Craft

How to Use Character and Plot Together in Your Novel

I’m sure it’s not news to you that character development and plot are two of the most important elements of your novel.

The best stories are able to find a good balance between the two, but that doesn’t always come easily.

For me, the biggest game changer came when I was introduced to this character-centric, three-act tension plot structure, which I adapted slightly to meet my own needs. You can visit the link for a full break down of this plot structure. For the sake of this post, here’s a visual:

This structure originally comes from Peder Hill. Unfortunately, his site is no longer running. If you’re interested in more of an explanation on this structure, I did a post all about it.

This post is going to look at how I use this plot structure to help with my main character and plot development at the same time.

Give your main character one developmental goal

Because this is a character-driven story structure, I always start with my main character’s development.

But of course, character development can be a challenging balancing act in itself.

If your character changes too much, it might come off a little unbelievable. If they don’t change enough then they can be frustrating or uninteresting.

One thing that’s helped me believably grow my characters is to narrow the scope of their development. I tend to focus on one specific lesson they need to learn or one skill they need to develop.

Once I know what my character’s developmental goal is, I use the plot structure and the points of crisis to create situations that back my characters into corners and gradually teach them what they need to learn.

Link those situations to major plot points

Once I have my character-based points of crisis in place, I tie each point to my plot.

This gives each point of crisis an overall plot push and some level of character development, which balances the book.

To maintain that balance outside of the crisis points, I tend to focus more on the plot leading up to each point, and the character response/fall out after each crisis point.

I’ve found that this contributes to increasing the tension leading up to the event, then gives the book a good emotional release/calm after. I then hand the story back over to the plot to start building up to the next point.

That’s not to say that there isn’t some overlap of both elements before and after. It’s just a matter of which element is the priority.

This Method in Action

The first time I used this method was with Crossing the Line. My main character, Jocelyn, was kidnapped by a North Korean spy agency as a kid and raised to become one of them.

The book picks up ten years after her kidnapping when Jocelyn is looking to escape from, and get revenge on, her captors. But in order to make that happen, she’ll need to work with the agency she spent her life fighting against.

I knew Jocelyn was raised in a traumatic environment. I also knew because of that it would be very difficult for her to trust people.

So, I decided early on that trust was the big developmental lesson I wanted her to learn by the end of the book.

To that end, I developed a series of events where she would first have no choice but to trust the people in her new agency, until she ultimately made the choice to trust them on her own.

Each of these events became a point of crisis that I paced throughout the book using the structure above.

From a plot standpoint, I was lucky. Since it’s a spy book, it made sense for each crisis to happen when my characters were on a mission. Each of those missions then, in some way, contributed to the overall plot. (Which was Jocelyn’s attempt to escape and get revenge on her kidnappers.)

How did I get here?

If you’ve read the post on this plot structure, you know this was designed to prioritize character.

Earlier drafts of Crossing the Line were much more character focused. Each mission was in place to serve the character.

Because of that, the missions were more independent of one another. One of the first notes my editor gave me before she even bought the book was that the missions should be connected and the plot more centric.

She was absolutely right. Thanks to this plot structure, it was a fairly easy fix. Her note also helped me realize the full potential of this structure and how each point of crisis can serve both character and plot to create a balanced and solid story.

I hope this gives you some idea how to use character and plot together!

Now it’s your turn: How do you approach character and plot? What works really well for you? What do you struggle with? Tell me in the comments!

How to Use This Killer 3-Act Plot Structure: Writing Tips

By Meghan 3 Comments

Today I wanted to introduce you to my favorite plot structure–the 3-Act Character Arc and Story Structure.

How to Use This Killer 3-Act Plot Structure: Writing Tips

This is my favorite structure because it actually focuses on character as much (if not more than) it focuses on the plot. It also adds emphasis on raising the tension throughout your story, which is something I’ve found to be particularly helpful. This was passed on to me by one of my writing instructors, but it originally came from Peder Hill. Unfortunately, his website with the original content is no longer running.

