YA Supernatural Novel, help and guidance please

writing
#202

I like that. In any event, I really have to develop a strong, distinctive voice for both Luke and Loki.

How about the Plot Sequence Report?
For OS Signpost 1: Understanding, Assessing the Meaning of the Relic. We’ve got the following variations in order
Closure - a possible illustration might be shutting down a museum exhibit “Norsemen in North America” the day before its inaugural showing. This is due to concern that people who were at the recent dig where these artifacts were uncovered have come up dead or missing.
Hope - TDE expects to use the prophecy on the shield to hunt down and kill incarnates
Dream - Boone realizes the significance of the prophecy. The OS crew don’t believe him. He and the archaeologist steal the relic
Denial - But they are caught by TDE who murders the archaeologist, grievously wounds Boone, and takes the relic

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#203

I was looking at PSR last night, but didn’t know if you were keeping or changing anything. I was thinking of Closure has having the prophecy in a museum as well, but was looking at TDE as wanting to bring an end to the NGs, but wasn’t sure what to suggest for Hope and Dream. I like what you have way better than anything I was thinking of. I might like to see Dream address how something doesn’t fall within reasonable expectations a little more. But it looks great to me.

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#204

These are great; I really like your Closure and Denial items especially.

I had a question though… In the timeline of the story, where did you see the sequence where they show up at Luke’s house and save him from the monsters, in relation to the above? I figured that was still part of the first act (it seems like it’s part of IC signpost 1, for example). But it would still be part of the OS I think too – kind of doing double-duty.

One thing that the creators of Dramatica have clarified is that it’s okay to change the order of PSR items. One thing you could potentially do is have it as Closure-Denial-Hope-Dream (as an example), where Hope might be what you had about TDE, but after he’s taken the relic. AND Hope could also be Boone picking himself up and telling everyone their “only hope” is Luke/Loki.

Then you could have Dream be both everyone’s reactions to this (“you’re dreaming if you think Loki will help us”), AND be related to the nightmare monsters at Luke’s house, for example. The whole situation might seem like a nightmare/dream to Luke, at that point.

All stuff you’ve already planned, but it seems to fit the PSR pretty well!

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#205

I’m flattered. You both have created some really good illustrations in this thread.

Does that include weaving OS and MC PSR items together? If the dream/nightmare you suggested is used, then I have to place the college free ride and the counseling session earlier, somewhere in-between the OS PSR items. Is that legal?

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#206

It’s definitely legal. The only thing that’s not legal is putting a Signpost out of order in the actual story timeline*. Out of order means putting any Signpost 1 after any Signpost 2 (all the 1s have to be finished before any 2s), or a 2 after any 3, etc. Other than that you’re pretty much free to do what you want.

Also, keep in mind that the PSR is at a low enough level that it’s not needed to convey the storyform’s message (it’s kind of on the boundary between storyform and storytelling). So, it’s okay if you don’t always match up with it, IMO.

But yeah, you could definitely have an order that’s like:

OS PSR 1 (Closure)
OS PSR 2 (Denial)
MC PSR 1 (State of Being)
OS PSR 3 (Hope)
OS PSR 4a (Dream part a)
OS PSR 4b (Dream part b) & MC PSR 2 (Situation) & IC PSR 2 (Skill) woven together
etc.

Obviously there would be other IC and RS stuff spliced in there too in similar fashion. Also, I don’t mean to say that Situation lines up best with the monster attack – I’m really not sure.

The really KEY thing is that just because you have Luke or Boone in a scene, it does not mean it’s automatically MC or IC stuff – they both have OS roles too. The MC PSR item of Situation isn’t just Luke thinking about the dangerous situation – it’s something related to his throughline (his dead brother or his needy step-dad or his weird Loki-ness).
EDIT: but the different throughlines can have different amounts of screen time devoted to them. So like the monster attack and Boone & co’s rescue might take ten pages and be mostly OS. But within those ten pages is a paragraph or two of MC specific stuff, etc. Totally up to you how much to focus on each.

* note Signposts can be revealed out of order, such as making MC Signpost 1 a flashback in Chapter 30 near the end of the book. What matters is what the order of events is in the story / story world – the signposts follow that order.

#207

OOH, on a different note I think I can see Luke’s change arc now (the Consider to Reconsider helped). Does this sound right?

