Story Nerds: Plot Whispering

You may remember that a few of us gather on occasion to take a deeper dive into the ‘bits’ of story-making  – causal chains, theme, language, world-building and setting, points of view, scene types, tropes and tone – to explore how these bits relate and/or connect in order to create  a more immersive experience for the reader. Along the way, we’ve explored the possibility of bending traditional story shapes into exciting genre-blends. And the question we’ve asked ourselves, is there such a thing as a universal story shape?

Martha Alderson, in her book The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master, offers some particularly interesting insights, suggesting that the energy of the Universal Story flows through three phases:

• Comfort and Separation
• Resistance and Struggle
• Transformation and Return

 

Phase is the important word. A phase is a period in a series of events. In project management, a phase refers to a specific, manageable portion of a larger task, such as construction of a building—or a story. Whether it’s the hero’s journey or Freytag’s pyramid, the three- or five- or seven-point act structure, the story circle or saving a cat, each of these ‘shapes’ move through these phases. Each of these phases can contain several plot points that allow the writer to discover new ways to bend the narrative arc. (Hint: Try outlining your narrative arc by using these phases rather than plot points. It helps visualize the causal chain!)

However, there is one caveat. Too much of a good thing quickly turns sour. Too long of a phase, or too short, or too many plot points within each phase,  and the reader disengages.

One way to keep the reader engaged is through the use of microtensions. C.S. Lakin’s book, Masterful Microtension: The Essential Element of Powerful Fiction, offers some insights into this story bit. An aside: I’m not keen on her definition of a microtension. In trying to come up with an applicable definition, it becomes vague and confusing. But once you see how it’s applied, the process starts to make sense.

Remembering that plot is how the events directly impact the characters, moving the characters through the story phases, microtension works on the sentence and paragraph level.  For example:

The emotional contradictions. Understanding that a relatable character hides their true feelings,  their internal feeling clashes with the external actions. They smile even through their heart is breaking. They act brave but feel afraid. They talk hopeful but feel dread.  A sarcastic character masks their discomfort. A character misinterprets another character’s actions or dialogue.

Dissonant setting. The setting presents a jarring juxtaposition to the emotional tension of the scene. A grieving character looks upon a cheerful playground. A character who is experiencing terror looks upon a street in which everyone is oblivious to the danger. A character sees something others overlook.  The setting triggers an uncomfortable memory.

Emotional, or connotative, word choice. Choosing the emotional word, or unexpected and even slightly unsettling language, verbs or nouns transports the reader for a deeper story experience. Using metaphors to hint dangers ahead. Word repetition to reinforce the character’s emotional state. Avoid neutral description and filter the scene through the character’s POV.

For more on how you can use  word choice and repetition to create microtension, Jane Friedman   (https://janefriedman.com/creating-microtension-through-repetition/ offers an excellent discussion:

“Repetition for strong effect is perhaps the most common pathway for microtension, and there are many ways to use it. It can be found in a word or phrase, but it can also be a motif, symbol, or image. “

It's quite the adventure, taking a deep dive into how we create meaningful stories! Especially these days, stories are more important than ever, the fundamental tool to make sense of a chaotic world!

Thank you for reading!

-- Bobbi Miller