Using Episodic Plots

One of the writers workshops I'm taking is Toolkit for Writers from QWC. We will cover different devices writers can use to... write (it's starting to sink in that's the key to getting stuff written). This week our homework was to look at Episodic Plot Structure and create our own episodic plot based on our own lives over the past year.

Most of us think about story structure as a rising conflict to a point where it seems hopeless for our protagonist (come to think of it, now it seems like the story line should fall rather than rise, as the character struggles more and more...). Here's how that would look:

Picture found at 37Stars

But then there's also the old Hero's Journey, which is more circular. You can read more about this quest-style plot in:

Q is for Quest

So what's episodic? Simply put, it's a story told in episodes, very much the way television shows are presented. Each episode will somehow link to the others, but it might be a completely unrelated series of events. Episodes can be tied together by characters, setting or theme. Think of movies like Crash, each character is involved in a scene that revolves around the theme of racism, and each character links us to another character. This ties the movie scenes together into one story. The plot line can increasingly climb to an overarching conflict, but often it will look like this:

Picture found at Children's Literature

I struggled with this homework - I'm someone that invests a lot of time and energy into AVOIDING conflict, so I couldn't see how to present my past year as episodic. I also don't tend to read or write memoir, so I haven't honed those skills. But then I realised, there is conflict in writing, everyday (although procrastination doesn't work too well in fiction unless you're a master and make 'not doing stuff' dramatic, like in Hamlet). Here is my result, overall I think I'm a rising conflict or quest circle plotter, but hey, you have to try stuff:

Dog Show Detective novel finished! - Oh, needs edits.

Dog Show Detective novel finished! - Oh, needs edits.

Dog Show Detective… bugger it, start new project.

My Zombie Dog begins! Will finish in no time! Distracted by new plot idea.

Will write new plot idea for NaNoWriMo! 50,000 words in 1 month? Easy, I’ve done it 3yrs running… failed NaNoWriMo.

My Zombie Dog is finished! Beta readers suggest changes.

Now My Zombie Dog is finished! Oh, needs more edits.

My Zombie Dog, definitely finished! No, more edits.

My Zombie Dog perfectly formatted into an ebook! No, ebook needs more formatting, take it down and replace it.

Moved from Country Yass to Brisbane suburbs. Gave up work to focus on writing.

Joined the Queensland Writers Centre - signed up for just about every course they offer! Might need to work to pay for writing.

My Zombie Dog makes it to No. 2 in Children’s Horror on Amazon! My Zombie Dog quickly returns to its space at well over No. 100,000 in all books.

My Zombie Dog ready to become paperback! Changes needed to publisher’s digital proofs for paperback.

My Zombie Dog ready to become paperback! Changes needed to publisher’s digital proofs for paperback.

My Zombie Dog arrives at my house in paperback! Changes needed to physical proof copy of paperback. 

And so it goes…

Feel like having a go at this? Make sure you come back and share your link if you do, I'd love to see what you get!