Comments on: Structure Part 4–Testing Your Idea–Is it Strong Enough to Make an Interesting Novel? http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/ We Are Not Alone Sat, 18 May 2013 03:11:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Author Kristen Lamb http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-59085 Mon, 11 Feb 2013 13:49:20 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-59085 When doing a series, there will be one CORE BBT. The BBT is the reason for the story problem. In Star Wars, that is the Emperor. If the Emperor has not existed, the world would never have changed, the Jedi would all still be alive and there never would have been a Darth or a Death Star or a Republic. He can’t be defeated in the beginning or there is no series. Therefore, in each episode, one of his main minions will take his place, all leading up to the final installation. Remember that Star Wars is NOT Luke’s story, it is a redemption story about Anakin Skywalker. This is why Anakin (aka Darth) destroys the Emperor at the end, not Luke. Luke merely acts as an extension of who Anakin could have been had he chosen light over dark. Luke is vital for Anakin/Darth’s final choice to make the right decision and take out the Emperor.

In ROMANCES the BBT cannot be the love interest. Fried Green Tomatoes is not a romance. Romance has strict rules. Guy and girl meet. Situations and character immaturity keep them apart, but eventually, despite this, the couple comes together to fight the BBT. In Romancing the Stone, Jack is definitely an antagonist. He doesn’t want to help Joan Wilder and then when he finally does, he wants to go after the jewel when she just wants to hand ver the map to get back her sister. Eventually, the pair come together to get the jewel and take out the crooked inspector and his cronies.

There are examples where rules are broken, but we have to understand the rules before we break them. If you want to write romance, I recommend sticking to the rules. Romance readers have clear expectations and deviation from this can mean the book gets categorized in a different genre (I.e. Women’s Fiction).

One example would be You’ve Got Mail. The protagonist is the indie bookstore owner and Fox is the mega store owner who is driving her out of business. Had they not had the e-mail relationship, this wouldn’t have worked in that Fox essentially has a split personality. In person, he is bankrupting her. On-line? He is giving advice for her to take out her adversary. My opinion is this only worked because of Tom Hanks and I would not recommend this in a book. But, this is one clear example of how the romance rules were successfully broken.

]]> By: jcmatson@hotmail.com http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-58446 Wed, 06 Feb 2013 23:53:08 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-58446 Hi Kristen–I’ve just read through this series of articles you have shared on novel structure. Very nicely done. That said, I find a number of inconsistencies that I’m scratching my head over. For example, you have several rules for a BBT such as when the BBT must be introduced, that the BBT can’t be the love interest, and that the BBT is defeated at the end. You then talk about the BBT having emissaries such as Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers but that they are not the BBT. Yet in this article above that I’m responding to you outline the final battle against entities that aren’t the BBT according to your prior articles. In this article you say that Luke fights Darth Vader (but Darth Vader isn’t the BBT even though the scene continues to have Vader fight the Lord to rescue Luke). In your other example, you say that “Evelyn Couch had to stand up to her husband and her monster-in-law” but by definition of societal understanding of marriage, Evelyn’s husband is her love interest.

Would you kindly clarify the rules you provides vs the example you provided because it is a confounding– unless, of course, your intent is to demononstate that all rules are meant to be broken.

Thanks so much,
Chris

]]> By: Structure Part 6–Getting Primal & Staying Simple « Kristen Lamb's Blog http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-50314 Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:44:14 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-50314 [...] the story. It is the engine. No engine, no forward motion. By this point, you should be able to decipher a good idea from a not-so-good idea and then, once decided, state what your book is about in ONE sentence. You can have up to three, [...]

]]> By: SCBWI Ireland Meet-Up (Focus on Plot and Story Structure) | SCBWI Ireland http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-50288 Mon, 15 Oct 2012 10:58:23 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-50288 [...] Structure Part 4–Testing Your Idea–Is it Strong Enough to Make an Interesting Novel? http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enoug… [...]

]]> By: Top Picks Thursday 10-11-2012 « The Author Chronicles http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-50054 Thu, 11 Oct 2012 17:06:04 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-50054 [...] us 6 tests to find out if your story premise is solid. Kristen Lamb agrees, adding her thoughts on testing your idea to see if it can carry a novel, and how to nail your log-line and core [...]

]]> By: Thirsty Thursday Blog Roundup | Thirsty Thursday http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-50041 Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:01:24 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-50041 [...] Structure Part 4–Testing Your Idea–Is it Strong Enough to Make an Interesting Novel? and Structure Part 5–Keeping Focused & Nailing the Pitch–Understand Your “Seed Idea” — Kristen Lamb [...]

]]> By: Julie Musil (@juliemusil) http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-49987 Wed, 10 Oct 2012 23:22:00 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-49987 I’m reading through Plot & Structure AGAIN! It’s an amazing resource for plotting. Thanks for the great series.

]]> By: Daphne Shadows http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-49886 Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:31:56 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-49886 Getting down into simple terms what my main character’s MAIN GOAL is, is the hardest part for me. That back of the book blurb is torture. How do I sum all of it up? How do I decide what is most important?

]]> By: Tamara LeBlanc http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-49805 Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:10:37 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-49805 I think this is my favorite post in your structure series!
Will be bookmarking this with the others I refer to frequently!
Thank you for your wisdom, and hope you’re cold gets better.
Have a great evening,
Tamara

]]> By: Structure Part 5–Keeping Focused & Nailing the Pitch–Understand Your “Seed Idea” « Kristen Lamb's Blog http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/10/05/structure-part-4-testing-your-idea-is-it-strong-enough-to-make-an-interesting-novel-2/#comment-49784 Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:00:46 +0000 http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/?p=8594#comment-49784 [...] Kristen Lamb's Blog HomeAbout Kristen LambJoin the Love Revolution #MyWANA « Structure Part 4–Testing Your Idea–Is it Strong Enough to Make an Interesting Novel… [...]

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