This post will offer a breakdown of this variation of a three-act structure and give you insights into how I use this structure for my novels.

The Structure

I want to be clear, this structure breakdown I’m about to share comes from Peder Hill. It would be my preference to link you to the original, but since it’s no longer available that’s not an option. I’m working off of a print out of his original blog post that I’ve had since grad school. When I get a chance, I’ll scan it as a PDF to share.

Beginning

You introduce the reader to the setting, the characters and the conflict. Plot Point 1 is the situation that drives the main character from their “normal” life towards a different conflicting situation that the story is about.

Great stories often begin at Plot Point 1, throwing the main character right into the action, but the author never really leaves out the beginning. They fill it in with back story along the way.

Middle

The story develops through a series of complications and obstacles, each leading to a mini crisis. Each of these crises are temporarily resolved, but the story leads inevitably to an ultimate crisis—the Climax. As the story develops, there is a rise and fall of tension with each crisis, but an overall rising tension as we approach the Climax. The resolution of the Climax is Plot Point 2.

End

The Climax and loose ends of the story are resolved during the Denouement. Tension rapidly dissipates. That’s because it is almost impossible to sustain a reader’s interest after the climax, so finish your story and get out.

Meghan Rogers shares How to Use This Killer 3-Act Plot Structure: Writing Tips - in photo: illustration of the plot structure

Act 1
- In the Beginning of a story the main character, being human (even if he of she isn’t), will resist change (inner conflict). The character is perfectly content as he is; there’s no reason to change.
- Plot Point 1 – Then something happens to throw everything off balance.
  - It should come as a surprise that shifts the story in a new direction and reveals that the protagonist’s life will never be the same again.
    - In Star Wars this point occurs when Luke’s family is killed, freeing him to fight the Empire.
  - It puts an obstacle in the way of the character that forces him or her to deal with something they would avoid under normal circumstances.

Act 2
- The second Act is about a character’s emotional journey and is the hardest part of a story to write. Give your characters all sorts of challenges to overcome during Act 2. Make them struggle towards their goal.
- The key to Act Two is conflict. Without it you can’t move the story forward. And conflict doesn’t mean a literal fight. Come up with obstacles (maybe five, maybe a dozen—depends on the story) leading up to your plot point at the end of Act 2.
  - Throughout the second act remember to continually raise the stakes of your character’s emotional journey.
  - Simultaneously advance both inner and outer conflicts. Have them work together—the character should alternate up and down internally between hope and disappointment as external problems begin to seem solvable then become more insurmountable than ever.
  - Include reversals of fortune and unexpected turns of events—surprise your reader with both the actions of the main character and the events surrounding him.
Plot Point2
- Act Two ends with the second plot point, which thrusts the story in another unexpected direction.
- Plot Point 2 occurs at the moment the hero appears beaten or lost but something happens to turn the situation around. The hero’s goal becomes reachable.
  - Right before this unexpected story turn, the hero reaches the Black Moment—the point at which all is lost and the goal cannot be achieved.
    - In order to have a “Climax”, where the tension is highest, you must have a “Black” moment, where the stakes are highest and danger at its worst.
    - During this moment, the hero draws upon the new strengths or lessons he’s learned in order to take action and bring the story to a conclusion.
      - Dorothy’s gotta get a broom from the Wicked Witch before she can go home.
      - Luke’s gotta blow up the Death Star before fulfilling his destiny.
      - Professor Klump’s gotta save face with the investors of his formula and win back Jada.
Act 3
- The third Act dramatically shows how the character is able to succeed or become a better person.
- Resolution/denouement ties together the loose ends of the story (not necessarily all of them) and allows the reader to see the outcome of the main character’s decision at the climax. Here we see evidence of the change in a positive character arc.

Meghan Rogers shares How to Use This Killer 3-Act Plot Structure: Writing Tips - in photo: person writing on a notebook

How to Use it

Now, we’re getting into how I use this plot structure, so I am no longer resharing Peder’s work.

