Three of the four stories we read this week shared plot elements with each other, so I thought I’d analyze them in terms of decisions authors make in storytelling.
When writing a novel, sometimes you have a clear direction where the plot is going. You’ve either visualized it, or even gone so far as writing down an outline.
But sometimes as you write, you keep coming to a fork in the road and have to make a decision. Send the characters up near the dragon in the mountains or have them hike past the sea monster near the lake. You might write the mountain scene and then change your mind and send the characters down to the lake.
Each decision affects the trajectory of the story in some way.
The first two stories this week feel like they were early efforts that could have morphed into the final story. (Or even a class writing assignment based off of a common prompt!)
Reverse the order and read Mother Trude first, (as it is the least like the other two.)
Summary of Mother Trude = A little girl is curious about Mother Trude so despite her mother’s warnings, goes to see the woman. She climbs stairs which have a variety of gruesome objects leading to Mother Trude, who is revealed to be a witch. The girl is turned into a block of wood and burned.
A writer might brainstorm revisions like this:
- The beginning of Mother Trude seems cliche with parents warning the child, so try new opening, closer to the action
- What if I swap the little girl for her father for the main role?
- I like the creepy stairs; not sure about the specific objects; try new ones
- Instead of a witch, how about the actual devil?
- and add some royalty in there; lots of royalty in fairy tales
- Didn’t like ending in death; something more hopeful?
*Rewrites the story into The Godfather*
The Godfather = A poor man with lots of children runs out of men to ask to be godfather, so asks the first man he sees. The stranger agrees and gives the father healing water and teaches him how to use it. If Death stands at the head of the sick person, use the water to save them. At the feet, nothing can be done. After saving a child of the king twice, but in the end losing the child, the father goes upstairs into the godfather’s house, past a variety of odd and gruesome objects which lead to the discovery that the godfather is the devil. The father runs away in fright.
Keeping some elements; changing others, and the author now as something closer to the final story. The author brainstorms some more:
- That was better. I like the role of godfather, I’ll stretch that out a bit.
- Healing water was okay; try herbs instead and make the godson grow up to be a doctor so he and Death have time to develop a relationship that can be tested.
- And you know what? My beta readers didn’t understand what I was doing with the stuff on the stairs. I thought it was cool, but whatever. I’ll delete that and save it for another story.
- Be more specific: make the child of a king into a princess
- I’m missing a twist. Readers like a twist.
- The death ending was better; carried more of a punch and especially now since Death is the godfather it would be quite satisfying. No one can cheat death.
*Rewrites the story into Godfather Death*
Godfather Death = A poor man with twelve children asks the first man he sees to be godfather for the thirteenth child. This person turns out to be God, and the poor man, mad at God for his poverty takes back the offer. The devil then approaches and offers the father great wealth, but he declines. The third potential godfather is Death, and the father thinks he’d be good because he makes all people equal. Years later, Death makes his godson a famous doctor by giving him a healing herb to be used when Death is standing at the head of the sick person. Here is where the story takes a twist.
The godson figures out a way to trick death when the king falls ill. With Death standing at the feet of the king, the godson rotates the king so that death is now at the king’s head and the doctor can give the king the healing herb and save him. Death was irritated, but forgave him this once.
But next, the godson falls in love with a princess who is going to die. He tries the same trick, but the Devil is having none of it. He shows his godson the cave where everyone’s life candles are burning, and the godson’s candle is almost out. In the end, the godson dies.
Summary
Writers are always asking themselves questions and making decisions. They’ve got puzzle pieces that can be shuffled around, and tried here, tried there. Hopefully, at the end, they settle into a satisfying story that readers will love.
