I confess, I honestly thought "break into two" and "break into three" meant "a bad thing happens to the characters" and "a really bad thing happens to the characters"
I was thinking of writing my next middle grade novel using the heroes journey but after what you said, I will probably use save the cat, because I have not previously plotted. I have been thinking of buying "Save the cat writes a novel" but not ever committed to buying it but now I will.
There has to be a distinction between looking for shortcuts and educating ourselves. The way you said it sounds like you’re shaming us trying to educate ourselves.
I agree. It sounds very much like trying to shame us for learning structures and frameworks. Writing is a craft. Plot frameworks are tools, and one needs to learn the tools if one wants to master the craft; one needs to learn how to use them correctly and with ease. For somebody just starting out, sticking slavishly to a plot structure is the right move. Once you understand one structure sufficiently, move to the next structure template; then the next; then the next. Once you mastered several structures, create your own. I however would start with Hero's Journey, not Safe the Cat. Hero's Journey does more handholding, which complete novices need. Once you can work with Hero's Journey, you can give yourself more freedom with the more abstract sctructures. Going for the more abstract templates first is treating Writing as some esoteric "Art" that you need an inbornn talent for.
It definitely wasn't our intent to shame anyone and I'm sorry for creating that impression. I'm all for using the tools to learn what you can from the various plot structures and if I didn't say that clearly enough, I can only repeat it here. Learn all the structures, they will help you. Stick to them at the start, it will definitely help you. That's how you learn. Later, when you feel confident, mix and match them and work out a style that works for you.
I confess, I honestly thought "break into two" and "break into three" meant "a bad thing happens to the characters" and "a really bad thing happens to the characters"
Easy mistake to make 🙂
I was thinking of writing my next middle grade novel using the heroes journey but after what you said, I will probably use save the cat, because I have not previously plotted. I have been thinking of buying "Save the cat writes a novel" but not ever committed to buying it but now I will.
It’s a very solid structure and much easier to wrap your head around.
It's when I hit about 15,000 words and I'm on chapter 2 when I realized okay maybe I need to dial it back.
..... Yeah, that might be a little overkill :)
There has to be a distinction between looking for shortcuts and educating ourselves. The way you said it sounds like you’re shaming us trying to educate ourselves.
I agree. It sounds very much like trying to shame us for learning structures and frameworks.
Writing is a craft. Plot frameworks are tools, and one needs to learn the tools if one wants to master the craft; one needs to learn how to use them correctly and with ease.
For somebody just starting out, sticking slavishly to a plot structure is the right move. Once you understand one structure sufficiently, move to the next structure template; then the next; then the next.
Once you mastered several structures, create your own.
I however would start with Hero's Journey, not Safe the Cat. Hero's Journey does more handholding, which complete novices need. Once you can work with Hero's Journey, you can give yourself more freedom with the more abstract sctructures. Going for the more abstract templates first is treating Writing as some esoteric "Art" that you need an inbornn talent for.
It definitely wasn't our intent to shame anyone and I'm sorry for creating that impression. I'm all for using the tools to learn what you can from the various plot structures and if I didn't say that clearly enough, I can only repeat it here. Learn all the structures, they will help you. Stick to them at the start, it will definitely help you. That's how you learn.
Later, when you feel confident, mix and match them and work out a style that works for you.