Attention Grabbing Plots

Plot is the problem in a work of fiction. The writer has numerous paths to go down in figuring-out a solution. He/she sifts through the "fiction world" picking and plucking up ways to resolve it. Good plots are woven through action, suspense and conflict.

Action between opposing characters can be intense, and it's one way for characters to learn about the other character's position. The characters spill some or all of their plan. It leads to an attention grabbing path for a writer to take. It is showing rather than telling. 

• A good plot grabs attention.
• People keep reading.
• A character's plight moves the story forward.
• The incident has a chain reaction.
• A shake up in "fiction world" for some.

Suspense happens each time a character almost succeeds, stumbling blocks are thrown in the main character's path. A character's path to success is not easy. He/she must try to succeed, at least, three times.

• Characters probe for answers to a murder.
• Someone sprinkles false clues around "fiction world."
• Frustrated, but determination pulls the character along.
• The same character makes a desperate move.
• Suspense builds as to what will happen.

Conflict means a clash while differences surface.

• At this point, the two opposing forces meet. 
• Betrayal and bitter words are exchanged.
• Each knows the position of the other.
• One wins or loses in this particular round.
• Respect can come from this encounter.

Opposing parties prepare to out-do each other to the end. The conclusion is not always a happy one for characters, but should be fair to readers and exciting. Or, the end is not expected by readers.  

Components Of Attention Grabbing Plots

Good Plots

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me? Leave me your opinion.

 Plot is the problem in a work of fiction, and how a writer sifts through a "fiction world" to resolve it. 

Good plots are woven through action, suspense and conflict.  

Action between opposing characters can be intense, and it's one way for characters to learn about the other's position. 

•A good plot grabs attention. 

•People keep reading.  

•A character's plight moves the story forward.  

•The incident has a chain reaction.  

•A shake up in "fiction world" for some. 

 Suspense happens each time a character almost succeeds, stumbling blocks are thrown in the main character's path. 

•Characters probe for answers to a murder. 

•Someone sprinkles false clues around "fiction world." 

•Frustrated, but determination pulls the character along. 

•The same character makes a desperate move. 

•Suspense builds as to what will happen. 

 Conflict means a clash while differences surface. 

•At this point, the two opposing forces meet. 

•Betrayal and bitter words are exchanged.  

•Each knows the other's position.  

•One wins or loses this particular round. 

 Opposing parties prepare to out-do each other to the end.

Original post at: http://voices.yahoo.com/components-attention-grabbing-plot-12596089.html.

S3nsitiv3

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

"You hear that?" Penny looked at
the basement door.

"Like, I ain't hear nothin', again."
Sherry rolled her eyes toward the
ceiling. "Whatcha hearin' now?"

"Same cries."

"Like, let's go see and end it."

"I don't want to go down there,"
Penny lowered her head. "End what?"

"What ya keep hearin' when I'm ova."

It's strange."

"Like, yeah." Sherry laughed out-loud.

"I hear the cries at other times, but
always when you're here."

"Let's check it out."

"Sherry," Penny took a deep breath,
"from the day we moved in, the cries
started. It kinda scared me, but I've
heard cries and voices in other places
we've lived."

"Like, you've been livin' here 'bout
five years." Sherry looked across the
table at Penny.

"Since I was ten." Penny smiled. "You
introduced yourself before the movers
were done."

"Like, I lived on this street foreva,
know everybody." Sherry paused. "Before
ya're family moved in, Ashley and her
family lived in this house. We hung-out
in the basement and neva heard..."

Penny jumped up, opened one window to
allow the Spring breeze in. The sudden
movement interrupted and startled Sherry.

"Basement, not a good idea." Penny sat
back down and didn't comment on what
Sherry said.

"Like, Ashley's younger brother
disappeared and her father weird-out
about it." Sherry laughed. "I 'member
her brother cried all the time. My
parents talked 'bout how Ashley's dad
spent too much time in the basement
after Reg went missin'."

"They say, I'm...I'm sensitive,
gifted." Penny ignored Sherry's tale.

