Layer Your Novel: The Innovative Method for Plotting Your Scenes (The Writer's Toolbox Series)

by C. S. Lakin

  Lydia: They’re at school and decide to go to the prom, but make it the most pathetic, ridiculous prom night ever. They dress silly, eat at a cheap diner and order a yucky meal, talk about Travis and how they miss him, and cry.

  Dill: They ride an old bike contraption to the prom, discuss leaving town, college. “We made it,” they realize, but Dill feels guilty about Travis. He hopes he is watching them and is happy for them.

  Lydia: At the prom, kids scowl, but they are Brave and Beyond All This.

  Dill: They bike back to Lydia’s after prom and kiss. They play in the sprinklers and look at the stars, laughing. Dill holds this moment with her in his arms.

  Dill: They sit at Travis’s grave. Lydia is leaving tomorrow. They say good-bye to Travis, then to the Column, “listening to the river wear its way deeper into the Earth, the way people wear grooves into each other’s hearts.”

  Lydia: drives Dill home, they sing songs. She encourages him and tells him he is not his father or grandfather. He does not have their poison. “Their darkness is not your darkness.”

  Lydia: They kiss.

  Dill: tells Lydia: “You saved me.” Lydia says, “You saved yourself.” He gives her his music CD. She drives away after he says, “I love you.”

  Lydia: driving to NY to college. She stops in a shop Dill recommended, feeling bad she didn’t tell Dill she loved him. We see how much she’s changed, and how much Dill has changed her.

  Key Scene #10 – Resolution. Dill: visits Dad in prison. Dad accuses Dill of hateful things, abandoning his mom, being selfish. But as with his mother, the mean words slide off him. He stands up for himself and no longer feels cowed. Instead, he looks upon Dad with pity. When he’s ready to leave for college, his music has really taken off, and a famous performer asks if she can record one of his songs. He tells his mother she was wrong. God did envision a better life for him and sent people to him to give him courage and show him his real choices. He asks if she’s at all proud of him. She answers: “I don’t know.” Then she admits she’s scared of being alone. Her tough shell cracks. Dill tells her he’s scared too. He hugs her and leaves for college, feeling finally free for the first time. The resolution really takes place over many of these last scenes as Dill wraps up his life in Forrestville.

  I hope this foray into the summary of The Serpent King gave you some insights into how a novel with little plot and emphasis on character can still be structured with the first layer of ten key scenes. The author clearly gave Dill a goal at the right spot in the novel, and the MDQ (major dramatic query) is very apparent: Will Dill have the courage to leave his stifling small town and go to college and brave a new world?

  When you formulate your MDQ, it helps you set that visible goal. The MDQ is the “yes or no” question you ask of your protagonist at the start of your novel. This question is answered at the climax of the story. In fact, there are two MDQs, and both are answered at the climax scene. In addition to a visible goal, there is a spiritual or emotional one. The spiritual MDQ for Dill would be something like this: “Will Dill rise above his family ‘curse’ and believe he really is a valuable, worthy person?” This is, as stated earlier, all about coming into his essence, his true nature, and accepting that true nature with open arms.

  We also saw visible goals for both Lydia and Travis. They too wanted to break from their small town and the emotional binds. Travis had a similar emotional MDQ as Dill: he had to stand up to his domineering father once and for all, and he came into his essence fully before he died. Lydia’s character arc didn’t involve a change in visible goal; she’d planned on college all along. But what changed drastically was her perspective—of herself and those around her. Her change, to me, is the most dramatic.

  So take the time to do this exercise. Break down and summarize a few novels in your genre. Identify those ten key scenes, then scrutinize the other scenes and locate those that might make up the second layer, then the third. Yes, you are working backward because when you work on your novel, you’re starting with nothing. But this deconstructing will instruct you.

  And that leads me to your assignment!

  * * *

  Your assignment: Yep, go through the above scene summary outline and figure out the next layer. Since the romance and subplot methods don’t apply here, use the action-reaction method. Identify the next most important ten scenes—the ones that are transitional. These might be the reaction/processing of a key event or the decision to act (new direction).

