Writer's "Cheat Sheets"

Plotting || Conflict || Sensuality/Sexuality || Editing

PLOTTING

Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations

1. Supplication: Persecutor, Suppliant, Authority Figure
2. Deliverance: Unfortunate, Threatener, Rescuer
3. Crime Pursued by Vengeance: Criminal, Avenger
4. Vengeance taken for Kindred upon Kindred: Avenger, Guilty Remembrance, a Relative of Both
5. Pursuit: Punishment and Fugitive
6. Disaster: Vanquished Power, Victorious Enemy, Messenger.
7. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune: Unfortunate, Master
8. Revolt: Tyrant, Conspirator
9. Daring Enterprise: Bold Leader, Object, Adversary
10. Abduction: Abductor, the Abducted, Guardian
11. Enigma: Interrogator, Seeker, Problem
12. Obtaining: Solicitor, Adversary or Arbitrator& Opposing
13. Enmity of Kinsmen: Malevolent Kinsmen, Reciprocally Hated Kin
14. Rivalry of Kinsmen: Preferred Kinsman, Rejected Kin, Object
15. Murderous Adultery: Two Adulterers, Murdered Spouse
16. Madness: Madman, Victim
17. Fatal Imprudence: Imprudent, Victim, Object Lost
18. Involuntary Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, Revealer
19. Slaying of Kinsman Unrecognized: Slayer, Unrecognized Victim
20. Self-sacrificing for an Ideal: Hero, Ideal, Creditor, Sacrifice
21. Self-sacrificing for Kindred: Hero, Kinsman, Creditor, Sacrifice
22. All Sacrificed for Passion: Lover, Object of Passion, Sacrifice
23. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones: Hero, Beloved, Necessity
24. Rivalry of Superior & Inferior: Superior, Inferior, Object
25. Adultery: Two Adulterers, Betrayed Spouse
26. Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, Social Norm
27. Discovery of Dishonor of Beloved: Discovered, Guilty
28. Obstacles to Love: Two Lovers, Obstacles
29. An Enemy Loved: Beloved Enemy, Lover, Hater
30. Ambition: Ambitious Person, Thing Coveted, Adversary
31. Conflict with (a) God: A Mortal, an Immortal or Holy Principle
32. Mistaken Jealousy: Jealous, Object, Accomplice, Perpetrator
33. Erroneous Judgment: Mistaken One, Victim, Cause, Guilty
34. Remorse: Culprit, Victim or Sin, Interrogator
35. Recovery of Lost One: Seeker, One Found
36. Murder of Loved One: Slain Kinsman, Spectator, Executioner.

Ronald Tobais' 20 Master Plots

Quest
Adventure
Pursuit
RescueJune 6, 2006
The Riddle
Rivalry
Underdog
Temptation
Metamorphosis
Transformation
Maturation
Love
Forbidden Love
Sacrifice
Discovery
Wretched Existence
Ascension
Descension

CONFLICT

Five Basic Conflicts (from Polti's 36)

1. Man against Nature
2. Man against Man
3. Man against Society
4. Man against Himself
5. Main against Fate

Essence of Conflict

Protagonist+Goal+Opposition(Antagonist)=Drama

Devices that heighten suspense

(adapted from David Freeman workshop):

An obstacle or enemy interferes with a hard goal
A enemy or obstacle interferes with a soft goal
Hero forced to face his emotional fear, limitation, block, or wound
Unclear motives
Question of whether a character can pull off a bluff
The uneasy mix, or "odd couple" situation
The fish out of water situation
Presence of ambivalence
A character forced to make a difficult moral choice
Mystery or a puzzle to solve
A reminder of the stakes or increase stakes
Increase stakes of the character so that this is the only way they can succeed
Situation is out of control
A surprise or unexpected disaster
Foreshadowing (many ways to do this)
Any scene in which a danger is present
Any scene that has conflict in it
Any scene where a seduction occurs, or might occur
Technique of cutting back and forth between a dangerous scene and one that isn't dangerous
Draw out a tense moment, i.e., "waiting for the other shoe to drop"
Resolution of a tense moment

SENSUALITY/SEXUALITY

Desmond Morris' 12 Steps to Intimacy

1. Eye to body
2. Eye to eye
3. Voice to voice
4. Hand to hand
5. Arm to shoulder
6. Arm to waist
7. Mouth to mouth
8. Hand to head
9. Hand to body
10. Mouth to breast
11. Hand to genitals
12. Genitals to genitals

EDITING

Editing and writing are two very different activities. We strongly encourage you to avoid editing until you've completed your creative writing. Then go back and edit for content.

After the final draft, edit using the "find" function for the words on the following list. Next, read the sentence containing the offender, and either correct it or leave it be, depending. They are all valid words, if used in moderation, but are prone to misuse, overuse and abuse.

"Fine Tooth Comb and Red Flags and Snags"

got - get	quite
would - should - could	few
only	rather
just	thing
very	stuff
nearly - almost	anyway
really	because
seem - appear	"ly" adverbs
felt - feel	so
begin - began	then
	even
and - but (can indicate run-on sentences)
that (unnecessary in most sentences)
that (when you mean "who")
down - up (as in sit down, stand up - can be redundant)

Avoid Passive Use

it is	have
am	been
are	to be
was	there is
were	there are
has	there was
had	there were

(My thanks to Lynda Hales for compiling this list and graciously allowing me to share it!)

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NOTE: Permission is granted to reprint this list, providing the author credit is included. Michele Albert writes as Michelle Jerott for Avon. Her first book, Absolute Trouble, was out in September 1998. It was followed by All Night Long in October 1999 and A Great Catch in September, 2000.