the 8-point story arc . . . or How To Construct Engaging Scenes

Nigel Watts wrote a little book called “Writing a Novel” as part of the Teach Yourself series of books that cover a wide variety of subjects. I was perusing the interwebs years ago and happened across a comment from another writer recommending Nigel’s book, so I hopped on to Amazon and bought myself a copy. Unfortunately for me, at the time the book was rare and pricey and I had to buy a used copy for $20, though now one can purchase a cheaper copy be it paperback or digital. Oh well, it was $20 well spent regardless.

In his book, Nigel explains the 8-point story arc, an incredibly useful tool for writers that has proven its worth many times over since I began implementing it into my own writing ventures. Nigel’s 8-point story arc is freely available all over the internet these days if one does a simple Google search, but I recommend you buy his book anyways because he spent the time writing it and “Writing a Novel” contains much more valuable (though some a bit outdated given our current digital age) information than just his 8-point story arc. So what’s the 8-point story arc? Zip-a-dee-doo-dah:

1. Stasis

2. Trigger

3. Quest

4. Surprise

5. Critical Choice

6. Climax

7. Reversal

8. Resolution

Or . . .

Once upon a time (stasis),

something out of the ordinary happens (trigger),

causing the protagonist to seek something (quest),

but things don’t go as expected (surprise),

forcing the protagonist to make a difficult decision (critical choice),

which has consequences (climax),

the result of which is a change in status (reversal),

and they all lived happily every after–or didn’t (resolution).

Thus is Story, or so says Nigel Watts. And I concur. But I also say the 8-point story arc not only applies to your overall story but also to each and every scene within it. And my suggestion is this: use Nigel’s 8-point story arc and describe your entire novel’s story in one sentence each pertaining to the 8 points of the story arc. This is a great way to grasp a secure feel of your whole story, before spending countless hours and months of daily writing, while also figuring out any pesky plot holes that may pop up.

Now that you have a loose plot of your overall story figured out in a logical though surprising way for your reader, you can next break down into further detail the scenes your story contains by way of applying the same yet different 8-point scene arc. Think of them as mini arcs within the maximum story, bridges leading from one scene to the next. If you wish, apply them to each of your chapters, though you will have to change the “resolution” of your scenes so that each event connects into the next in a continuous flow until your story reaches its true resolution, but that’s a minor detail easily figured out with a little tinkering . . .

And so the protagonist continues forth, executing their new plan of attack (new stasis),

until something out of the ordinary happens (trigger),

causing the protagonist to seek something (side quest),

but things don’t go as expected again (surprise),

forcing the protagonist to make another difficult decision (critical choice),

which has consequences (climax),

the result of which is a change in status (reversal),

helping them decide on a new plan of attack (continuation) . . .

Repeat as needed.

As example, let’s say you have a 20 chapter novel planned for writing. Okay, now let’s apply Nigel’s 8-point story arc as follows:

1. Stasis

2.

3. Trigger

4.

5.

6. Quest

7.

8.

9.

10. Surprise

11. Critical Choice

12.

13.

14. Climax

15.

16. Reversal

17.

18.

19.

20. Resolution

Now one only needs to fill in the gaps with the 8-point scene arc, connecting each of the 8 story arc points with a logical yet surprising sense of flow, and viola! the rest writes itself. But that still leaves a lot of white space begging for filling, truth be told, and if you’re familiar with my detailed writing guide for both Plotters and Pantsers (Pen the Sword: the universal plot skeleton of every story ever told) then you might plug in those pesky plot gaps even further like this:

1. Opening Hook

2. (Stasis) Save the Cat & Kick the Dog

3. (Trigger) Inciting Incident

4. Try/Fail Cycles

5. Physical Crossing

6. (Quest) Fish Out of Water

7. Allies & Enemies & Training

8. Betrayal Set-up

9. Big Success

10. (Surprise) Midpoint Twist

11. (Critical Choice) Rededication

12. Betrayal influence

13. Try/Fail Cycles

14. (Climax) Betrayal Pay-off & All Is Lost

15. Spiritual Crossing

16. (Reversal) Rally the Troops

17. Storming the Castle

18. All Is Lost . . . Again

19. All Is Won

20. (Resolution)

Whew! Isn’t that much better without all the white space screaming for words? Of course it is!

Though the above examples are only that: examples. You can devise your own novel plot chart as according to your particular story, changing and rearranging as needed. As to the details of the fill-in-the blanks, well, that’s what buying and reading the books are for, silly!

In Pen the Sword: the universal plot skeleton of every story ever told I break down at length every essential scene required for an engaging story learned from more than a decade and countless hours spent dissecting hundreds of movies and novels, leaving no plotting stone unturned but for your decision to choose and apply the essential scenes to your own story at your writing leisure. Pen the Sword: the universal plot skeleton of every story ever told is the perfect writer’s resource for both Plotter and Pantser and their next novel-to-be, especially so the NaNoWriMo writer looking to hunker down for the month and pen that novel they’ve been itching to write all year. You can apply my detailed plot skeletons and your story will practically write itself, or you can pick and choose whenever you feel stuck for ideas while pantsing and are unsure as to what your protagonist should do or what should happen next.

