throughout and alternate with low, reflective sections is about as useful as saying vary your sentence length to make your prose more interesting. There is no guidance on how to do this. He throws his guidance into the penultimate chapter as footnotes. Form! The Hero's Journey or Monomyth is form, not of plot but of rising and appropriate action. It is a rich outline given cursory acknowledgement. It should have been this chapter.
On the same theme, the action-reaction discussion was thin. Dwight Swain's motivation-reaction units and the higher level action-reaction or scene-sequel structures address this idea beautifully. Unfortunately there is no mention in Davis's book.
The character-plot discussion at the end was interesting though wordy. I would have liked to see the discussion address action-based vs. character-based stories and the resulting forms of resistance and conflict. Nope. That's our homework.
Still, all writing discussion is useful, and this book covers large-scale plot elements we all need plus many ancillary points. I enjoyed leitmotifs, episodic plotting, foreshadowing and cliff-hanging, and many other sections. I am glad I read it.
January 19, 2012
This book actually broke down my reasoning for not wanting to bother with time-consuming, overwhelming outlines. I picked this for the Salt Lake Library's challenge to read a "self improvement" book, while working on my story's first draft. I have found at least 3 or 4 or 7 helpful suggestions, mostly found at the end of the chapters in the "instant workshop" sections. Most of the meat in the chapters is just elaborating on the principles that you'll practice when you get to the workshop. However, it has been interesting to see examples of different plotting and outlining principles that have been used by master storytellers, like Shakespeare. I'm convinced of their value!
May 15, 2009
A lot of information and presented in a way that I can understand. First book that I've read on the topic, so its hard to say if it is really good or not, but I got something out of it.
-Joe-
-Joe-
October 23, 2014
Plot is everything.
March 16, 2012
I liked the development from plot to scene and to story. But the font is a bit too small for my ageing eyes. I would have given it 4 stars if I could read it more easily.
November 8, 2012
Best plot book I have read.
April 28, 2015
Very helpful and informative. If you're writing a book, I recommend reading this.
January 25, 2015
Best book on plot I've found.
June 16, 2012
Good book for ploting all types of storytelling.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews