Writer's "Cheat Sheets"

» Plotting
» Conflict
» Sensuality/Sexuality
» Romance Plots
» Character Archetypes
» Editing
» 5-Minute Pitch

PLOTTING:

Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations

01. Supplication: Persecutor, Suppliant, Authority Figure
02. Deliverance: Unfortunate, Threatener, Rescuer
03. Crime Pursued by Vengence: Criminal, Avenger
04. Vengence taken for Kindred upon Kindred: Avenger, Guilty Remembrance, a Relative of Both
05. Pursuit: Punishment and Fugitive
06. Disaster: Vanquished Power, Victorious Enemy, Messenger.
07. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune: Unfortunate, Master
08. Revolt: Tyrant, Conspirator
09. Daring Enterprise: Bold Leader, Object, Adversary
10. Abduction: Abductor, the Abducted, Guardian
11. Enigma: Interrogator, Seeker, Problem
12. Obtaining: Solicitor, Adversaryor Arbitrat or & Opposing
13. Enmity of Kinsmen: Malevolent Kinsmen, Reciprocally Hated Kin
14. Rivalry of Kinsmen: Preferred Kinsman, Rejected Kin, Object
15. Murderous Adultry: Two Adulterers, Murdered Spouse
16. Madness: Madman, Victim
17. Fatal Imprudence: Imprudent, Victim, Object Lost
18. Involuntary Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, Revealer
19. Slaying of Kinsman Unrecognized: Salyer, Unrecognized Victim
20. Self-sacrificing for an Ideal: Hero, Ideal, Creditor, Sacrifice
21. Self-sacrificing for Kindred: Hero, Kinsman, Creditor, Sacrifice
22. All Sacrificed for Passion: Lover, Object of Pasion, Sacrifice
23. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones: Hero, Beloved, Necessity
24. Rivalry of Superior & Inferior: Superior, Inferior, Object
25. Adultery: Two Adulterers, Betrayed Spouse
26. Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, Social Norm
27. Discovery of Dishonor of Beloved: Discovered, Guilty
28. Obstacles to Love: Two Lovers, Obstacles
29. An Enemy Loved: Beloved Enemy, Lover, Hater
30. Ambition: Ambitious Person, Thing Coveted, Adversary
31. Conflict with (a) God: A Mortal, an Immortal or Holy Principle
32. Mistaken Jealousy: Jealous, Object, Accomplice, Perpetrator
33. Erroneous Judgement: Mistaken One, Victim, Cause, Guilty
34. Remorse: Culprit, Victim or Sin, Interrogator
35. Recovery of Lost One: Seeker, One Found
36. Murder of Loved One: Slain Kinsman, Spectator, Executioner.

Five Basic Conflicts (from Polti's 36)

01. Man against Nature
02. Man against Man
03. Man against Society
04. Man against Himself
05. Man against Fate

Ronald Tobias' 20 Master Plots

01. Quest
02. Adventure
03. Pursuit
04. Rescue
05. Escape
06. Revenge
07. The Riddle
08. Rivalry
09. Underdog
10. Temptation
11. Metamorphosis
12. Transformation
13. Maturation
14. Love
15. Forbidden Love
16. Sacrifice
17. Discovery
18. Wretched Existence
19. Ascension
20. Descension

CONFLICT:

Essence of Conflict

Protagonist+Goal+Opposition (Antagonist)=Drama

Devices to heighten suspense(notes from David Freeman workshop)

An obstacle or enemy interferes with a hard goal
A enemy or obstacle interferes with a soft goal
Hero forced to face his emotional fear, limitation, block, or wound
Unclear motives
Question of whether a character can pull off a bluff
The uneasy mix, or "odd couple" situation
The fish out of water situation
Presence of ambivalence
A character forced to make a difficult moral choice
Mystery or a puzzle to solve
A reminder of the stakes or increase stakes
Increase stakes of the character so that this is the only way they can succeed
Situation is out of control
A surprise or unexpected disaster
Foreshadowing (many ways to do this)
Any scene in which a danger is present
Any scene that has conflict in it
Any scene where a seduction occurs, or might occur
Technique of cutting back and forth between a dangerous scene and one that isn't dangerous
Draw out a tense moment, i.e., "waiting for the other shoe to drop"
Resolution of a tense moment

