Date:         Fri, 1 Mar 1996 11:31:08 EST
From: Plots of Gold <mbarker@MIT.EDU>
Subject:      EXERCISE: Getting To A Climax
Comments: To: the Crocks Of Platinum and Pewter <writers@mitvma.mit.edu>

[blank it out early and then get down to some serious lack of
characterization...it's FIEDAY AGAIN, PHOLKS! :-]

1.  Start with someone (a character!) trying to do something (a
goal!).  If you like, pick a number (between one and six--a single die
will do you).

    1.  go on vacation
    2.  go to a movie
    3.  go shopping
    4.  get to work
    5.  go home
    6.  have a party

2.  Stop and think.  Make a list of problems that might arise.
Natural disasters, governmental intervention (love your local cop,
fireperson, or other crisis stirrer), mechanical failures, power
outages, neighbors who don't understand (being arrested for breaking
into your own house is embarrassing!), family that seems bent on
revenge--or at least on achieving their own goals, coworkers, the list
goes on and on...

Make your list of at least five and preferably ten items that could
get in the way.  Pick some fun ones (my father-in-law used to tell the
story of going to the movies the day of the Great Tokyo Earthquake...)

3.  Now ponder how your character might overcome those petty
roadblocks--and why!  When the trashmaster gleefully eats the cake
that has just taken four hours to bake and frost--does your character
sink into a jellymold and quiver or decide to take out the kids'
piggybanks and buy a leftover funeral cake?  What's so important to
your character about this silly job, anyway?

4.  Rearrange the blocks and reactions.  Start with some easy ones,
then up the ante.  Drop world war three interfering with the party
(although several authors have used that...) and make the progression
from an everyday event to serious life commitment a natural one.

5.  Write it up!  You can either start with "I was on my way to..."
and slowly build to the fight of your life, complete with torn
clothing and tight hard smiles of gritted teeth--or start with the
torn clothing, then flashback to how simply and easily normal life
turned into a nightmare on thursday the twelfth...right here on main
street USA...in anyone's backyard...

Grow for it!  A podperson in the garage?  oh, my.  Or just the
ordinary annoyances of everyday life--a flat tire, the ATM decided to
eat the bank card, the voicemail system seems to have the hiccups, and
my boss--my boss has just decided to go wrestle wild bears in Canada?
What else can go wrong, just trying to get through the day--or across
the road?

[Oh, yes.  The starter sentence crowd is muttering...how about this one?

    "How could she..." he muttered, and washed his hands.

let the tension build, slowly, slowly...and WRITE!]

tink