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Thursday, May 26, 2011

Good Stuff On Plot

There are some parts of writing that I understand for myself, but I have no ability whatsoever to convey that knowledge in an intelligible manner. Plot would be one of those things. I've learned a lot about plot in the 5 years I've been seriously writing, but it's mostly intuitive knowledge, garnered from a whole lot of mistake making.

But there's one thing I do know—understanding how to craft a compelling, organized plot is IMPORTANT. Wherever you get that knowledge from, it is vital to your writing that you get it.

So today I want to point you to a fabulous set of videos from author Dan Wells (via my dear friend Jenn Johansson). I've had the pleasure to attend a few conferences where Dan has spoken, and let's just say he does have the gift of conveying information clearly and concisely. Dan is a fabulous teacher and writer, and this series of videos on plot lays out the basics so well. I've posted the first one below, but there are a total of five. Enjoy!



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13 comments:

  1. Anita SaxenaMay 26, 2011 at 11:12 AM

    Thank you for sharing!

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  2. AnonymousMay 26, 2011 at 11:27 AM

    Great video! Off to watch the rest...

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  3. AnonymousMay 26, 2011 at 11:32 AM

    Love it when people share good writing tips and good clips. Thanks for taking the time!

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  4. Francesca ZappiaMay 26, 2011 at 11:42 AM

    I found the information about plot- vs. character-driven stories and plot shifts really interesting. Thanks for this!

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  5. Jill W.May 26, 2011 at 11:58 AM

    I really enjoyed watching this! Thanks!!

    I have my beginning and my end figured out -- it's everything in the middle I'm not sure of! LOL.

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  6. Brandy HeinemanMay 26, 2011 at 1:27 PM

    Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this. I just watched all five videos -- this was just what I needed. Especially the braiding part near the end. So much awesome...!! :D

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  7. Kelly BrysonMay 26, 2011 at 6:04 PM

    Thanks Natalie! Great videos! It's way harder to teach than to understand a concept, I believe.

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  8. Donna K. WeaverMay 26, 2011 at 6:29 PM

    I've seen this before and taken a class from Dan. He's awesome, as are his books. I don't normally read horror but I picked his books up and loved them, and now I've got people are work reading them--including the library director. He's great at what he does.

    Thanks.

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  9. Christine TylerMay 26, 2011 at 7:10 PM

    Ah! This is great! Yes, very clear and concise. Thank you!

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  10. Andrea MackMay 27, 2011 at 3:38 AM

    Thanks for sharing this! I always love to get another perspective on a tricky topic.

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  11. Chantele SedgwickMay 27, 2011 at 1:49 PM

    He is an AWESOME presenter. I went to his class this year at storymakers, and he did a great job. Thanks for posting this! I'm going to check out the other videos as well! :)

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  12. ErikMay 28, 2011 at 1:22 PM

    Thank you so much for this! :)

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  13. J.R. JohanssonJune 2, 2011 at 10:05 AM

    I'm glad you posted this. These videos are so helpful whether you are a new writer or a seasoned writer... just keeping in your mind where the plot needs to move and what steps it takes to get there is so useful! :)

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