Story Plan Checklist: Story Sparks

[ladyseishou]

It’s that “aha!” moment when a writer thinks up something that completely
captures his imagination, and he must see how it unfurls and concludes.

- Karen S. Wiesner, on Story Sparks



So Nano Writer, what gets you fired up about your story?

Also called "candy-bar" scenes (love that image) by Holly Lisle in her web article: How to Finish A Novel, story sparks are "something intriguing that ignites a story scenario and carries it along toward fruition."

Ms. Wiesner also write:

Most novels up to 75,000 words have three story sparks: one for the beginning, one for the middle and one for the end. The beginning spark sets up the conflict. The middle spark (or possibly more than one middle spark) complicates the situation. Finally, the end spark resolves the conflict and situation.

This advice aligns well with the three-act story: the set-up, the confrontation, and the resolution as well as the second step of Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method: "Take another hour and expand that sentence [the one-sentence summary] to a full paragraph describing the story setup, major disasters, and ending of the novel."

For Nano Writers that write from an outline, this is a great step towards delineating the structure of your story - three sentences (or more) that describe where your story starts, what happens to get in the way, and how it all comes out in the end - three sparks!


And a quick reminder: this Sunday (October 11) is the last day to post your cover artwork [ here ] to be eligible for the Cover Up! contest!

Comments

[the_wanlorn]

1. The Scarecrow escapes from Arkham and Batman is forced to come out of "retirement" to deal with him. Then the Joker stages a string of escapes, with the help of Harley. Just when things look like they're starting to get back under control, Harley and Poison Ivy finalize their plot to blow up Wayne Tower.

2. Sam comes into Abby's PI joint, looking for a bodyguard. When an assassin starts taking pot shots at Sam and Abby, Red is forced to get involved to protect her (only) friend. Things come to a head when it turns out it's Sam's great uncle behind everything-- and it looks like he's going to succeed.

3. Carrie sees a man get impaled by a falling tree branch, and is too late to save him. Then it turns out her mother is the person the dullahan is waiting around for. AFter she thinks she's driven the dullahan away, he shows up for a final time and she has to choose between saving a bus full of college kids or saving her mother.

...that last one still needs a lot of work.

[bee]

Wait, is this one whole novel?

[the_wanlorn]

Oh, no! Sorry! I'm ~challenging myself~ because I've completed 50K-a-month the last couple months I've tried it (not always in November). So I'm trying to hit 150,000 in Noember. Because I hate myself and want myself to fail. :D

[bee]

I thought it was, for a minute, and I was like, 'Dude. DUDE.' XD

Have you heard of April Fools? You set your own goal.

[angryoldhag]

Elizabeth took a wrong turn a few miles back, which causes her to accidentally drive through a dimensional rip and end in a world beyond her wildest imaginations. Word of the outsider entering their world spreads until it reaches the ears of Count Monty, who sees this as the perfect time to prove that, damn it, he is a capable ruler and the best way to prove this is by hiring the ninja lemmings, among other things. When one of Monty's final plans goes horribly, horribly wrong Elizabeth and Monty have to race time to keep both their worlds from merging.

It... err... made sense in my head?

[dragonscrawl]

Samuel's just been handed a task to accomplish by the king of Linnondale, which requires using an airship to go to Cyprenon in disguise as ordinary merchants. This, despite the fact that Samuel's never done more than traveled as a passenger or observer on an airship in his life. The skies being a dangerous place, Samuel winds up in need of medical attention while his crew still doesn't know what their real mission is. Once in Cyprenon, Samuel and his crew must somehow extricate a Linnondale diplomat from a dangerous situation before Cyprenon officials catch on to what the "merchant" airship is doing.

[asinter]

The meeting of an isolationist society with SKY PIRATES who have just accidentally kidnapped one of the countries' king's younger brother and are thus on the run.

Yes.

[bee]

1. Laurie is pushed out of the nest abruptly by his Master, Cornelius.

2. Dejected and not believing that he's capable of what his Master 'expects' (believes) of him, he goes to America (probably California, since I know it best). He has some situations that come up, and some bad decisions that he makes.

3. He finally comes into his own and sets up his new stuff, and realises, AFTER all this, that he's actually become a Master Vampire and whoa, when did I get this confident this is KIND OF AMAZING \o/

[boredsilly]

From: boredsilly
Mariana always expected love and honesty from her lovers; it's too bad that she just moved into a soap opera.

1. Mariana is accused of having amnesia and being the long presumed dead daughter of AnnaBella.

2. She discovers that her would be lover is gay and in love with the town's biggest lathario.

3. Mariana confesses to murdering AnnaBella and putting the lathario into a coma. The true killer is eventually revealed, and AnnaBella's Will contains new surprises.