Martha Alderson Plots to Help Us All

    Martha Alderson says, “Plot is more than just ‘what happens, what happens’ – it’s the characters’ reaction to the events, how they’re transformed by those events and, in the end, how it all connects thematically.”

    It’s so true that it sounds simple – until you try to do it.  Then it might seem overwhelming.  Martha has gained an international reputation for making it simple again.  She does it not by reading your work but instead by studying your list of scenes along with your interpretation of the message you want to convey.  So if you were hoping to distract her or any other reader with your soaring metaphors or searing insights into the human condition – nuh uh.

    I have found that plot is the single most common element with which writers struggle.  It is for me.  There, I’m out.  At the same time, with each book I read, published or pre-published, I become more convinced of its importance, yes, from a commercial standpoint, but "commercial" is just another way of saying, "what readers want to read."

    So perhaps it isn’t surprising that Martha counts among her clients established novelists who brought strong plots to their early books, but now fear they are losing the edge and/or their audience as they add to their oeuvre. 

    And how did Martha become “The Plot Whisperer”?  She says that plotting was as difficult for her as for anyone.  She had to learn it, and by learning it she learned how to explain it to others.

    “I have a background in special education,” she adds.  “I learned how to break concepts down into smaller, concrete steps.  I use the same technique to work with writers.”

    As an alternative or supplement to consulting with Alderson via phone (or Skype) she has available a number of amazingly affordable books and DVDs available.  Too many to list, so I’ll send you to Amazon for some, and to her website for even more at BlockbusterPlots.com.  There you can also find her author interviews, related resources, and sign up for Martha’s free e-zine.  Her blog, on a separate site, has been chosen by Writer's Digest two years running as one of the Best Websites for Writers, and for even more and frequently-updated plot tips and you can follow her on Twitter, @plotwhisperer.