  Once you do that, think about the next layer and how those (perhaps) smaller scenes help bind the story together and facilitate the smooth flow of the plot’s unfolding. These smaller scenes are the glue (the sand) that fills in those spaces between major scenes.

  Extra assignment (and this may help you a lot!): Create a chart of your 20 key scenes, one sentence per scene. Note why you chose these as key scenes. Print it out and use it as reference material. (Why not print out all the charts and keep them in a folder?) Put them in chronological order, but number them according to the layers as shown in previous examples in this book.

  Here’s an example:

  Scene #1 Setup: Dill. Lydia picks him and Travis up the day before school starts to go clothes shopping.

  Scene #11: Dill visits Dad in prison, where we see how awful he’s treated and blamed. Sets up his relationship with his father and his place in his “world.”

  Scene #2 Inciting Incident: Lydia suggests Dill go to college and get away from Forrestville.

  Scene #12: Dill with Lydia at bookstore: establishes the key backstory of Dill’s father and grandfather, handling snakes, Dill’s “failure” and unworthiness.

  Scene #3 First Pinch Point: Dill mentions college to Mom, who goes ballistic.

  I hope you’re getting the hang of layering!

  Chapter 16: Brilliant Example of a Well-Structured Novel

  Brilliance by Marcus Sakey is the first installment in a sci-fi thriller that serves as a perfect example of a well-structured novel. Sakey lays out his scenes almost to the page in line with the Ten Key Scene Chart. And, as I hope you’ll see as you go through the scene summary, this framework makes for a terrific novel.

  Since 1980, 1 percent of the population of the world has been born with special abilities. Called abnorms, these gifted people now number in the millions, and, as expected, some have used their abilities to wreak havoc on society, crashing the stock markets and committing crimes. Tensions have reached their peak between abnorms and normals, as violence is escalating, much of it fomented by a man called John Smith.

  Sakey starts right in high action in the novel, setting up his protagonist, Nick Cooper, a federal agent, on the run after Alex Vasquez, a coder who the Feds believe work for Smith. A deadly attack is in the works, and Cooper must capture Alex and get her code.

  The kicker for this “stop the terrorist” plot is that Cooper is an abnorm, using his uncanny abilities to “read” people in service of the government—which often involves murder. And when his young daughter, Kate, is clearly showing signs of being a tier-one abnorm herself, the stakes shoot sky high.

  Note that Sakey divides the book into three parts: The Hunter, The Hunted, and The Rogue. These are fairly equal-sized sections, and they succinctly identify Cooper’s character arc. He starts off as the hunter, and we watch him hunt down the enemy. At the (very early) Midpoint, he is now the hunted. And by the end of the book, he’s changed sides fundamentally. Not that he’s become a terrorist but that his essence is with his people, the abnorms, instead of with normal, which prior was his whole world.

  I mentioned at the start of Layer Your Novel that the story you tell may require you to fudge the positioning of the key scenes for best storytelling. You shouldn’t try to fit square pegs into round holes. And this is what Sakey does by having a very clear, definitive Midpoint much earlier than normal. But he didn’t need to spend half the novel getting Cooper to that Midpoint “door of no return.” Once he becomes the hunted, he’s all-in and th
ere’s no turning back, and the unfolding developments getting to the climax and resolution carry the bulk of the scenes, which is perfectly fine.

  So again, don’t get your boxers in a bunch trying to make every scene fit to the exact percentage mark. But be sure those key scenes are in the right place and serving their needed purpose.

  I hope you’ll study this breakdown carefully—because I believe it will teach you much about solid novel structure and why these ten key scenes are essential to great storytelling.

  Brilliance

  By Marcus Sakey

  Key Scene #1 – Setup. Part 1 – The Hunter. Cooper arrives in San Antonio after chasing Alex Vasquez for nine days. He goes into a hotel bar, finds her there, and chats about the recent bombings, about abnorms. She realizes she’s caught. He grills her about the code, tries to get her to turn herself in. She runs, he chases her to the roof. She’s disgusted that he’s an abnorm and hunting his own kind. She agrees there’s a war coming and tells him he has to pick a side. She then dives headfirst off the roof. [Excellent setup of character, his work, his dedication and personality, the stakes, the situation between abnorms and normal.]

