Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Need help plotting your story?

I've always been a bit frustrated with my writing. I have what I think is a plot, and then people ask -- where's the conflict?  Where's the conflict in every scene?  (whaaaaat?  you have to have it in every scene?)

Right, that doesn't sound like a word, does it?    
Well, it turns out that there's another style of writing called: Kishōtenketsu.
 Right, that doesn't sound like a word, does it?
It's not a word in 'Western' style writing.
However, it turns out that it's commonly used in Chinese and Japanese story composition.

And it's something I've been doing instinctively.  (and have been getting criticized for it.)

What is Kishōtenketsu?

Check out the blog, Still Eating Oranges, and discover this other art form where she (he?) talks about The significance of plot without conflict --  Creating a satisfactory ending without the need for a quasi-gladiatorial victory. 
It is a valid style of storytelling.
Now, how to I convince editors of this?

In other news, I think I'm going to attempt to attend an Intensive in LA featuring Martha Alderson, The Plot Whisperer, to help the plot in my work-in-progress move along.
The Intensive sounds wonderful.
The over 2-hour drive there and back does not.
     

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