Beginning/Act I

This act is fairly short, straightforward, and similar to what you’d see in any other plot structure. This is where you set up what is ‘normal’ for your character before ending the act with your inciting incident, which kicks your story into action.

Since this plot focuses on tension, it also encourages you to get into your story pretty quickly.

As you can see from the chart, Act I wraps up less than a quarter of the way into the story. Since you don’t have a lot of time to establish your world and characters, it may be tempting to tell your reader absolutely everything–at least, I know it is for me.

Instead, what I’ve found helpful is to figure out what your readers really need to know to understand what’s going on with your characters now, in these opening scenes, and get us right into the action.

You can share more information down the line when it’s relevant. Using this structure has helped me focus on what my audience needs to know to enter my world and nothing more, which has made it a lot easier to avoid info dumping.

Meghan Rogers shares How to Use This Killer 3-Act Plot Structure: Writing Tips - in photo: Writing Tip: This variation of the three-act structure encourages your plot and character to work together more tightly as your story progresses.

Middle/Act II

This is the meat of your story. The majority of the growth and development is going to happen here.

Most plot structures would consider this the “rising action” of the novel, but this model calls those actions “points of crisis.”

As you can see, once we get to the peak of a crisis point there’s a drop in tension after. This gives your audience a moment of relief. However, the tension level after that drop never goes below the previous crisis point. This ensures that your tension continues to rise as your story moves on.

I’ve found that thinking about my story like this helps to keep the middle of the book from dragging.

The end of this act should be when things are most fragile for your character–but also when their goal is within reach. It’s the “so close, but yet so far” moment that leads to your climax.

More on the Points of Crisis

These points are basically why I love this structure so much. This is also where the focus on tension seriously comes into play.

As you can see in the chart, the middle act consists of four points of crisis. These are four major events that need to happen to your character to get you closer to the climax. These points are paced relatively evenly throughout the book, which I find helps me pace my story pretty evenly.

Having these crisis point spaced out has also been really helpful in my overall process. I’ve learned I work better when I’m writing towards a particular story moment.

When I’m early in the book, the climax is just too far away for me to focus on. Having a point that’s much closer keeps me motivated and moving forward.

Also worth noting: I’ve found that four points of crisis work really well for me, but that isn’t a rule for this structure. You can have as many or as few crisis points as you/your story needs.

Meghan Rogers shares How to Use This Killer 3-Act Plot Structure: Writing Tips - in photo: Writing Tip: Using "points of crisis"as your rising actions naturally icnreases the tension in your novel.

End/Act III

This act is made up of two core components: the climax and the denouement.

Typically my climactic event takes anywhere from 3-5 chapters. And since I’ve had my points of crisis leading up to that moment the entire book, it often seems to come together very organically.

As for the denouement, I do my best to keep it as short as possible. I shoot for no more than two chapters, but if I can, I’ll do it in one. (But if I really do need three chapters, I’ll take them. Each story is unique. These are just my basic guidelines.)

If you look at the chart, the denouement is a steep drop after the climax, which is what always encouraged me to keep it short.

Common Thoughts

Two common thoughts I’ve heard from people after they’ve read my books are: 1) They found themselves running out of pages and couldn’t imagine how everything was going to wrap up so quickly–and then it did. And 2) “That’s it?” but in a good way–as in, they want more. Which is exactly what I want as a writer.

This is the quick denouement in action. You don’t want to end your story abruptly, but you do want to leave your reader wanting more.

Tying up loose ends and getting out of your story as fast as you possibly can is how you make this happen.

Final Thoughts

Peder adds a lot of emphasis on a character’s emotional journey, which was part of what drew me to this structure in the first place.

However, I also found it to be equally helpful when considering the plot. Peder argues that if you focus on character, the plot will emerge on its own. This has proven pretty true for me. But once the plot does emerge, this structure can also be help refine it.