"Always knew ya was different." Sherry
laughed. "Like, why tell me now?"

"Thought you'd understand why we can't
go in the basement."

Sherry fixed her eyes on the basement
door.

"Not going down there," Penny said.
"Let's do something else."

"Like, ya got money or ya're parents'
credit card?"

"No."

"Sherry stood, headed to the basement
door.

"Stop!" Penny shouted. "Why go in
the basement?"

"Like, I'm bored and tired of the
same conversation 'bout cries."

"Let's play with my PSP, in my bedroom,"
Penny offered.

"Don't wanna." Sherry pouted.

"Sherry, my parents will be back, soon."

"Like, so."

"I have to clean-up the kitchen."

"Not gonna take long to go down there."
Sherry smiled. "I'll even help ya
clean the kitchen."

"My parents told me not to go in the
basement when they're not here."
Penny's brows furrowed.

"Like, let's go." Sherry pulled Penny
by the arm.

Penny snatched her arm away from Sherry,
and toddler stepped over to the basement
door. Sherry stepped behind Penny. Penny
unlocked the door. It flew open. The
girls ran away from the door.

"Like, what..."

"Still want to go down there, Sherry?"
Penny faced Sherry.

"Like...like, yeah." Sherry trembled.

They inched back to the door, slowly
walked downstairs. Penny switched the
light on when her feet touched the
bottom step.

"Like, the same old basement." Sherry
broke the silence. "Ugly brick walls,
hot water heater and some new junk.

"Ready to go back upstairs?" Penny
turned around.

"Like, what's there to be scared of?"
Sherry laughed so hard that her full
figured body slammed against the wall,
several times.

Penny positioned her body where Sherry
stood.

The wall loosened, brick and other
debris fell to the floor.

Penny moved her lips, but no sounds
came out.

"What...what!" Penny's eyes became wide
as half dollar pieces. She stared at the
area of wall Sherry hit against.

"Like, run!" Sherry was half-way upstairs
before she called, "Penny!"

"Come-back," Penny said.

Sherry, eventually, returned. She pinned
herself to Penny's side.

"Like, what now, Penny?"

"Be quiet."

Penny looked at the debris that dislocated
itself from the wall. She ran her hands
across different sections of it, like
her hands searched for something. Penny
glued her face to the sections of wall
Sherry banged her body into.

"Like, I gotta go home." Sherry trembled.

Penny rushed over to where her father kept
his tools. She grabbed a hammer and hurried
back.

Penny didn't hammer long before remains
were exposed.

"Like, that's it." Sherry took two steps
at a time getting upstairs.

The tapping of her designer sneakers could
be heard stomping across the floor as she
left penny's house.

Penny dropped the hammer, and didn't stop
until she was behind her locked bedroom door.


TH3 3ND

Start A Book

Have a question? Agree, disagree,
with me? Leave me your opinion.

Successful Book Starts

The idea is to have your book
appeal to a large segment of
the population. Decide on a
writing idea to accomplish it.

Sit down. Develop a writing
idea that stirs-up your
imagination. A book starts
as the writing idea is spun
into being.

Writing ideas await in a haunted
house, at work or on the
trains' platform.

Is there a house in your
neighborhood that's rumored
to be haunted. Perhaps, facts
say it is haunted. Put your
own spin on a writing idea.
Take a look at my writing idea.

"Who is it?" Maureen shouted
through the door.

"Me."

"Sal?" Maureen opened the
front door.

"Mac's gone and his paws can't
handle the cold."

"How did he get out of the
apartment?" Maureen motioned
with her hand for Sal to come
in.

"Alls I know is when we walk
pass the haunted house, he'd
stop and bark at it."

"But..."

"And," Sal interrupted Maureen,
"a bad feeling comes over me."

A loud bang thundered...

What would you write next?

Get in the good habit of looking
at writing ideas from different
view points.

A decided on writing idea is the
plot. How a problem is played-out
unfolds the plot.

Every story has a beginning, middle
and it ends. Be fair with the reader.
Leave no question introduced in
the story unanswered.

