5 Unexpected Plot Devices to Consider for Your Next Story

Let's welcome Reedsy writer, Savannah Cordova who has shared plot devices to consider when writing your next novel. Thank you, Savannah!

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The first Wednesday of every month

is officially IWSG Day. 

The IWSG was formed by

Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh. 

Members post about their doubts and fears, 

discuss struggles and triumphs, 

and offer words of encouragement

to others who are struggling.                                   

If you are a visitor to this site, here is some information about our group.

The most important thing is that The IWSG is all about connecting!

It doesn't matter where you are in your writing journey, everyone is welcome!

Members are really supportive and encouraging to fellow writers.

A great way to connect with other writers is to join our blogging group.

You can join by going to the IWSG Sign-up page here.

Everything you need to know about participating is on this page.

Just follow the simple directions.

The only requirements of this group are that you publish a post 

on the first Wednesday of the Month on IWSG Day

and that you visit around in the group by clicking on blogs listed on the Sign-up page.

Most members try to visit about 12 members on IWSG Day.

For starters, you can always connect with our volunteer co-hosts

by reading their posts and leaving a comment.

That's what I did.  I jumped in, visited around, and left comments.

Twelve years later I have wonderful blogging buddies, and now I'm a new IWSG Admin.

This month our awesome co-hosts for the September 4th posting of the IWSG 

are Beth Camp, Jean Davis, Yvonne Ventresca, and PJ Colando!

Are you worried about what to put in a post?

Don't!  We've got this covered!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. 

These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or story. 

Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post,

or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

Remember, the question is optional.

Some of the things I like to post about on IWSG Day are: 

brief reviews of books written by other members,

interesting books I've read on writing or other topics,

news about my writing progress,

and my response to the monthly question.

I always include photos and sometimes memes, but that is not a requirement.

I get great ideas for future posts by visiting the posts of others.

September 4 Question - Since it's back to school time, let's talk English class. 

What's a writing rule you learned in school that messed you up as a writer?

I'm sure that there will be many interesting answers to this question.

What has messed me up as a writer is not a rule,

but emigrating from Canada to the USA.

I have Canadian and American English scrambled in my brain.

I know that blogging is less popular than it once was,

but it remains a wonderful way to connect with other writers,

learn about all aspects of writing and publishing,

and, best of all, make friends in the writing community.

Come join us!  Jump in with a post!

Source

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue.

 

More Ways Than One To Skin A Cat

That's a terrible title about skinning a cat, but I thought it worked for this post. I apologize to all cat lovers. Rest assured, I would never harm a feline or any animal for that matter. So let's get on with today's post, which has nothing to do with cats, but everything to do with different approaches.

I love a good mystery that thrills me and keeps me in suspense until the end. The careful plotting is what fascinates me, and perhaps that’s because I’m a diehard pantser. I love the freedom to explore possible plots and threads. I love it when characters intrude into the story and make it something different than I’d expected. 

The downside to being a pantser is it can lead to a muddled mess that I have to go back and fix. This can take time, and it often leads to frustration. When I do manage to come to a satisfying end, I’m ever so grateful. 

A few weeks ago I was listening to an interview with Alex Michaelides, the author of The Fury. What caught my attention was his admission to being a pantser for the first time when he wrote this latest mystery. His words echoed my feelings. I’m paraphrasing, but here’s what his message was. 

He needed to have the freedom to create this story, and the only way he could have that freedom was to simply start writing and find out where the character would take him. This was the first book he’d written as a pantser, and he was well-rewarded by the results.

Here’s the Amazon summary: A masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex-movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder.

It has over a thousand ratings on Amazon and over twenty-two thousand on Goodreads. The average rating is four stars. 

Obviously, his approach to this story worked very well for him. I appreciate that a talented writer who usually plots turned to my way of writing. He let loose the reins of plot and let his character take the lead. 

This only goes to show there’s no one way to write a good story. However, I'm now questioning the message my title sends. I can't imagine one way to skin a cat let alone more. 

Moving on...

Here's a middle-of-the-road approach. I enjoyed reading this post and if you're a pantser who is teetering on the brink of plotting, you might find it interesting, too. 

Are you a pantser or a plotter, or do you strike for "pantser with suspenders"?