Okay,
right away I have to say I have trouble with the writing arc. I've read Christopher
Vogler’s The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers and I've taken a
class and it sounds great, but I can't do it.
I
get the beginning and the journey idea, but I write murder and romance so there
are two journeys - right?
Or
maybe more - the heroine's journey to solve the murder; the hero and heroine's
journey to find romance and their true goals and maybe even the villain's
journey to meet his goals. Argh!
I
posted to Google and found all these other arcs
The
3 Types of Character Arc – Change, Growth and Fall by Veronica Sicoe http://www.veronicasicoe.com/blog/2013/04/the-3-types-of-character-arc-change-growth-and-fall/
The
Crucial Story Arc by Darcy Pattison http://www.darcypattison.com/revision/the-crucial-story-arc/
The
Narrative Arc – What is the Narrative Arc in Literature http://www.darcypattison.com/revision/the-crucial-story-arc/
Creating
Stunning Character Arcs http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/character-arcs-1/
How
to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point Arc http://www.dailywritingtips.com/how-to-structure-a-story-the-eight-point-arc/
And
I’m sure there are lots more. So what’s a writer to do? Which Arc do you
follow, or do you?
My
attempt is to decide on my characters, what their goals are and the obstructions
to getting to those goals. I usually start with the differences between h/h and
how that can cause conflict. Then throw in my villain and how he can block the
journey and at the same time help the h/h grow and realize their true goals. I
begin with the inciting incident. Then the search for the killer, and the h/h’s
search to find each other. Throw in a couple of plot points and some twists
that turn the story around. Then the h/h need to make some critical choices.
The murder is solved, they et the villain and then one more thing is revealed that
separates the h/h. And that is solved and we have a happy ending.
Okay
so it’s not Vogler. What do you do? Do you follow a specific journey? I’d love
to here how it works for you.
My process is closer to yours, I think. In my opinion, this type of arc works better for the hero's journey.
ReplyDeleteI agree and I'm glad I'm not alone in the way I write. Thanks Lily.
DeleteI probably tend to follow this arc as it more resembles the short story arc I use. The rest seems to be in my head.
ReplyDeleteHey, Vicki,
DeleteThat makes sense to me. I think a lot of it is in my head, too.
Hello Beverley, a very useful article. All the best with your writings.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joanne, and thanks for dropping by.
ReplyDeleteI find Vogler too esoteric for my taste. Usually I have 4 arcs. External, hero internal, Heroine internal, and the Antagonist - usually he may be driving the external arc, but he has his own. IMHO.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Nancy. I like your 4 arcs. They work with my general structure.
ReplyDelete