Story Bones - How to X-Ray Any Novel for Plot, Conflict, and Character

165 Pages·2004·1.28 MB·English

by  Mary Lynn Mercer

Contents
Title
Copyright
About the Author
Other Books By Mary L. Mercer
Praise for STORY BONES
Dedication
Introduction
Three-Act Structure
The Protagonist
Antagonists and Villains
Throughlines
Events and Sequences
The Story Skeleton
The Leg Bone Connected to The...
Premise and Archetypes
Character Growth
Reader Empathy and Identification
Necessary Equipment
Quick Five-Point Story X-Ray
Five-Point Example: The Hobbit
In-Depth Story X-Ray
X-Raying a Novel
In-Depth Example: The Hobbit
Trilogies and Series
X-Raying Movies and TV
In-Depth Example: While You Were Sleeping
Summary
Recommended Resources
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Links for Free Bonus Material
THE MIDPOINT

Story Bones: How to X-Ray Any Novel for Plot, Conflict, and Character Copyright © 2013 by Mary L.
Mercer All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in print, electronic,
or any means now known or hereafter invented, including information storage and retrieval systems,
without prior written permission of the author. [email protected]. MaryMercer.weebly.com
First ebook edition, December 2013
First print edition, February 2014
ISBN: 0-615-94367-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-615-94367-1
Cover image of skeleton against black background: Sebastian Kaulitzki Shutterstock. Cover image of old
book: Zaretska Olga Shutterstock. Image of skeleton against white background: Sebastian Kaulitzki /
Shutterstock. All images used under license.
“Antonio” font by Vernon Adams. “Avenir Next Condensed” fonts by Adrian Frutiger. “Gentium Book
Basic” by Victor Gaultney. “League Gothic” font by Caroline Hadilaksono & Micah Rich. “Lobster” font
by Pablo Impallari. “Simonetta” font by Brownfox. All fonts used under license.
Cover design by: Mary L. Mercer 2013
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Lynn Mercer’s first nonfiction book, Story Bones: How to X-Ray Any
Novel for Plot, Conflict, and Character, hit #1 on Amazon’s Kindle
Screenwriting bestsellers list the first week of release. An experienced national
contest judge, avid reader, and movie buff, she enjoys applying creative tools
gleaned from years of study and pleasure reading to her own writing. For
information on other and future releases, please visit her website at
MaryMercer.weebly.com.
OTHER BOOKS BY MARY L. MERCER
The Midpoint: How to Write the Central Turning Point with Emotion, Tension,
& Depth
PRAISE FOR STORY BONES
“One of the best crafting books I’ve ever read. What a fantastic book! I love it!
Everybody needs to check out Mary’s book ASAP.”
— Carol A. Hughes, writer/director/producer, creator of the Deep Story writing
method
For Mom
Have you ever run up against a story problem that made you want to beat your
head against a wall, wishing for a way to correctly diagnose and treat it? Is a
manuscript lying paralyzed in a desk drawer somewhere, waiting for a broken
conflict to be mended? Do you long to line your characters up in front of an X-
ray machine so you can peer inside them?
Maybe it’s time to call in a consulting team of “specialists,” experts in their field
who’ve been there, done that, and have the published novels (and reader fan
base) to prove it. Consider your favorite authors as doctors who, for the price of
their novels, can be called at any time to provide insights into a difficult case.
Solomon once said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” Whether you believe
there are seven beats, thirteen motivators, or thirty-six dramatic situations, it’s all
been done before. And that’s very good news. Because it means we can learn
what other writers did right, what they might have done better, and how to make
our stories uniquely our own. All while satisfying the reader.
Ernest Hemingway is gone, but his Pulitzer prize-winning depiction of The Old
Man and the Sea is available to anyone yearning for a clue about how to handle
a solitary character in a cramped, isolated setting. Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me is a
good bet for anyone writing realistic plus-size romantic heroines. And Tolkien’s
take on mastering an ensemble cast lives on as immortal inspiration in The Lord
of the Rings trilogy.
Staying up with the latest trends in the market is important and styles change,
but creatively speaking, learning has no expiration date. A bestselling novelist
from the 1920s worked the same magic with his readers as any bestselling
novelist on a grocery store bookrack today. Because writers of all eras and
genres have the same bones, flesh, and blood to work with: plot, conflict, and
character. From these the best writers succeed in fashioning stories that touch
thousands, sometimes even millions, of people for generations.