  Cooper’s team (He works for DAR—Department of Analysis and Response) takes Alex’s body back to DC. Cooper calls Drew Peters, head of Equitable Services (ES), his superior, to tell them Vasquez is dead. It’s clear Alex had to have a contact—she wouldn’t have been able to execute the code. Cooper visits his ex-wife, Natalie, and his kids—Todd, nine, and Kate, four. She’s worried about Kate, who’s showing signs of being an abnorm. Nick reminds her that kids aren’t tested until eight years of age. If Kate tests positive, she’d be taken from her family and put in an academy. Nick gets a call from Quinn, one of his team members. Alex’s brother, Bryan, a normal, has been brought in for questioning and claims he and Alex were working for John Smith, public enemy #1, who Cooper is after. He says there’s an attack imminent.

  Cooper arrives at DAR headquarters and discusses the details of the case with Peters. We see his rival in the office—Dickinson—who is trying to take over Cooper’s role in this pursuit of John Smith. Dickinson is already interrogating Bryan, but Peters makes clear Cooper’s in charge and he trusts Cooper (establishing their deep close relationship) even though he’s an abnorm.

  Cooper learns from Bryan that he’s to meet with a contact tomorrow to pass on the code to him. Even though Bryan’s a normal, he’s a patriot for the abnorm rebel cause. Letting Bryan believe his sister, Alex, is still alive and will see her if he cooperates, he agrees to being part of a sting to entrap the contact.

  Cooper and Quinn discuss the logistics of setting up the sting. Cooper wants to understand how a terrorist like Smith could happen. While waiting for the team to assemble, he decides to do some research.

  Key Scene #2 - Inciting Incident (10% mark). Cooper visits one of the academies that house the children who are tested as top-tier abnorms. He was born long before the academies were set up. This very important scene shows Cooper alarmed at what is done to these children, who are taken away from their families at age eight and never see them again during their ten-year stay. Since abnorms are considered highly dangerous, they are indoctrinated to distrust one another and bond with their mentor, and they have a chip in them that “bugs” them and records everything they say and do. The environment is the perfect ground for all kinds of psychosis and isolationism as the mentors manipulate these vulnerable children. This shatters Cooper’s previously assumption that the academies were to help the gifted master their abilities for good. [This is clearly the Inciting Incident, as these shocking truths are the impetus for the goal and related decisions Cooper makes for the rest of the book.]

  Cooper and Quinn are at the location of the sting—outdoors. Bryan tells of his desire to help unite normal and abnorms. Cooper feels guilty lying to Bryan about his sister but he is on a righteous mission. He and his team murder to save the innocent. They watch for the contact, a man puts coins into a newspaper dispenser, and Bryan explodes.

  Back at DAR, they review the footage of the explosion, trying to figure out who detonated the bomb in the newspaper box. Cooper realizes the bomb must have been detonated via cell phone, then remembers a beautiful woman talking on a cell phone near the scene. Team starts tracing phone calls made in the area to see if any are connected to Bryan.

  Cooper reviews old tapes showing Smith walking into a restaurant and shooting a senator in the face. Violence erupted, and Smith’s group killed seventy-three people—the beginning of Smith’s reign of terror. While most people want to find a way for abnorms and normal to live together in peace, Smith is determined to start a war of huge proportion. What disturbs Cooper most is understanding how the academies are responsible for creating monsters like Smith. He is determined his daughter will never go to one. As he’s heading out the next morning, his ex calls, sobbing. Something terrible has happened.

  Cooper hurries to see Natalie. She says officials are going to take Kate for testing, even though she is four. She shows uncanny signs of being a tier one. And that means an academy—Cooper and Natalie will never see their daughter again. Now the horror of the situation hits home, and while Cooper believes the work he is doing is essential and right, he knows the way abnorms are being treated is wrong. His fear has now turned to rage.

  Cooper goes to ES and talks to Drew Peters. He tells Peters his daughter is probably tier one and that she’s to be tested. He begs Peters to prevent this. Peters says he can’t. Cooper knows there has to be a way to protect his daughter. That matters to him more than anything. Peters says the best way to help Kate is to do his job. That he’s out there trying to prevent a war.

