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Creating Compelling Plotlines

5 CQ

Plot is the engine that drives your story forward. In this lesson, discover how to build, sustain, and pace a plot, plus gain insight into common plot pitfalls.

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    2 Comments
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    Princess E
    I was really plugging along with Theresa Funke, enjoying the sound of her voice and the look of her face in these videos - but I do have one serious, serious problem. She is extremely closed minded about what a story's plot can be. To her, every novel ever is defined as a binary plot, that is, whether or not the character gets what he wants in the end. Who's to say he wants anything at all? Or that he even knows what he wants. She is locked in to this idea and it's discrediting her expertise.
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    Curious .
    This is something you feel passionate about. Passion is good! But I stand with the common wisdom that 99% of stories start with a character who wants something. He doesn't always get it, or he may realize he wanted something different, but everyone, fictional or real, wants something. The challenge for the writer is figuring out what. And it's not always clear right away. Sometimes you have to dig to find it. But it's there. If not, your story is probably drifting and we will lose interest.
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