Story Bones - How to X-Ray Any Novel for Plot, Conflict, and Character PDF
Preview Story Bones - How to X-Ray Any Novel for Plot, Conflict, and Character
Contents Title Copyright About the Author Other Books By Mary L. Mercer Praise for STORY BONES Dedication Introduction Three-Act Structure The Protagonist Antagonists and Villains Throughlines Events and Sequences The Story Skeleton The Leg Bone Connected to The... Premise and Archetypes Character Growth Reader Empathy and Identification Necessary Equipment Quick Five-Point Story X-Ray Five-Point Example: The Hobbit In-Depth Story X-Ray X-Raying a Novel In-Depth Example: The Hobbit Trilogies and Series X-Raying Movies and TV In-Depth Example: While You Were Sleeping Summary Recommended Resources Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Links for Free Bonus Material THE MIDPOINT Story Bones: How to X-Ray Any Novel for Plot, Conflict, and Character Copyright © 2013 by Mary L. Mercer All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in print, electronic, or any means now known or hereafter invented, including information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission of the author. [email protected]. MaryMercer.weebly.com First ebook edition, December 2013 First print edition, February 2014 ISBN: 0-615-94367-5 ISBN-13: 978-0-615-94367-1 Cover image of skeleton against black background: Sebastian Kaulitzki Shutterstock. Cover image of old book: Zaretska Olga Shutterstock. Image of skeleton against white background: Sebastian Kaulitzki / Shutterstock. All images used under license. “Antonio” font by Vernon Adams. “Avenir Next Condensed” fonts by Adrian Frutiger. “Gentium Book Basic” by Victor Gaultney. “League Gothic” font by Caroline Hadilaksono & Micah Rich. “Lobster” font by Pablo Impallari. “Simonetta” font by Brownfox. All fonts used under license. Cover design by: Mary L. Mercer 2013 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Lynn Mercer’s first nonfiction book, Story Bones: How to X-Ray Any Novel for Plot, Conflict, and Character, hit #1 on Amazon’s Kindle Screenwriting bestsellers list the first week of release. An experienced national contest judge, avid reader, and movie buff, she enjoys applying creative tools gleaned from years of study and pleasure reading to her own writing. For information on other and future releases, please visit her website at MaryMercer.weebly.com. OTHER BOOKS BY MARY L. MERCER The Midpoint: How to Write the Central Turning Point with Emotion, Tension, & Depth PRAISE FOR STORY BONES “One of the best crafting books I’ve ever read. What a fantastic book! I love it! Everybody needs to check out Mary’s book ASAP.” — Carol A. Hughes, writer/director/producer, creator of the Deep Story writing method For Mom Have you ever run up against a story problem that made you want to beat your head against a wall, wishing for a way to correctly diagnose and treat it? Is a manuscript lying paralyzed in a desk drawer somewhere, waiting for a broken conflict to be mended? Do you long to line your characters up in front of an X- ray machine so you can peer inside them? Maybe it’s time to call in a consulting team of “specialists,” experts in their field who’ve been there, done that, and have the published novels (and reader fan base) to prove it. Consider your favorite authors as doctors who, for the price of their novels, can be called at any time to provide insights into a difficult case. Solomon once said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Whether you believe there are seven beats, thirteen motivators, or thirty-six dramatic situations, it’s all been done before. And that’s very good news. Because it means we can learn what other writers did right, what they might have done better, and how to make our stories uniquely our own. All while satisfying the reader. Ernest Hemingway is gone, but his Pulitzer prize-winning depiction of The Old Man and the Sea is available to anyone yearning for a clue about how to handle a solitary character in a cramped, isolated setting. Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me is a good bet for anyone writing realistic plus-size romantic heroines. And Tolkien’s take on mastering an ensemble cast lives on as immortal inspiration in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Staying up with the latest trends in the market is important and styles change, but creatively speaking, learning has no expiration date. A bestselling novelist from the 1920s worked the same magic with his readers as any bestselling novelist on a grocery store bookrack today. Because writers of all eras and genres have the same bones, flesh, and blood to work with: plot, conflict, and character. From these the best writers succeed in fashioning stories that touch thousands, sometimes even millions, of people for generations.
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