SENSUALITY/SEXUALITY:

Desmond Morris' 12 Steps to Intimacy

01. Eye to body
02. Eye to eye
03. Voice to voice
04. Hand to hand
05. Arm to shoulder
06. Arm to waist
07. Mouth to mouth
08. Hand to head
09. Hand to body
10. Mouth to breast
11. Hand to genitals
12. Genitals to genitals

CLASSIC ROMANCE PLOTS

(from Patricia Ryan's "Pat's Premises: Popular Plots, Conflicts and Elements in Romance Novels," Romance Writers' Report, 17(4), April 1997)

Enforced Intimacy

Marriage of convenience
Hero as protector
Arranged or forced marriage
Pretend marriage or relationship
Stranded together on an island
Snowbound
Matchmaker contrives to throw lovers together
Must share office or home

Love Conquers All

The healing power of love
Redemption through love

One Lover Rehabilitates or Cures the Other

Amnesia
Physical disabilities
Emotional problems
Disfigurement
Mental illness
Alcoholism

Emotional Baggage or Internal Forces Keep Lovers Apart

Inability to trust, especially opposite sex
Fear of commitment
"I am a rock;" emotional detachment
Some past incident, e.g., abuse, has left emotional scars
Lover blames other for some hurt to self or loved one
Lover harbors a secret that threatens love
Lover must find self or solve problem before committing
One lover has lied to other about something important
Lover can't forgive other for some flaw
Fear of abandonment
Sense of unworthiness
Feeling that one doesn't belong or fit

The Lovers' Differences Keep Them Apart

Lovers from different social, religious or ethnic worlds
A difference of opinion on critical matter
Bad boy, good girl; or vice versa
Lovers have opposing loyalties
Lovers are business competitors
Lovers personalities are too different
A large age difference
Unrequited love

The Lovers' Similarities Keep Them Apart

Lovers engage in a battle of wills
Lovers share goal, but only once can achieve it

Babies and Children

Secret baby
Arranged pregnancy
Accidental pregnancy
Reunited with child given up for adoption
Child play matchmaker or otherwise brings lovers together
Child lost or threatened
Heroine plays nanny

Comedy of Errors

Heroine pretends to be male
Mistaken identity
Misunderstandings
Masquerade
Twins

Evolving Relationships

Platonic friends fall in love
Ex-sweethearts are reunited
Divorced spouses rediscover their love

Mythic or Fairy Tale Elements

Kidnapping (Persephone)
Taming of the savage male (Beauty and the Beast)
Transformation (Pygmalion)
Rags to Riches (Cinderella)
Awakening, emotional rebirth (Sleeping Beauty)

"QUICKIE" CHARACTER ARCHETYPES:

(From "Heroes and Heroines: 16 Master Archetypes," by Caro LeFever, Tami Cowden, & Sue Viders.) Beyond Alpha: The Eight Male Archetypes (more info at Romance Central workshops)

The Chief - The quintessential "alpha" male: tough, decisive, and goal-oriented
The Bad Boy - Dangerous, but fascinating: charismatic and street smart, hates rules and regulations
The Best Friend - The "beta" hero: kind, decent, and responsible
The Charmer - The quintessential smooth operator: Fun, irresistible, and often unreliable
The Lost Soul - The "theta" hero: Tortured and secretive, he's got a vulnerable heart and discerning eyes
The Professor - Logical, introverted and inflexible, but also genuine in feelings, extremely faithful and honest
The Swashbuckler - The Man on the Go: Action and adventure is his motto; he's physical, daring, mercurial
The Warrior - The "delta" hero: The reluctant rescuer; dark and dangerous, driven and remote

Beyond Cinderella: The Eight Female Archetypes (more info at Romance Central workshops)

The Boss - The "Take Charge" woman: outspoken and persuasive, confident and competitive
The Seductress - "I Will Survive" woman: mysterious and manipulative, distrusting and cynical
The Spunky Kid - Spirited and loyal, reliable and supportive, more of a "tomboy"
The Free Spirit - Genuine and fun-loving, impulsive, an "original"
The Waif - Classic "damsel in distress": Child-like innocence, naive and docile, she endures
The Librarian - Conscientious, orderly, bright; she leads with her brain, not her looks
The Crusader - A woman on a mission: tenacious, headstrong, courageous
The Nurturer - Altruistic to a fault; calm, optimisic, a listener, pleasant, takes care of everyone

EDITING:

After the final draft, edit using the "find" function for the words on the following list. Next, read the sentence containing the offender, and either correct it or leave it be, depending. They are all valid words, if used in moderation, but are prone to misuse, overuse and abuse.