Once I know my character’s journey, I make it a point to tie those events into the plot. Ideally, when I’m finished, each crisis point will raise the emotional stakes for the character, as well as advance the plot and get me closer to whatever I’m unraveling.

That’s it for this one! I hope this plot structure helps you write a killer novel!

Now it’s your turn: Do you have a favorite plot structure? What do you think of this one? Do you think it will help to think about your stories like this? Tell me in the comments and follow me on Instagram.

How to Create Strong Characters: 3 Writing Tips

By Meghan 4 Comments

I love reading strong characters, and I love creating them even more!

A lot of advice on how to create strong characters tends to start with a character questionnaire. (Here’s an example if you’re curious.)

While these questionnaires have some great things to consider, they never helped me to create strong characters.

I always felt like it was a little too much too fast. I used to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to consider. So much so that I would try to power through these question without really digging in and getting to know my characters like I needed to.

So instead, I created some questions of my own.

How to Create Strong Characters: 3 Writing Tips

I developed this process pretty organically. I learned what I needed to get excited about my characters and truly bring them to life.

Now it’s what I use as the basis for ALL of my major characters. I’ve never seen anything that looks like my initial approach online, which is why I’m sharing it with you!

Here are the three big areas I think about any time I want to create strong characters:

What happened to your character before your book starts?

When I first come up with an idea, I tend to have some loose details of what happened to my characters before my book starts.

Before I do anything else, I take the time to really develop these events. Most importantly, I want to know what happened in my character’s past that defined them. What shaped them into the person they are at the start of the book?

For example, when I started planning the Raven Files, I knew it was going to be a book about a girl who was kidnapped by an enemy spy agency when she was eight.

I also knew she would be eighteen when the book starts. So before I started writing I sat down and thought about what it would be like for my character to be taken from her parents so young, what her training was like, what her life was like at this enemy spy agency, and what some of her defining missions were.

All of this not only gave me a seriously strong sense of my character, but it also got me really excited to think about the story I was planning to tell.

How to Create Strong Characters: 3 Writing Tips by Meghan Rogers - in photo: writing tip: consider what happened in your character's past that defined them

Who is your character at the start of the book?

Now that you know what shaped your character’s past, it’s time to think about how those events truly impacted them and made them into the character that they are at the start of your story.

Did events of the past traumatize them? Or do they find themselves anxious in certain situations because of something that happened to them? Are they super confident in one area of their life for a specific reason?

Go through your character’s history and ask yourself how affected your character would be by each of their key life events that happened prior to the start of the book. Then ask yourself how your character deals with or shows that impact.

Every single event may not have a lasting effect, but finding the ones that do can be key in understanding who your character is at the start of your story.

Once you know who they are, you can figure out how they develop.

How to Create Strong Characters: 3 Writing Tips by Meghan Rogers - in photo: writing tip: consider who your character is at the start of the story and who they need to be by the end

Who do you want your character to be by the end of the book?

I also like to think of this question as, “what should my character to learn by the end?”

The idea is, once you know what you want your character to learn or who you want them to be, you’ll be able to develop a reasonable path to help get them there.

For instance, in the first book of the Raven Files, I knew my main character came from a traumatic environment. She was raised to trust no one and fight for her life on a daily basis.

The biggest thing I wanted her to learn by the end of the book was how to trust other people and let other people help her. With that in mind, I was able to plot out a variety of situations where she would first be forced to rely on other people and trust them. Then as we get deeper into the book, she could begin to make the choice to trust them.

Knowing where I wanted my character to end up made plotting believable development so much easier than it would have been had I not known where I wanted my character to grow by the end.

I hope this helps you create strong characters!

I kickstart all of my characters by figuring out these three big questions. I’ve found it not only helps me develop my characters, but it also makes me really eager to write. I hope this helps you as much as it helps me!

