by Crystal Caudill | Aug 17, 2016 | Writing Craft
In my search for the perfect story structure and plotting, I have read many books and continue to do so. However, so far, Michael Hauge’s 6 Stage Story Structure has been my favorite. I love his linear, clear-cut structure.
Mr. Hauge’s structure is centered around script writing and is very formulaic. Although the percentages are more a reference to script writing, they can be loosely used for novel writing.
Stage 1 – Setup or “Everyday Life” (0%-10%)
Outer Journey
- Introduce your hero in their everyday world
- Create identification with 2 or more of the following:
- sympathy
- put them in jeopardy
- make them likable
- make the hero funny
- make them powerful
Inner Journey
- The hero exists completely in their identity.
- Their identity may be centered on what they do, their religion, or how they want others to see them.
- Their identity is what protects their core essence. (People pleaser vs “I am fine the way I am.”)
Turning Point 1 – Presented with an Opportunity (10% marker)
Outer Journey
- Creates in the hero a desire to move into a new situation, something new
- This is not the desire for the true endpoint.
Inner Journey
- Hero gets a glimpse of what it would be like to live in their essence
- They refuse the call to change
Stage 2 – New Situation (10% – 25%)
Outer Journey
- The adjustment
- What are the new rules?
- How can I get along?
- Usually, hero believes it will be easy.
Inner Journey
- Hero gets a glimpse of what it would be like to live in their essence.
- Reject living in their essence.
Turning Point 2 – Change of Plans (25% marker)
Outer Journey
- The visible end goal is established.
- The character realizes, “No, I have to do this.”
Inner Journey
- A foot in who their initial identity is and a foot in who they really are – their essence.
- They struggle back and forth with who they are and what they were.
Stage 3 – Progress (25% – 50%)
Outer Journey
- The plan seems to be working.
- There must be conflict, but the obstacles are avoided, overcome, delayed, or by-passed.
Inner Journey
- They are still straddling the fence of their essence and identity.
Turning Point 3 – The Point of No Return (50%)
Outer Journey
- When the hero is closer to the goal than the start,
and they have become so committed they burn their bridges, making it impossible to turn back.
- The hero’s life as he knew it is over.
Inner Journey
- Their identity is stripped away.
- They realize their essence and begin pursuing it.
Stage 4 – Complications and Higher Stakes (50% – 75%)
Outer Journey
- It is more difficult to accomplish the goal, but also more important to accomplish.
- They have more to lose.
Inner Journey
- They continue pursuing who they really are.
Turning Point 4 – The Major Setback (75%)
Outer Journey
- The reader has the sense that all is lost.
- The plan they had is out the window but they can’t turn back.
- They must make one last push or die while trying.
Inner journey
- The hero has fully committed to living in their essence but now the outside world starts coming in and frightening them.
- The hero retreats back into their identity. They run away from who they are.
Stage 5 -The Last Push (75% to ?)
Outer Journey
- Do it or die while trying.
- Everything is put on the line.
Inner Journey
- They realize they don’t like who they were anymore. They have had a taste of who they truly are and they have to go after it.
- They have to find their destiny, even if it means risking everything to get what they want.
Turning Point 5 – Climax (% Depends)
Outer Journey
- All the problems are resolved.
- The hero can fail, succeed, or change their mind.
- The length of the climax depends on how many problems you have to resolve.
Inner Journey
- The moment they fully realize who they are.
Stage 6 – The Aftermath
Outer Journey
- Responding the climax emotionally.
- The wedding, reconciliation, etc.
Inner Journey
- The hero is going to live their new life as they truly are.
Interested in examples and learning more about either Mr. Hauge’s structure or the hero’s journey? I highly recommend buying the audible recording of his and Chris Vogular’s presentations. It is worth every penny. I have listened to it half a dozen times already and plan on listening again as I drive to Nashville for the ACFW Conference next week.
Michael Hauge’s website also does a great job showing examples.
Tell me what you think about this plotting format? Does it make sense to you? Are there any movies or books you can identify with this plot structure?
by Crystal Caudill | Aug 3, 2016 | Writing Craft
I am a woman. I think like a woman. I write like a woman. But what if I want to write like a man? If men are so straightforward and simple, shouldn’t it be easy to write in their point of view? Apparently not.
After my first failed attempt, I dove into researching how to write in the male POV. For the last couple weeks, I have shared what I learned about how men talk and how men think. Today we are wrapping up our study of writing in the male POV with a look at male behavior.
Without further ado…
Male Behavior
- Use strong verbs to describe their movement. Guys generally don’t wander and linger. They know where they’re going and they don’t mess around when they get there.
- When guys hang out together, there is usually an activity involved, whereas women can just get together and chat for the sake of chatting.
- The male ego can drive a guy to do things that are slightly crazy or a lot crazy.
“Almost all guys are defensive all the time. Lots of crossed arms, lots of small head-nods in agreement. Friendly guys will go for the back-slap or hair-ruffle (though ruffling is a bit demeaning, it’s the older-brother-little-brother gesture). With girls, it’s far more awkward. Maybe some casual, testing-the-water touches. Otherwise, guys are typically quite self-conscious around girls.”
