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Taking the Mystery out of Editing Those Pesky Subplots!

The Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon is winding down but in no way over!

I’ll just say three words and you’ll know who our guest is today: The Emotion Thesaurus! Becca and Angela kicked off their release recently with all the random acts of kindness and their book reached #1 on Amazon! Woo hoo!

Welcome Becca Puglisi to the blog! *cheers and clapping*

Biscuits and Subplots and Cake, Oh My!

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about layers. Not cake layers. Not the scrumptious, peel-off-able pieces of the fluffy buttermilk biscuits my daughter forces me to make (and consume) for breakfast. No, fortunately for my waistline, I’m focused right now on story layers, particularly those that develop through the use of subplots. I’ve figured out that a story is always better when it’s layered, so I added a few extra plot lines into my WIP. There’s the main hero plot line, two romantic subplots, and also a relational subplot surrounding my character’s dysfunctional relationship with her stepmother. In hindsight, inserting these layers was fairly easy. The hard part came when it was time to edit them, and I realized I didn’t know how to do it effectively.

So I came up with a system. I love systems; I have one for pretty much everything. A system for cleaning the house. A system for organizing my week, for teaching my son the alphabet, for plotting my next novel–if it needs doing, I have a system in place to keep it streamlined. It was really just a matter of time ‘til I came up with one for editing subplots:

  1. Number and title your chapters and scenes. If you don’t want to muddy up your story with chapter titles, you can keep a separate list. For me, while editing, I find it easier to include them in the manuscript. Then when I need to go to a particular scene, I can just search-and-find and jump right to it.
  2. Now pick a subplot to edit. Let’s say you want to work on the romantic one. Look through your numbered list and jot down any chapter where you’ve dealt with this subplot in some way. It could be big or small: the first time the characters see each other, a conversation between the two, the hero’s thoughts about the love interest after seeing her across the room. This is a rough outline of the existing content for that subplot. Now it’s time to examine it to see what needs work.
  3. First, look for gaps. Are there long stretches where nothing happens to further the subplot? If so, you may need to add a scene, or add something small into the existing content. Is there a scene where your love interest could show up and get some extra exposure? Could you replace a background character in an existing scene with your love interest? Another option is to use peripheral characters. Maybe the person the hero interacts with in chapter 9 is actually the love interest’s neighbor or distant relation. An innocent conversation could stir up thoughts and feelings in the hero that could be used to further your subplot.
  4. Next, make sure your content is furthering the plot. According to Blake Snyder (of Save the Cat fame, and my new hero), each scene should go somewhere emotionally. If your hero starts out in a negative frame of mind, something should happen so she’s feeling “up” at the end of the scene. Conversely, if the hero is up at the start, by the end of the scene, her emotions should take a downward turn. The reason for this is to make sure that something is actually happening during the scene. No emotional change = stagnation = never a good thing. Tweak existing scenes to reflect some kind of emotional change. If you’re having trouble making it work, consider removing the scene altogether. If it doesn’t further the plot line and doesn’t challenge your hero in some way, it may be extraneous and should be pruned to keep the story strong.
  5. Repeat steps 2-4 for each subplot.

One final bit of advice: Don’t be afraid of “extra” work. It’s easy, once you reach the editing stage, to think that the drafting is done. But as you edit, you’ll most certainly discover that scenes need to be added here and there. You might even find, as I realized once I started examining my WIP, that your story is in need of a whole additional plot line. If you go into the editing process knowing that you still have some heavy writing to do, it will be easier to accept these changes.

So there you have it. There are a lot of methods for editing, but this is one that works really well for me. Layers are so important when writing a deep and satisfying story. Hopefully something here will encourage you to smooth them out and make your story even better than you thought it could be.

***

Becca Puglisi is a YA fantasy and historical fiction writer, SCBWI member, and co-host of The Bookshelf Muse, an on-line resource for writers. She also has a number of magazine publications under her belt. Her book, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the iBookstore, and Smashwords.

 

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon print ~ Kindle ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords

Becca and Angela are graciously offering an ebook version of The Emotion Thesaurus to one winner! Please comment and tweet!

In celebration, tell us your most over-used, cliche phrase you have to constantly eradicate from your writing! 

There is still time to enter the Indelibles Beach Bash to win a Nook or Kindle loaded with some Indelibles newest releases including my release – A Spy Like Me. Join the fun!

And don’t forget to enter for a signed hard cover of Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter.

See you tomorrow for an awesome post on using spy gadgets in your fiction!

