Writer's
Workbook
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Plot Shaping: Four R's of the Jungle
Every story has its own unique attributes and generates its own unique influence upon the readers. Even when a story is formulaic it still must stand on its own to be convincing and affecting. A formula for story design carries the risk of stifling creativity while it provides the necessary spine around which the story's creativity can develop. Above all, let's remember that we are humans, and as far as I'm aware we will always be writing for humans. As such, be clear that there are aspects to human psychology that make certain things compelling and other things monotonous.
Effective stories will always be seen as formulaic in that they play upon a fixed set of attributes: human attributes. It's helpful to be aware of these attributes in writing our stories, not so that we are trapped by a confining structure, but so that we may be certain that there is not a vital aspect of humanity that we left unexplored and unexploited in our quest to scoop up our readers and carry them to a new and exciting place.
A simple chart will allow you to plot out what I call the four R's of story shaping. These are Romance, Race, Revelation and Riot. Romance should be self explanatory. It refers to drawing energy from sexual tension between primary characters, a least one of whom the reader can deeply identify with. Race refers to the establishment of an impending emergency. It draws energy from the tension of potential disaster. It is commonly a race against a clock or some other evanescent opportunity. Revelation ties in to the human attribute of curiosity and surprise. It may be defined as the mystery and the unfolding that keep the intellectual engine of the reader in gear. We can also see how our curiosity and intellectual stimulation integrates with the energy of the Race and the Romance. Certainly all four R's work together to keep the reader energized by the weaving of the four threads of tension. The fourth R refers to the Riot. This is the slow and escalating conflict between the villain and the protagonists. We use the idea of a riot because the conflict is more than a fight. It takes on enormous and destructive significance beyond the prominent characters. (Furthermore, it starts with an R and completes our handy 4-R mnemonic).
Using the four R's, you can plot out a story that addresses each aspect at regular intervals to keep the story brisk and above all engaging.
Think of the story as a tree and each R
as a vine hanging down from the branches. As story writers, our task
is to swing from vine to vine and bellowing out our Tarzan cry while
the we pick up more sway and speed with each change. Our story becomes
a deft and exciting feat that has breadth, energy and relevance along 4
fundamental ties to psychology.
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Now surely not every event on the romance vine is a positive event, or even a romantic event. It is merely an event that is necessary for the development of the romantic tension. Similarly, events on the Revelation vine are not always revelations. They may be the establishment of mystery or the dropping of clues. Each event supports the continued vitality and future promise of the vine.
There you have it. Another metaphoric formula to use at your own discretion. But be careful, it's a jungle out there!
Robert Cureton, Ph.D.
San Diego, CA