– InkandQuills.com
Men…
- Are action-oriented. They do instead of think about it.
- Are rarely prepared to wait for any great length of time.
- Like being in charge (or at least like thinking they’re in charge!)
- Have better detection of light and have better depth perception.
- Are really great at faking being strong and tough. They present a confident front.
- Listen and give advice on how to solve a problem.
- Rarely admit being wrong.
- Rarely respond to direct commands unless it’s issued by a boss or other ranking figure.
- Rarely cry.
- Rarely have intimate friends. They tend to have a larger circle of ‘casual mates’
- Look for a physical way to end conflict–the quickest, most direct method you can imagine. Imagine physical contact or using anything blunt, heavy, or sharp
If the murderer were right there, then the Manly Guy will not stop to feel sad, he’ll go into Revenge Mode immediately, and nothing will stop him. But if the murderer is far away (the normal case) then the Manly Guy will go through the normal feelings of loss. Then he will map out a plan of action that will take him to the murderer and he will execute vengeance in a Manly Guy way, which will probably involve high explosives or machine guns or hot pokers placed in inconvenient places.
– AdvancedFictionWriting.com
Girl/Guy Interaction – According to a Man
Guys always notice girls. In the same way that guysalways notice every threatening-looking guy in a room, or the same way they notice if there’s a television.
The second look–the double-take–that’s the big one. The first look doesn’t count, that’s instinctual. The second look means we’re interested, or at least, willing to double-check.
As a guy, the general rule of thumb is, “Unless you knowotherwise, she’s taken.” To that extent, guys can look at girls, imagine what it might be like with her in a relationship, but then tell themselves a dozen reasons that wouldn’t work.
– InkandQuills.com
What do you think? Are there things that need to be removed? Need to be added? Comment below and let me know.
Previous posts about Male POV:
Writing Craft Wednesday: Writing in the Male POV – Part 1
Writing Craft Wednesday:Writing in the Male POV – Part 2
Interested in learning more? Check out my favorite articles from my time of research below.
Advanced Fiction Writing – Wrapping Up Those Manly Guy Characters
Advanced Fiction Writing – On Writing Convincing Male Characters
Keri Arthur – Male POV
Ink and Quills – How to Write from a Guys POV
Hopefully with the tools in hand that I have discovered, you will be reading about my believable swoon-worthy hero soon.
by Crystal Caudill | Jul 27, 2016 | Writing Craft
Fitzwilliam Darcy
Thor
Two great swoon-worthy heroes, and who doesn’t love a swoon-worthy hero? As a writer, I strive to make my heroes the type that makes you swoon despite their flaws.
After learning the devastating truth, that my hero was a girly-man, I sought out to learn how to better craft the male POV in my writing. This sent me on a hunt through dozens of articles written by men, women, published authors, and editors to discover what makes a realistic male POV.
Last week I shared what I learned about male dialogue and conversations. Today I am wrapping up with bulleted lists on what I discovered about the male’s inner world.
The Inner Male
- Short snippets of inner monologue are best. One or two sentences is a good target.
- A man always thinks of himself in positive terms, even when he botches things terribly. He will phrase his defeat in terms that make it clear that he was put in an impossible situation or that he was off his game. (Of course, you can still have characters who struggle with self-image, but even then they can still have times of thinking like this.)
- A man would never describe himself as helpless. EVER. He may be down for a time while he waits for the next opportune moment, but he is not helpless.
- When a man sets his mind on a target, everything else vanishes from thought until the mission is accomplished.
- Men aren’t going to agonize over whether or not they should kiss the woman, they do it, then deal with the consequences afterward. Teenage guys might naturally agonize, though.
- Men are very visual. The way a woman dresses creates visual images a man’s brain that can linger for days, months, or even years.
- For every problem, there is a solution, but the consequences don’t matter as much as simply solving the issue to begin with. They may just try the direct, brute-force way first.
- Emotion, except for anger, is usually kept under wraps or repressed altogether.
- They think about responsibilities, deadlines, family, life, and sometimes there is literally nothing. (Is that seriously possible? I can’t even wrap my head around thinking nothing.)
- Most guys like to imagine they don’t have feelings. They use the ‘push it deep down’ approach 90% of the time and the remaining 10% of the time, it is bottled up until it eventually bursts.
- If you push a guy, he’ll get angry; if you break a guy, he’ll cry.
- Guys understand a woman’s emotions; they just don’t know what to do about it.
- Most guys only know eleven colors: red, blue, yellow, green, orange, purple, black, brown, gray, white, and pink.
- Guys do NOT always think about sex. If they do, they are not the type of guy you want being your hero. Real men can and do think about other things.
What do you think? Are there any things that could be added to this list? Any things which should be removed? Leave your comments below and come back next week for my final installment with Male Behavior.
by Crystal Caudill | Jul 20, 2016 | Writing Craft
“So God created man in His own image;
He created him in the image of God;
He created them male and female.”
– Genesis 1:27
And boy did he create the differently. Ever heard of the boo
k Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus? I personally have never read the book, but I can relate to the feeling that men seem to be from a different planet. (And I am sure there are probably at least a few men who feel the same about women.)
