Back to Basics

As I've mentioned previously, I've been banging my head against the brick wall of a synopsis that just doesn't want to be written. While I can often rough out a synopsis within hours (mind you, I generally spend days or even weeks refining afterward) this book's new territory for me and simply won't be rushed.

My first reaction was, Well, be that way. I'll just go ahead and write the full manuscript. But that's left me with the same issues I was facing in the synopsis. While I have what I thing are terrific characters and an awesome set-up with all manner of complications and plenty of ideas about where I want to go with this, what I don't have is crystallized plot line. Not yet, anyway.

So far, I'm tried many of my usual tricks for getting unstuck, including long walks, vacuuming (a true measure of my desperation), even distracting myself with another proposal and other unrelated chores. But while I sense the threads of the story lengthening, they're still stubbornly refusing to knit themselves into a cohesive whole. As I mentioned last week, I pulled out old friend reference, The Writer's Journey, by Chris Vogler, and it has helped, but only to a point. (The sticking point, dagnabbit.)

Still, I refuse to give up and have now moved on to one of the most basic of building block, GMC. For anyone not familiar with the initials, that would be Goal, Motivation, and Conflict. Placing different character goals as much in opposition to each other as possible can be terrific for generating the story's external conflict. As I once heard it said, if a dog wants a bone, it's not a story, but if there are two dogs and only one bone, then, you've got a story.

Today's task. Figure out what the bone is and work backward from there. I sense that webbing, a giant sheet of paper, and some pretty color markers may be involved.

Wish me luck, and if anyone else has great plotting hints to share, I'm all ears!