Providing exercises and tips for successful plotting, this workbook is the companion to FICTION FORMULA PLOTTING. Each chapter is filled with worksheets, drills, examples, and/or charts designed to help you practice and better understand the principles of writing the Fiction Formula way. Although designed to coordinate chapter-by-chapter with FICTION FORMULA PLOTTING, the workbook can stand alone. Whether you work through it methodically or choose the drills you think will help you most, this book shows you how to transform your ideas into stories and gain new confidence in crafting your next fiction manuscript.
The internationally published, award-winning author of 41 novels, Deborah Chester has written Regency romances, historical romances, young adult, science fiction, and fantasy. She is a tenured professor of professional writing in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma, where she teaches novel and short story writing. She holds a B.A. with General Honors and an M.A. in Journalism; both degrees are from the University of Oklahoma, where she studied professional writing from author/teachers Jack M. Bickham, Robert L. Duncan, and Pulitzer-nominee Carolyn Hart. Chester has been writing professionally since 1978, and has used three pseudonyms – Jay D. Blakeney and Sean Dalton and C. Aubrey Hall for some of her science fiction and fantasy works. In 2004, she was inducted into the Writers Hall of Fame of America.
I think this book is excellent for the 'somewhat experienced fiction writer' who understands the basics of writing stories and has at least written some short stories that have been, if not published, at least evaluated or reviewed. But this book along with it partner text "Fiction Formula Plotting," (I'm putting the titling quotation marks because it is difficult to italicize in this context using my voice recognition software.) Feels like it is very much for strict "plotters." Although I think it would be very good for someone, someone like myself, who knows how to write a story but was never taught to write an "outline." Four people who have done some writing, or do a lot of writing, like me, whether published or not, I don't think it's necessarily necessary for you to have read this book's sister "Fiction Formula Plotting" before using this one. I think that many people who have taken at least a basic fiction writing class and have written some stories and worked on some longer manuscripts can jump right into this book use it exercises at the guide structure your plan or "outline. But for aspiring writers without the kind of experience I have just described this book and its sister may be to advanced. It feels to be like those kinds of "beginning fiction writers" would be better off with a text that covers more of the basics of fiction writing and does not require, you to become a devoted "plotter." In my case for example this book and its sister along with other recent experiences, taught me that I will probably never become a complete plotter. Because I will probably never plots to the degree that Prof. Chester advocates without first are also drafting subparagraphs. All that having been said, this book would be great for helping more experienced beginner/novice writer organize their thoughts as they start to tackle a significant novel size project.
This is a set of practice sheets for plotting your novel. As such it helps cement the routine to get your plot down before you start writing. She was Jim Butcher's mentor by the way.