One of my favorite things about reading and writing romantic fiction is the perspective of the story from both sexes. Reading it is easy. Writing it? Not so much.
In fact, in my first draft of my work in progress, my critique partners gently revealed to me that my hero was a whiny, wimpy, girly-man (my words, not theirs). I may be married to a man, but I certainly couldn’t write or think like a man. Boy, was I thankful to discover that early into my writing!
So I set my manuscript aside and decided to dive into the world of male point of view. I looked at suggested articles and sought more out on my own. What I discovered, from both the male and female writers of these articles, was a pattern.
Men are pretty straightforward creatures with specific tendencies in their speech, inner thoughts, and behavior.
Over the next couple weeks, I will give a bulleted list of what I have learned. Keep in mind that these bullets are just patterns that I found. There are always exceptions.
Male Dialogue
- They rarely end sentences with questions or say things like “I’m not sure.”
- They do not use expressive adjectives (wonderful, gorgeous, etc. unless being sarcastic). Usually, “it’s okay” or “it looks good” are about what you get.
- They are rarely heard saying “May I? Could I? Should I?”
- They rarely use words like darling, honey, or sweetheart except during times of intimacy or moment of extreme stress.
- Make dialogue to the point.
Male Conversation
- Conversations are a means to relay information not build relationships.
- Conversations are typically on a non-important topic until everything dies away
- Guy conversations generally involve the least amount of words possible.
- Generally, guys only have two or three things in common with other – sports, work, music, games, food. Gossip is off the table.
- If two guys disagree on something, expect some flaring tensions and arguments.
- Talking with girls varies. Some are very shy, some of full of confidence and swagger. Some try to be amicable and get a laugh out of you whether you’re guy or a girl.
- If men are embarrassed they usually try to laugh it off.
- If men are hurt they get quiet and try not to get mad.
Men…
- Prefer direct action to talk.
- Are problem solvers. They rarely listen without giving advice.
- Rarely ask for advice.
- Rarely admit to being wrong and their apologies tend to be gruff and unpolished.
- Rarely respond to a direct command unless they are outranked.
- Say what they think. They don’t use euphemisms.
- Use very black-and-white talk – it is what it is; a spade is a spade.
- Don’t do small talk.
- Rarely punctuate speakers with agreeing noises.
- Mostly repress emotions except anger.
- Are a lot less likely to share their feelings. Feelings are private, which are none of your business.
What do you think? Is anything off base? Is there anything you would add? Share it in the comments below and then come back next week when I tackle male thought patterns and behaviors.
by Crystal Caudill | Jun 16, 2016 | Counterfeit Love, History Facts
What is better than a wedding in a cemetery? How about a night in a cemetery jail?
A jail in a cemetery? Absolutely!
Last week, I described a chapel in the cemetery so beautiful, people are dying to get married there. (Terrible pun, I know, but I couldn’t resist!) This week dare to journey with me to a dark corner in this beautiful place.
In the basement of Norman Chapel is a jail cell. During the late 1800s, persons caught driving too fast through the cemetery were arrested and kept there overnight.
Yes, overnight.
I have found no stories of anyone’s experiences to share, but I can easily imagine how the night would go.
Can you imagine it?
The night watchman pushes you into a dark little room, maybe with a cot or maybe just a stone floor. Keys jingle against the iron bars as the lock clangs into place.
The one-eyed guard splits his scraggly beard with a black grin.
“Sleep tight. Don’t let the ghosts bite.”
His hearty laugh echoes off the walls as he leaves you to huddle alone in a corner.
Hours pass. The sun sets.
An eerie fog sinks through the barred window.
Howling wind prowls past the headstones. The screech of a night owl pierces your soul. The striking of midnight announces the witching hour.
Ghosts are not real. Mere superstition and bluff.
Then you hear it. Chains dragging, rattling. The strangled whispers of the undead clawing in their caskets, “Help me! I am still alive!” (For the Victorians were very afraid of this really happening.)
Terror claims you and you shrink into the darkest corner, hoping… no praying the ghosts will move on and not inhabit your body. (We are talking the age of superstition here…)
Whispers and moans. Death bells ringing frantically.
Bone chilling dampness creeping over you like the spiders seeking refuge on your coat.
The night marches on slowly. Eventually, the sounds ebb away.
Gritty eyes blur your vision when at last the night watchman comes, keys jangling. Slowly it turns and the barred door swings open on screaming hinges.
“Are ye possessed?” He walks toward you lifting a crucifix. When you do not cower from it, he grins that wretched smile. “Good, now be gone with ye, and dunna rush. A second night ye might not be so lucky…”
As you force yourself to walk a hasty retreat from your haunted prison he cackles, skittering shivers up your spine. Casting one glance back, he is gone, but the key remains in the barred door as it swings shut.
I do not know about you, but a night in a cemetery prison might make for some interesting stories. Unfortunately, they will have to remain in your head. If you speed through Spring Grove Cemetery now, other consequences await. That spooky jail is now just a storage room. What a pity.
