Fable & The Verbivore

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Episode 113: Before you write (part 3, plot & outlines)

Bethany Stedman

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Ep 113: Before you write (part 3, plot & outlines) Fable & The Verbivore

These notes include affiliate links.

Since NaNoWriMo is coming up at the start of November, Fable and the Verbivore are having a three-part conversation that unpacks prep work that we do prior to writing.

In this our third and final episode in this series, we talk about different approaches to outlining and plotting a novel - from planning to pantsing to plantsing.

Without getting too bogged down into story structure and beats, we compare and contrast discovery writing with creating a clear outline - recognizing that it’s possible to do one or the other or some combination of both. We discuss our own experiences and personal preferences as we write - what we’ve tried with different projects, what we plan, what we leave open to discover along the way, and ideas that have helped us.

We talk about the process of writing a story as like figuring out the road map that will take you from the story’s beginning (point A) to the end (point B). And how knowing- even generally - these points can help you navigate your way through.

We also discuss story shapes, how stories are defined by the change in the emotional trajectory that occurs and how knowing what type of story you’re telling can help you figure out the ups and downs that fit within your narrative arc. Specifically, we mention Kurt Vonnegut’s theory of the Six Core Story Shapes. They are:

  • Rags to Riches (rise)

  • Riches to Rags (fall)

  • Man in a Hole (fall then rise)

  • Icarus (rise then fall)

  • Cinderella (rise then fall then rise)

  • Oedipus (fall then rise then fall)

We recognize that there are many ways to approach figuring out how to tell your story and there is no right way. These are just a few ideas to try out and there are many other methods out there to use to explore and figure out what works for you.

We hope you enjoy this episode! Keep reading, writing, and putting your voice out there!

Into the woods,

Fable & The Verbivore

Notes:

In case you’re unfamiliar with NaNoWriMo, here is some information: https://nanowrimo.org/what-is-nanowrimo

At the beginning of this episode, Fable mentions the episodes where we’ve previously discussed specific story structures and beats. Here are the links to those episodes:

Both Fable and the Verbivore mention a variety of ways to approach outlining and plotting, some they’ve discovered through their own trial and error, discussions with other authors, and through research. Here are some articles that we found helpful in preparation for this conversation:

Fable talks about the lecture video where author Kurt Vonnegut references his thoughts on the shapes of different stories. Here is a link to that video:

Our friend and writer Jo Mercer is hosting a NaNo prep month on Instagram @jmercerbooks under the hashtag #nanoprepandwin. It has some great story preparation prompts and questions. If you’re preparing to write a new story, we’d highly recommend checking it out!

Books Mentioned:

Music from: https://filmmusic.io
’Friendly day’ by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)
Licence: CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)