“There are those who say life is like a book, with chapters for each event in your life and a limited number of pages on which you can spend your time. But I prefer to think that a book is like a life, particularly a good one, which is well worth staying up all night to finish.”- Lemony Snicket
Shopping around for plots? You just might be, considering Halloween is a mere two weeks away (that alone is scary enough), and if you’re like most, it’s easy enough to fall into the death trap. All of a sudden good ol’ mom is demanding plot placement for the afterlife while you’re still trying to live the life that comes before, and now she’s turned the fun and exciting process of living into a plan run by rules. Similarly, the rules of storytelling also demand plot placement, but that doesn’t mean you have to let the prospect of a plot keep your story from living its life to the fullest. Here’s how to manage plot planning so that you’re free to tell the story you want to tell:
• Reserve a Plot Without Keeping One Foot in the Grave
Living life without thinking about what waits for us at the end of the tunnel certainly has its perks, but do away with a plan completely, and you could be stuck with nowhere to go. Keep in mind that you will need to set a plot plan, but don’t let the worry about plot hold your focus more than the telling of the story.
• Don’t Set it in Stone Just Yet
Who said everything needs to be set in stone, right here, right now? No matter how much we may sit and plan our lives, plans can change. Something urgent always comes up or we could meet that special someone or 2012 could destroy the world as we know it. Just as with life, learn to take your story in stride. Outline a loose plan so you have direction, then let the story just be. You can always make changes later. The plot can’t wait for long, but it can wait for now.
• Let Your Story Rest in Peace, Not Pieces
When looking at a tombstone, we think about, not the plot chosen but the life led. Ripping a brilliant story to shreds for the sake of a well-crafted plot doesn’t make anyone happy – not the teller, not the listener, not the story. Of course it’s important to plan; it’s foolish to think that a plot will just be there waiting for you at the end of the road. But the heart of a story is what will be remembered, and when all is said and done, that’s the best epitaph a writer can wish for.
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