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Notes from Winchester Writers' Conference - Plotting by Robert Goddard

edited August 2010 in - Resources
Here's some more notes from the conference I thought I'd share. They also appear on my blog at http://loutreleaven.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/notes-from-winchester-writers-conference-plotting-literatures-problem-child-by-robert-goddard/


PLOTTING: LITERATURE'S PROBLEM CHILD

Robert Goddard has published over 21 densely plotted thrillers, and I was eager to hear his tips on a subject I struggle with. The following bullet points are notes I took down while he was speaking which I hope may be useful to anyone else who wants to find out more about his plotting techniques. The main point I took away is that you have the find the method that suits you most; earlier Terry Pratchett said that in terms of plots he had an idea of where he wanted to go and let the writing take him; he shied away from analysing the process in case in doing so he destroyed it somehow! This in contrast to Robert Goddard who methodically plots each book - the hard part - and then simply fills in the details. Whether this is due to character, talents, personal preference or simply genre I don't know - what I do know is that when it comes to plotting I need all the help I can get, and I got plenty at the Winchester Conference!

* Plot is life - the world is full of plots. However varied and bizarre your plots are, you will never be able to rival the variety and baroquery of real life!
* It is easy to start a novel with an intriguing beginning, but not so easy to come up with a satisfying ending
* Keep a chronological record - don't lose track of the days of the week! What season is it? What time of day? The atmosphere will feed into the story.
* Murder is the most common crime to write about as it is one most people can understand, and also the one an ordinary person is more likely to get involved in.
* The mobile phone has been a huge boon to writers as material for plots is literally shouted at you in the street!
* So how do you turn it all into stories? Where do you want to begin and end? Choose an entry point (not the beginning) and a character (for thrillers, usually an innocent party who doesn't understand what's going on).
* The person who solves the crime should be someone who has a personal stake in the outcome, not just a detective who comes and goes.
* Spend time structuring the story. Plot out biographies of characters, even minor ones. Minor characters should have as much potential to surprise and affect events as majors. Be consistent with their actions.
* Don't be afraid of not writing - you may spend months planning and jotting things down.
* When you finally come to write you do not need to make anything else up - just watch your characters react to the events you have given them.
* You really have to enjoy the process of plotting. It's like writing a bus timetable. (NB I can't remember what Robert Goddard meant when he said this, but hopefully it will mean something to someone! Perhaps he meant it could be dull to put together but ultimately it gets you where you want to go!)
* Masters of plot include Wilkie Collins, John Fowles, Donna Tartt and Michael Dibdin.
* Writing should be fun! Otherwise it's just hard work.

Robert Goddard obviously really enjoys writing and it was great to hear him speak so passionately and demystify what, for some, can be a difficult process.

Comments

  • thanks, Lou, that's really good and helpful.
  • edited August 2010
    Thanks Lou again very useful.
    Very true about the mobile phone. Thing is when writing for children from what age do we suppose they have them?
  • Many thanks, Lou. I was sorry to miss this one at Winchester and it's great to have your notes :)
  • * Don't be afraid of not writing - you may spend months planning and jotting things down.
    That is so reassuring- I do have spells like that...

    Thanks for posting this.
  • We've got most of RG's books. They're tantalising because several times you think you've solved the mystery and a few pages on you realise you haven't. His plots are so intricate that the endings usually come as a great surprise.
  • Thanks so much for this, Lou. :-)
  • [quote=Lou Treleaven]When you finally come to write you do not need to make anything else up - just watch your characters react to the events you have given them.[/quote]
    This appeals strongly to me: the opposite of a character driven novel.

    [quote=Lou Treleaven]You really have to enjoy the process of plotting. It's like writing a bus timetable. (NB I can't remember what Robert Goddard meant when he said this, but hopefully it will mean something to someone! Perhaps he meant it could be dull to put together but ultimately it gets you where you want to go!)[/quote]

    I don't think he will have seen it as dull, Lou; quite the opposite. Some folks love banging a plot together and can see the process falling easily onto the page. The trouble is they find it so much easier than getting down to writing the different scenes, so they put off the novel writing. Writer's block at that point.

    [quote=Lou Treleaven]The mobile phone has been a huge boon to writers as material for plots is literally shouted at you in the street![/quote]

    This is so true, isn't it? The mobile phone must be a beautiful opportunity for short stories, where the whole story could happen over phone calls and texting. It has occurred to me that teen readers and young twenties would love stories couched in mobile phone terms, but it would take some doing for a traditional author to make the transition. Authenticity would be key. Such novels and films would hold the appeal of stories that hinge on computer savvy. One of the later Bruce Willis films was like this (can't remember the title), where the villains fixed it for New York to get grid-locked by hacking into the traffic control system, then aiming to take out the (American equivalent) national grid. In a way, YA novels in real life (ie. non-fantasy novels, of which there don't seem to be many around these days) could hardly be realistic unless phones came into just about every page. This would open up new fields: your protagonist can be in two places at once, so to speak; he can tap into another character's motives by asking them questions that are direct or indirect - we all know that the truth is easier to find over the phone than in face to face conversation. Or is that not the case? It also holds rich opportunities for misunderstanding and suspicion, jealousy and new turnings in the plot.
  • Very kind indeed Lou. :)
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