Keeping the Beat
My last post focused on the negativity of indecisiveness and the perils of having a mild organizational OCD affliction. As an update: I am still feeling very conflicted about maintaining my three different blogs with three very different purposes, but I’ve settled on writing what I feel. Earlier in the week, I added a post to my memoir style fiction. That will always be easier for me, as it’s the very essence of writing what I know. My insecurity still lies with my other WIP, which is also my first ever sci-fi attempt, "The Grave Mistake".
So today, in honor of the IWSA (click above for details), I’m going to rein in some of the “I’m stuck and I don’t know how to motivate myself to push forward” complaining and focus on a positive tool that my husband, an aspiring screenwriter, has encouraged me to try out. It’s called the Blake Synder Beat Sheet and it’s basically a way to structure a story with 15 distinct “beats”… which when followed, will ensure that the body of your writing has a very strong and well defined backbone. Of course, adapting this outline method to a short story takes a little finesse, but it still works. The beat sheet format without the page number of where they should appear in a screenplay is as follows:
PROJECT TITLE:
GENRE:
1. Opening Image:
2. Theme Stated:
3. Set-up:
4. Catalyst:
5. Debate:
6. Break into 2:
7. B Story:
8. Fun and Games:
9. Midpoint:
10. Bad Guys Close In:
11. All Is Lost:
12. Dark Night of the Soul:
13. Break into 3:
14. Finale:
15. Final Image:
I’ve got my “beat sheet” completely filled out with the exception of numbers 10 through 13. For some reason, I’m having a really hard time getting my story from the midpoint to my finale and final image. I think it’s partly due to the fact that when I originally thought of the idea, most of the change and conflict within the story occurred within the main character’s head via inner dialogue. I’m now torn between adding external “bad guys” and keeping it based as an internalized event for my protagonist. Without a lot of external elements, I’m worried that I won’t fully capture the futuristic aspect of the world I’m writing about and even worse, could lose the interest of my potential readers. If you’ve been so kind as to have read the opening and Part 2 of my story on my blog “Breaking From Reality”, I’d love to hear your opinions on which way you see the story heading and what details you’d be most interested in learning. Don’t worry, my finale and final image are written in stone, so you are at no risk to change the outcome… but I would be open to adding more detail leading up to that point if it would serve my story well. Thanks in advance!
So today, in honor of the IWSA (click above for details), I’m going to rein in some of the “I’m stuck and I don’t know how to motivate myself to push forward” complaining and focus on a positive tool that my husband, an aspiring screenwriter, has encouraged me to try out. It’s called the Blake Synder Beat Sheet and it’s basically a way to structure a story with 15 distinct “beats”… which when followed, will ensure that the body of your writing has a very strong and well defined backbone. Of course, adapting this outline method to a short story takes a little finesse, but it still works. The beat sheet format without the page number of where they should appear in a screenplay is as follows:
PROJECT TITLE:
GENRE:
1. Opening Image:
2. Theme Stated:
3. Set-up:
4. Catalyst:
5. Debate:
6. Break into 2:
7. B Story:
8. Fun and Games:
9. Midpoint:
10. Bad Guys Close In:
11. All Is Lost:
12. Dark Night of the Soul:
13. Break into 3:
14. Finale:
15. Final Image:
I’ve got my “beat sheet” completely filled out with the exception of numbers 10 through 13. For some reason, I’m having a really hard time getting my story from the midpoint to my finale and final image. I think it’s partly due to the fact that when I originally thought of the idea, most of the change and conflict within the story occurred within the main character’s head via inner dialogue. I’m now torn between adding external “bad guys” and keeping it based as an internalized event for my protagonist. Without a lot of external elements, I’m worried that I won’t fully capture the futuristic aspect of the world I’m writing about and even worse, could lose the interest of my potential readers. If you’ve been so kind as to have read the opening and Part 2 of my story on my blog “Breaking From Reality”, I’d love to hear your opinions on which way you see the story heading and what details you’d be most interested in learning. Don’t worry, my finale and final image are written in stone, so you are at no risk to change the outcome… but I would be open to adding more detail leading up to that point if it would serve my story well. Thanks in advance!
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Your story has a very intriguing setup. I like the inner conflicts, but I think it would be great to balance them with external actions so we, the readers, can get a clear sense of where we are because it sounds like you could describe a fascinating world out there. With the dilemma of an external villain, can you create something where this villain is external and internal through a some kind of computer virus? The beat sheet is great, I'm going to save it for my next book. I'm curious where you're taking your story. :) (Oh, and I didn't know how to follow here. I didn't know if I was missing something.)
Thanks, Michael! The virus is an interesting suggestion, I hadn't even thought of putting a computer in the main character's dwelling at all... as you'll see (if you keep reading, and if you do, thank you) the big reveal is going to be a lot more tangible and a lot less futuristic than the setting in which the story takes place. I'll definitely keep that in mind. As for following... I'm sorry. Google Plus keeps suggesting that I try things, so maybe I should just switch from this new "dynamic view" back to the old simple view. I'll do that now... :-)
What a wonderful, structure. I never heard of it, so I'll have to look into it. I'll be sure to visit your other blog and read your stories.
I've never heard of a structure like that, but I really like it! I will definitely have to try it out! :)
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! Save the Cat. The Beat Sheet helped me plot through my problem areas. I make a Beat Sheet for everything I write. Don't skip doing The Board, it will really help you see the holes in your story. Blake Snyder was a genius!
A story simply cannot exist without the threat of bad guys and the conflict they bring, whether they are external to the main characters thoughts or not. Internal conflict can work, but only when you've got a pretty interesting main character caught up in a pretty messed up situation. An example would be the works of Philip K. Dick, most especially Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said.
Thanks for stopping by at my blog as part of the IWSG. Your words in particular offered the encouragement I needed.
I'll head over and check out the story. 3 blogs though! Wow that's a lot of work to keep up. :)
Save the Cat is an awesome book! I use his beat sheet when outlining my work now.
Welcome to the IWSG!
I really need to read Save the Cat.
Just stopping by to say hi from IWSG. Save the Cat is great! And three blogs, man, I tip my hat to your ambition!
Thanks to everyone for stopping by, with a special thanks to Michael: I am almost ashamed to admit that I am only familiar with Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and A Scanner Darkly, and there is one tiny aspect of my story that is loosely inspired by Minority Report. I've never read Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said... but based on your suggestion, I may have to do so to gain a little extra inspiration!
I love your beat sheet!! I love plot structures in general :)
BTW. Great blog title! I'm so glad I found your site.
Andrea
Thanks so much, Andrea! We may just have to share more plot structure tips... I know I can use all the help I can get ;-)
The "Beat Sheet" looks like a great format to adhere to. :) Btw, love the "that's what she said" title here. Hilarious! Following over from IWSG.