"Fine Tooth Comb and Red Flags and Snags"

and - but (can indicate run-on sentences)
that (unnecessary in most sentences)
that (when you mean "who")
just
very
nearly - almost
really
seem - appear
felt - feel
begin - began
would - should - could
quite
few
rather
thing
stuff
anyway
because
"ly" adverbs
so
then
even
only
down - up (as in sit down, stand up - can be redundant)
got - get

Look for passive use

it - is
am
are
was
were
has
had
have
been
to be
there is
there are
there was
there were

(My thanks to Lynda Hales for compiling this list and graciously allowing me to share it!)

"PITCHING" A BOOK:

(by Michelle Jerott, from Wisconsin RWA's The Write Touch Newsletter, April/May 2000)

If the thought of an editor/agent appointment at the conference has you chowing down Tums, relax! It doesn't have to be an ordeal. When pitching an idea, keep it simple and keep it focused on the romance--don't bog yourself down with unnecessary back story, secondary characters, or subplots. All the editor wants to know is if you have a good grasp of your main characters, a balance of internal/external conflict, and the story's marketing angle ("hook.") Five to ten minutes is plenty of time, so speak slowly and carefully, maintain eye contact, and allow time for questions.

If I were going to pitch my latest book, A GREAT CATCH, I'd say something like this:

"After years of working her way upward in the male-dominated maritime world of Great Lakes shipping, Tessa Jardine lands her dream job as First Mate on the passenger ship SS TALIESEN--a dream job until she meets her captain, Lucas Hall. Ten years ago, Lucas broke her young heart when he walked away from her without a word of farewell, and she can't forgive him for that--or for his more recent part in a failed rescue attempt that cost her younger brother his life. Now Lucas, the ex-Coast Guard hero, is back to complicate her life. Working together day after day, Lucas and Tessa discover the attraction between them is still hot and heavy--but can Tessa forgive Lucas, or ever learn to trust him again? And what will Lucas have to do to win back her love?"

This brief paragraph introduces the main characters, given enough back story to provide motivation, shows the basic balance of external and internal conflict, focuses on the romance, and tells the editor it's a reunion story.

Hope this helps, and good luck pitching your book!

The easiest way to create a summary paragraph like the above is to take a formula adapted from Dwight Swain: Situation, Character, Conflict, Opponent, and Disaster. To show you what I mean, here's the paragraph I wrote broken down according to Swain's equation:

1. SITUATION:

After years of working her way upward in the male-dominated maritime world of Great Lakes shipping

2. CHARACTER:

Tessa Jardine

3. CONFLICT:

lands her dream job as First Mate on the passenger ship SS TALIESEN--a dream job until she meets her captain, Lucas Hall. Ten years ago, Lucas broke her young heart when he walked away from her without a word of farewell, and she can't forgive him for that--or for his more recent part in a failed rescue attempt that cost her younger brother his life.

4. OPPONENT:

Now Lucas, the ex-Coast Guard hero,

5. DISASTER:

is back to complicate her life. Working together day after day, Lucas and Tessa discover the attraction between them is still hot and heavy--but can Tessa forgive Lucas, or ever learn to trust him again? And what will Lucas have to do to win back her love?

That's it! Not too painful, really...

Credit Info

You're welcome to share this resource with others, but please keep my information intact.

Michele Albert is the author of ten romance and romantic suspense novels: HER LAST CHANCE, TOUGH ENOUGH, HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT, ONE WAY OUT, OFF LIMITS, GETTING HER MAN, HER BODYGUARD, A GREAT CATCH, ALL NIGHT LONG, and ABSOLUTE TROUBLE. Please visit www.inkalicious.com for more information.