  25% mark – goal fixed. Cooper knows there must be a way to protect Kate. He knows ES wants Smith more than anything. He figures if he delivers Smith, he’ll be in a position to deal. The team, after reviewing all info, determines the beautiful woman on the cell phone at the scene was the bomber. They follow a lead to a Dusty Evans in NJ. A gunfight ensues. Quinn is shot but okay. Cooper gets two men in custody. In the van, he presses them to talk, tell what they know about the impending attack. They won’t cooperate. Cooper throws one man out of the car, where he’s run over and killed. Cooper then turns to Dusty and tells him to talk or he’s next.

  Key Scene #3 - First Pinch Point (28% mark). Cooper is in Manhattan, where the big attack is to take place. Due to a brilliant named Epstein, the stock market crashed and shut down some years back. Now there’s a new exchange, and the first IPO is being offered today, finally getting the market back on its feet. The city is packed. Dusty revealed five bombs have been planted. Cooper races against the clock to get to the bombs to disarm them, then spots the woman bomber and decides to chase after her, assuming she’s to detonate them. He sees her pull out a phone and attacks her. She pleads for him to let her go, that he doesn’t understand . . . then the explosion occurs. [This huge explosion shows the power and force of the opposition, Cooper’s nemesis—perfect pinch point.]

  Cooper, dazed amid destruction, comes to in an Army triage tent. Well enough to stumble out, he searches for the female bomber. The city is full of bodies, and, in horror, he watches replays of the explosion on the 3D billboards, giving tangible proof of the threat of John Smith and need to stop him at all costs.

  Key Scene #5 – Midpoint [note, this comes at the 35% mark instead of the 50%, with Part 2 a bit longer than part 1]. Cooper stumbles to Peters’s home. Cooper spells it out (his goal): DAR wants Smith, and Cooper will deliver him . . . on one condition. His idea is crazy: he will act the turncoat and claim responsibility for the attack, and will then be DAR’s enemy. Only Peters and Natalie would know. Peters thinks this is a bad idea but Cooper is adamant. The stakes couldn’t be higher. He goes to visit Natalie and tells her what’s about to happen. He will not see her or his children for a long time—maybe never again. She’s horrified, but he tells her: “If I do this, Kate won’t be tested. Ever. That was my price. She won’t be taken from
us. She’ll never see the inside of an academy.”

  Part 2 – The Hunted. It’s six months after the big explosion. Cooper has been undercover, getting into his role, hoping he’s proving he’s on Smith’s side and an enemy of the DAR. And the DAR has been hunting him down. He’s finally met with someone who might get him close to Smith. He brings smuggler Zane some tech, and he makes a deal for Zane to give Cooper a new name, face, and ID.

  Cooper returns to his hotel, where he’s living and known as Mr. Eliot. He reflects on how easy it’s been to be a criminal (processing scene) and how much he’s missed his family. But he’s determined to see this through.

  Key Scene #4 - Twist #1. [Instead of coming before the Midpoint, this comes after.] He’s on the Chicago El Train platform, waiting for Zane. Suddenly, he sees the beautiful female bomber. She has a gift of moving nearly unnoticed, and now she’s ordering him to get up, a pistol aimed at him. She blames him for killing an abnorm she knows. He defends himself, saying Vargas was a murderer. Then the place fills with DAR agents, including Quinn and Dickinson. Zane sold him out. They’re both in trouble and run. He detonates a flash he’d hidden in his shoe to temporarily blind the agents and the two get away by jumping atop a moving train, though the woman is reluctant to go with Cooper. The twist: Cooper, surprised, has found a key ally to Smith and is with her.

  Cooper and the woman get to Nick’s hotel and talk about the conflict and stakes. She’s also in trouble now, having been seen with Cooper, and her side will think she’s compromised (because Cooper isn’t yet trusted by the Smith faction). So they will team up. Epstein, the brilliant who crashed the stock market, took over half of Wyoming and built a compound there, a high-security safe haven for abnorms that the government can’t touch, and that’s where they’ll head. There, Cooper can get safe (his cover story) and he’ll get her there safely, where she can be vetted. But they first need new IDs.