So do yourself a favor and buy your copy of Pen the Sword: the universal plot skeleton of every story ever told today. Your novel will thank you and so too will your readers!

Running the Deck . . . or How To Beat Brain Fatigue

Writers are not known for our physical prowess. When one imagines a writer, the typical depiction is of a man or woman hunched over their desk and typing away at a fevered pace between sips of coffee. Maybe even puffing on a cigarette before smashing it into the overfilled ashtray beside our trusty java mug. And as much as this may be true for some writers, it doesn’t always have to be.

      Exercise increases brain neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, improves learning and memory, and stops the age-related loss of brain tissue during aging while at the same time improving our ability to focus and process information quickly. This is not fabrication, it is proven fact.

      In short, exercise makes us smarter–or at least makes our brain run better, even if exercise exposes our brain cells to a temporary lack of oxygen. That’s because exercise-induced hypoxia causes an adaptive response by the brain to combat the free radicals generated by hypoxia. And the same proves true for the rest of our body.

      So let me introduce you to Dat-da-da-DAH . . . Running the Deck! So named because of the deck of cards you implement, and all it requires is space, time, and a little bit of effort on your part. Oh, and one measly $1 from that tight buttcheek you call a wallet spent at your local dollar store.

      Take that $1 and go buy an ordinary deck of playing cards. Or maybe you already have a deck lying about somewhere round the house, even better ’cause now you’ve just saved yourself some precious moola better spent elsewhere. Remove the cards and shuffle them, then set them face-down on a nearby stand. Get ready. Get set. And turn over the top card.

      Black cards = push-ups

      Red cards = squats

      No weights required!

      Whatever the number is on the card you just turned over, you now do that many push-ups or squats. Face cards = 10, and Aces = 11. You perform the exercise, take a short breather as depending on your level of fitness (shoot for around 5 to 15 seconds of rest between card flips, though one can take as long as one needs, just try not to exceed 30 seconds), then turn over the next top card and get back to work.

      If you’re already in athletic shape then you can complete the entire deck in 15 minutes. Not so athletic then shoot for half an hour, all of which depends on how little rest you take between card flips. Start out Running the Deck twice per week with “off” days of rest between exercise sessions though eventually building to an every-other-day habit and soon you’ll be banging out squats and push-ups like a rock-hard piston of lean muscle.

      You’ll get tired less often climbing stairs or carrying heavy loads because of the cardio benefit, and you’ll watch that paunch melt away after only a couple of weeks if you stick to it. Dedicate yourself and reap the rewards. The compliment of habitual exercise is it makes your body not just hungry but hungry for vital minerals and essential nutrients, so if you ate chips and pop like a slob before Running the Deck then you’ll soon be eating salads and steak like a champ afterwards because of natural cravings.

      The beauty of Running the Deck is that you can take it with you anywhere you go, no excuses but for laziness. Have a pocket or purse? Then you’re all set! And the genius of Running the Deck is that you will never, ever do the same workout twice. Sometimes you’ll have a streak of Reds, while others you’ll have a streak of Blacks.

      And have no worries if you cannot finish the entire deck doing standard push-ups (knees off the floor). Once your muscles begin tiring out simply start doing your push-ups “girly style” ala with your knees on the floor. And the squats? Best way to do unweighted squats is “football style” ala back straight with your fingers interlaced behind your head and elbows flared with your eyes forward because this helps ensure good squatting posture when muscle fatigue begins to rear its ugly head . . . and it will.

      But you’re not limited to push-ups and squats alone, oh no sir-ee. You can substitute or add any free-weight exercises you wish to your heart’s content. Make the face cards 10 repetitions of sit-ups, or the Aces chin-ups. Keep in the Jokers for Burpees or Jumping Jacks. Whatever! The point is that you’re getting off your flabby bottom and doing something about feeling better while working toward life’s true end goal of living longer through better health.

      Because we use our brains a lot, writers often get what I call “brain fatigue.” Sometimes I’ll sit and write for 8 hours straight then hit a wall where everything I write thereafter is deletable crap even my dog wouldn’t chew on like tasty 7th grade algebra. My exhausted brain needs a recharge, and most often exercise does the trick because it gets those juices flowing. And it allows your brain to relax while your body takes over and does some work.

      Some of your best story ideas will strike you when you’re not writing, odd yet true, which is why most writers carry with them a little notebook to jot down their great epiphanies lest they forget them. I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I was in the middle of something else and not even thinking of the current story I was writing when out from nowhere the perfect putty to that gaping plot hole I couldn’t quite figure out how to fill suddenly comes to mind clear as buffed crystal. And exercise, because it requires focus of a different sort, allows your writerly mind to “rest” while your body is performing.

      So do yourself a favor and start Running the Deck. Your mind will thank you, and so too your body.