Plot Problems? Please. Let's #GetWriteOnIn to a Fix With This #WritingPrompt

Whether you are kicking off National Novel Writing Month 2020 week two or just somewhere on your writing path and struggling to connect with your plot, I’ve got the prompt for you today.

Today’s plot prompt is so simple it’s almost stupid:

Describe your favorite plot arc.

Here’s the thing: 

Characters have main stories, side stories, secret stories, and everything else in between.

There’s only so much focus you can spend on the plot in a scene-by-scene basis.

So take this opportunity to pick your favorite arc in the story.

It doesn’t have to be the main one, and it might be a little easier if it wasn’t.

What makes it your favorite?

Is it an arc you chose on your own, or one you feel chose you?

Is it a side arc that, after some exploration, may need more attention?

If it is your main plot arc, what about it intrigues you?

What about this story keeps you up at night or waking early to write it out?

So take this time to reconnect with your plot, then get write on in to your daily writing session.

See you tomorrow!

My Response:

My favorite plot arc is the one that focuses on the friendship between Vaeda and Go’Ranashu. Everything in this book has dark under themes and discussion of an inability to trust the people around them. With Go’Ranashu in particular, I’m always trying to make him as approachable and trustworthy as possible. I feel like Vaeda needs someone to be there for him through thick and thin and come to his defense anytime he needs it. Go’Ranashu is easily that person, and it’s also very easy to make it work.

Part of what I like about this particular arc, even though I suppose it’s more of a character arc in between Vaeda and Go’Ranashu, is the examination of different ethnicities through it. There’s some things I guess I’m trying to be careful about as far as my handling of sensitive topics. Obviously, with Go’Ranashu being an actual beastly creature, I’m not trying to be insensitive toward topics like race. My intent with him in particular is to showcase racial injustice through the judgment people place upon him simply for the fact he looks different and looks like he “could” be mean. I’m hopeful that’s coming across in what I’m trying to produce.

But all of it comes down to the whole idea of who is “good,” who is “evil,” and what the difference is between those two terms. Good and evil is as subjective as creative works, in my opinion. They don’t go as hand-in-hand, and that’s going to be one of the main plot arcs examined throughout this book as a whole. How much deeper can we go past the surface? Can we bring forth a unity by simply recognizing our differences with respect? These are questions that this particular relationship is going to help explore throughout the text.