Populate the story with characters.
You have to know your characters
before their story can be told well,
successfully.

Create profiles for characters. Each
character is individual, have flaws
and is different from when the story
started.

Profiles can include weight, height,
eye color, quirks and likes/dislikes.
He/she has to experience change,
growth.

Questions needed asking. Who should
be the main character? Man? Woman?
Senior citizen? Who will best fit
into the role?

Where will the story take place?
It's called setting. Haunted house?
Work? Train platform?

The season of year is mentioned within
the first five chapters, or beginning
paragraphs of a short story.

Write romance, mystery or any genre,
but add plenty of suspense.

Suspense is doubt, uncertainty. It's
Sal, from the earlier example, full
of fear and shouting the haunted house
stole her dog.

Start the story in the middle of an
issue, situation. It pulls the reader
into a story. Readers become concerned
and want to know what happens next.

Each page reveals something exciting or
hint at an on-coming threat.

Source: http://hubpages.com/hub/Start-A-Book

Start your book.

They Said I Couldn't Write

"They say I can't write a novel." Someone explained to me. "Keep gettin' rejection slips."
In our society, people want to see it happen now, not tomorrow. Likewise, success is wanted this second. It takes time to get from writing to finished novel. It is rare for anyone to create a story, and the piece is publication ready.
The process of finding the right publisher is a challenge. Many will not accept manuscripts unless from an agent.
The question, you must address is, should I get an agent?
I suggest doing research on it before making a decision. As with anything else, there are good ones, and bad agents.
Rejection slips takes a spot on every writer's desk, sooner or later. The key is to continue to write. Figure out why. Did you send your work to the wrong publisher? Grammatical errors? You tie-up all the loose ends in the novel? Does the story flow smoothly? Make sure you have a beginning, middle, and a satisfying ending.
I mean do not cheat the reader. It must be reasonable, and in accordance with your creation.
I sent work out, many times, and received rejection slips.
Once, I snail-mailed a short story to a publication. They forwarded me materials for stuffing envelopes. Yes, I felt bad, but it gave me the incentive to keep trying. It signaled do better, learn more.
I threw the items in the wastebasket, their rightful place.
Deep inside, I had what it took to flourish through non-fiction, fiction, and poems. The stumble served to strengthen my resolve.
After all, I wrote, entertained using all three. However, my work had to meet industry standards. The only way for that to happen was practice.
The area I live tend to be noisy. So, I shut-out that buzz, concentrated on my work. It took time. More importantly, I dared to believe.
Yes, you must take yourself seriously. All kinds of people will come along to remind you of the rejection slips.
"Maybe, you should just give-up writing." Someone will say. "Get a real job."
It is nothing wrong with getting a job. Find a time to write, day or night. Continue to build on your writings. Take a writing course. Read the work of authors you like, or write in same genre as you.
Take note of how the plot unfolds, use of sentence structure, dialogue, and the technique used to tell a tale. Put it under a microscope. How would you spell-out the plot? Use a different main character? Have more than one plot? How different could your characters be from the original?
Jot down notes. When finished analyzing, start writing your own novel. Take it step by step. The very first paragraph must grab the reader's attention.
Know your characters. How? Make a profile of each. How does the main character look? What quirk(s)? Put in as much information as you want. You determine when or how it is sectioned to the story-line.
Dialogue mimics speech.
"Whatcha doin'?"
"Save it. Talk to the hand."
Some people drop letters in words like doing. Instead of saying what are you, whatcha takes the place of three words.
Simply, use different vocal patterns for characters. It gives a realistic flavor to the novel.
Toss in suspense, obstacles. Allow a story person to escape an issue, and then have him/her bombarded with another problem. It keeps happening, stops when he/she figures out a solution. Remember, the struggle goes on three or more times.
Look at how I handled characters, dialogue, etc. Read my novel Grave Street House. The website link is: http://www.thedigitalword.com
I would like to hear from you. Contact me at writer.feedback@gmail.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcella_Glenn