He starts with a stuck mindset of low self-worth, based on guilt, where he feels so strongly that he has to take care of his step-dad that he sabotages his own free ride to college…

…to realizing that he’s important, and that his new responsibilities as an NG, for Ragnarok and the future, outweigh his guilt and his need to support his step-dad.

That even fits really well with what you had in the original post, about self-worth. At that point you guessed it was Disbelief and Faith, which was pretty close, but it’s really about considering himself worthy or not.

It’s neat that the Judgment is Bad though, a different take on the usual hero stuff. Instead of “hero answers the call, finds amazing new world of magic, overcomes his weakness and wins and isn’t it awesome!?” it’s more like “hero answers the call, overcomes his weakness to win, but man it’s a tough gig trying to be a hero with this terrible prophecy hanging over you…”.

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#208

Thinking about this some more. By having Hope before Denial, I’m able to establish the stakes of the first confrontation before the first confrontation. That helps build tension. Those stakes also make the archaeologist’s decision to martyr himself more understandable.

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#209

Yes, you’ve got it exactly! Right on the money. That’s what I’ve been trying to communicate.

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#210

I’ve always believed that writing crap is better than not writing anything at all, because crap can always be revised. Judy Blum says she’s a very poor writer, but an excellent rewriter. I like that.
So, here’s my first attempt at all Signpost 1 PSRs. It sucks, but it is better than not writing anything at all.

Begin with Luke’s counseling session. This establishes what kind of novel this is going to be. It is going to explore Luke’s perspective on life and thought patterns. During the counseling session, Jason’s death and Luke wrecking his free ride to college will be discussed. MC Signpost 1: Circumstances and MC Signpost 1 Situation are the PSR items of note.

Meanwhile, in Washington DC, in the Smithsonian, Dr. Jeffries is arguing with the curator that a new exhibit, “Norsemen in North America” needs to be shut down the day before its inaugural showing. This is due to concern that people who were at the dig in Newfoundland have ended up murdered and or missing. The curator believes that Dr. Jeffries is indulging a conspiracy theory. OS Signpost 1 Closure

Boone and another teenager or two are privately talking about some “incarnates” that have disappeared/been murdered.

Meanwhile, in a hotel in Washington DC, a small group of people are having a discussion. At least one of them is clearly not human, he exudes a menace which is so cold that some of the people present shiver. The group hope to use “the relic” to find and kill more incarnates. OS Signpost 1 Hope

Later, while walking through the museum after closing hours, Boone is examining the shield which is mounted up on a wall for display in one of the Smithsonian Museums when he realizes the significance of what is written on it. Agitatedly, he tells the other teens with him that they are all in great danger. IC Signpost 1 Wisdom

The OS crew don’t believe Boone. They cling to the dream that they are still safe. OS Signpost 1 Dream -

Boone and Dr. Jeffries steal the relic IC Signpost 1 Skill (aptitude or innate ability`)-

However, the TDE captures them, kills the Doc, grievously wounds Boone, taunts Boone that TDE is leaving him for Loki to kill, and takes the relic OS Signpost 1 Denial

MC Signpost 1 Sense of Self (One’s Perception of Oneself) -

RS Signpost 1 Fate (a future situation that will befall an individual) -

RS Signpost 1 Prediction (a predetermination of a future state of affairs. The effort to learn the course of one’s destiny) -

IC Signpost 1 Enlightenment (an understanding that transcends knowledge) -

RS Signpost 1 Interdiction (an effort to change a predetermined course of destiny) -

IC Signpost 1 Experience (gaining of familiarity) -

RS Signpost 1 Destiny (the future path an individual must take)-

MC Signpost 1 State of Being (one’s true nature) – Hiding his true nature

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#211

I love what you have so far. Really great stuff.

Note that on one of the Narrative First podcasts Jim mentions that he sometimes wouldn’t do all the PSR variations for all the throughlines, especially when doing a screenplay. I’m not sure how much “material” you plan for the other throughlines – since it’s a novel you do have more room than a screenplay. But just wanted you to know that you could just illustrate the signposts for any of the other throughlines, without doing all the PSR variations, if you so choose.

#212

I agree. Really great start. Can’t wait to see how it all turns out. Hope you’ll show us when it’s done.

#213

I have this feeling that has been pretty persistent that a.) throwing away the free ride to college and b.) walking away from home at the end of the story are bookends or, if you prefer, reverse images of each other. There is something significant which ties together where Luke began and where he ends. But, I think, maybe, I’m too close to it to see what it is.