Rewrite Chronicles VII - Mapping Your Manuscript (Part Two)
So it took me a little longer to get here, but at last! Part Two of my Mapping Your Manuscript. And it's SPREADSHEET TIME!!!!!
I wanted to use a spreadsheet to separate my acts out clearly, see how many chapters I had (this has fluctuated a lot lately), and to ensure every chapter had an impact on the plot. Here's what I came up with:
I colour-coded it to see where one act ends and another begins. And to prove to myself that I build from quiet beginnings to a LOUD AND INTENSE FINALE!!! Granted these colours kinda clash with my blog but never mind ;)
The Main Event column is for a brief summary of each chapter. Next is the Change Occurs? column, something I picked up from Robert McKee's Story. It's another screenwriting book I highly recommend. McKee says that in every scene (which I've translated into every chapter), the mood should go from positive to negative, or negative to positive. Essentially, every chapter should move the plot forward. With this spreadshe…
I wanted to use a spreadsheet to separate my acts out clearly, see how many chapters I had (this has fluctuated a lot lately), and to ensure every chapter had an impact on the plot. Here's what I came up with:
I colour-coded it to see where one act ends and another begins. And to prove to myself that I build from quiet beginnings to a LOUD AND INTENSE FINALE!!! Granted these colours kinda clash with my blog but never mind ;)
The Main Event column is for a brief summary of each chapter. Next is the Change Occurs? column, something I picked up from Robert McKee's Story. It's another screenwriting book I highly recommend. McKee says that in every scene (which I've translated into every chapter), the mood should go from positive to negative, or negative to positive. Essentially, every chapter should move the plot forward. With this spreadshe…