 

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Want a sneak peek into the next three weeks of Spies, Murder and Mystery?

So the posts are rolling in and I’m loving what I’m reading and can’t wait to share it with all of you in the next three weeks.

 

What? Haven’t you heard?

To celebrate A Spy Like Me I’m holding a 3 week Spies, Murder and Mystery Marathon.

Read more about it here.

But here are some sneak peeks!

Six common challenges when writing a traditional mystery and some ideas for getting around them, by the fabulous Elizabeth Spann Craig, author of Quilt or Innocence.

Don’t miss it!

What does the Deepwater oil spill, the European debt crisis and the barefoot bandit have to do with Elisa Ludwig’s YA debut, Pretty Crooked?

You’ll have to wait to find out!

When does a 13-year-old author find the time to write? And what do his teachers and friends think?

Spencer Brokaw of The Impenetrable Spy tells all.

Teddy bear cams, rearview sunglasses, listening ears, video pens – all needed spy equipment.

Find out how Gina Robinson uses them in her fiction, The Spy Who Left Me.

Hollywood scandal inspires Anne R. Allen to write The Gatsby Game.

Curious about which scandal? Return next week!

Becca Puglisi, co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus talks about cake, er, I mean sub-plotting and editing.

Don’t miss out!

That’s just a taste of what’s coming. More great authors. Terrific info! Lots of stories behind the stories. And, of course, book giveaways!

See you next week!

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Contests, workshops, and news galore! Have you heard?

I love seeing the burst of creativity that is exploding on the Internet from writers I’ve known for the past couple years and ones I’ve recently met.

It’s awesome!

First, we have a writers’ chat tonight (Wednesday) on the Indelibles blog. It’s not on Twitter. Most of the Indelibles’ authors will be there to answer questions on indie and self-publishing. Just lurk or come with your questions.

Second, Addison Moore signed a contract with Twentieth Century Fox! They plan to make her Celestrial Series into a T.V. series. Huge news! I’m so incredibly happy for her and even though she’s eaten sushi to celebrate – I’m just doing dancing to celebrate! Ew. Raw fish.

In the anthology arena, not only do we have IN HIS EYES being prepped for our Valentine’s Day release but Pugalicious Press is open to submissions for a YA anthology. Check them out!

In the way of online workshops there are some incredible ones coming up. Ali Cross is holding NinoCon on Saturday Feb. 4th. She’s accepting queries now to be critiqued by one of the presenters, Elana Johnson!

Susan Sipal, known for her love for Harry Potter and analyzing the writing behind it, is offering a month long workshop for 10 dollars based on her book: A Writer’s Guide to Harry Potter. I’m sure you won’t regret it! The adventure begins on Monday, Feb. 6th! Sign up now.

Don’t miss out on The Bookshelf Muse and their anniversary contest! Critiques and books from the Indelibles! Don’t miss it.

Okay, I’m almost done with the good news. Many of the Indelibles have books fresh off the press!

Rival Demons by Sarra Cannon is released Friday the 20th but it starts with Beautiful Demons. If you love the HEX HALL series, you’ll love this one too.

Michelle Muto’s DON’T FEAR THE REAPER

Karly Kirkpatrick’s  THE GREEN.

Lots of great stuff here. Hope you find something useful! Anything I missed? Add it into the comments!

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CRACK the CODE Winner!

A loud click sounds within the door. Heart drumming, you pull on the handle and the monstrous round door swings open.

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Congrats goes to DIANE JOHNSON who successfully CRACKED the CODE at The Bookshelf Muse, winning my prize of a $10 Amazon gift certificate toward SAVE THE CAT (Snyder) or another book & a Structural Analysis of your opening 3 chapters for  hook, inciting incident, and the start of the character arc.

Please contact me as soon as possible so I can get your prize to you! Thanks everyone for playing along & helping to celebrate a great writing community. 🙂

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CRACK the CODE @ The Bookshelf Muse

The Bookshelf Muse is celebrating over 2000 Followers and almost 1/2 million hits and they want to know…

CAN YOU CRACK THE CODE?

Let’s break it down:

  • 12 generous writers.
  • A formidable steel vault packed with prizes.
  • A time locked sensor.
  • And you…with a code.

Will The Bookshelf Muse’s Prize Vault open for you?

Stop by and find out!

Here’s a HINT to help you win it: Where would you find lockers lining a hallway?

(Okay, guys. How exciting is this? Major prizes? Good thing I watched National Treasure recently. I’m ready to go!)

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