Now it’s your turn: What approach do you take when you’re trying to create strong characters? What big questions to do you ask that you’ve found to be really helpful? Let me know in the comments below.

4 Easy Ways to Create Conflict in a Novel: Writing Tips

By Meghan 3 Comments

Keeping a book consistently interesting can be a challenge!

One of the best ways to keep readers engaged is to create conflict in a novel. This probably isn’t news to you, but that doesn’t mean fresh conflict is always easy to come by.

Here are four failsafe techniques that I always circle back to when to I need to create conflict in a novel:

Meghan Rogers writing tips on create conflict in a novel - in photo: keys on a keyboard

4 Easy Ways to Create Conflict in a Novel: Writing Tips

1) Make your characters disagree

I know this seems obvious, but it’s so often overlooked!

The easiest way to create conflict in a novel is to make your characters disagree with each other. This applies to your main characters too, not just your protagonist and antagonist/villain.

Traditionally when we create secondary characters, their purpose is to support our protagonist, but that doesn’t mean they have to agree with our protagonists all the time.

Tension between the characters we’re rooting for not only makes the story more interesting but also more realistic.

For example, let’s say you’re writing a crime novel and your core characters are gearing up to go after your bad guy.

It’s nice for your characters if they’re all on the same page about their plan of attack, but isn’t more interesting if they disagree? And doesn’t it add more uncertainty if readers have to wonder if the character(s) who disagreed will stick to the plan going forward?

You can use this technique at any point in your book that feels flat–not just the end. The level of disagreement can be up to you and based on your story’s needs.

2) Secrets and Lies

For the most part, everyone has a reason to keep a secret and everyone has a reason to lie.

No matter how big or how small, secrets and lies are almost always guaranteed to shake up your plot. Once the secrets and lies are revealed, you’ll have characters who are likely to feel betrayed and/or your plot will be thrown into a new direction based on the new information.

This is a good technique to use if you need your characters to learn new information at a specific point in your plot. It also makes the liar/secret keeper a much more interesting character. And by doing so, creates conflict on both a plot and character level.

Meghan Rogers writing tips on create conflict in a novel - in photo is a quote "Tension between the characters we're rooting for not only makes the story more interesting, but also more realistic"

3) Add Family

There’s an endless pool of conflicts for families/family members. This is true even in families who get along well, and even more for ones who don’t.

Maybe your character is the member of their family that no one likes. Or maybe the family member no one likes has shown up asking for something. Or maybe the family member everyone likes, shows up on the run with a dark secret.

Pull from your real experience or make something up. Script Mag has some tips on creating realistic family conflict.

Side note, I think this conflict is especially fun with a character who’s more private. A family member can reveal a lot about a character just by existing in a scene, which will make your private character uncomfortable and cause conflict from the start.

4) Give your characters exactly what they don’t want

This can be small or large, depending on the size of the conflict you’re looking to create. The principle is the same either way; if there’s something your character desperately wants to avoid, force them to confront it.

For something smaller, it can be a simple as they have to go to a party they don’t want to go to after a bad day. Maybe their bad mood will force a too-honest conversation.

For something larger, maybe some of the party guests include people who tormented your character in high school.

This is another option that’s pretty open, but the cool thing about it is that by taking the time figure out what your characters don’t want, you also add a layer to them and get to know them better.

Meghan Rogers writing tips on create conflict in a novel - in photo is a writing tip: Give your characters exactly what they don't want.

I hope this gives you a good idea of how to create conflict in a novel!

I like these conflicts because I think they can be used in any story to shake things up, push your characters, and keep your story interesting. They’re the perfect go-tos when you find a scene or entire section of your book that needs a lift.

Also, in order to make these methods work you have to really understand your characters, which means you get to know them better as you work. You don’t want to make you character acwt out-of-character to pull one of these off.

Now it’s your turn: How do you like to create conflict in a novel? Do you have any go-to conflicts to share? Tell me all about it in the comments below!

Read here for more awesome writing tips for writing your first book.