{"id":4661,"date":"2022-02-20T23:18:24","date_gmt":"2022-02-20T23:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marieclaudearnott.com\/?p=4661"},"modified":"2023-01-15T17:24:45","modified_gmt":"2023-01-15T17:24:45","slug":"when-plotting-goes-micro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marieclaudearnott.com\/?p=4661","title":{"rendered":"When Plotting Goes Micro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every book has a macro-plot (the overarching story) and a micro-plot (the small scenes that weave the main story and its characters).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a Zoom session hosted by Authors Publish<\/a>, on January 12th<\/sup>, 2022, featured guest and children\u2019s book author John Claude Bemis addressed micro-plotting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am fond of many children’s books, from reading to my grandchildren, but I don\u2019t write stories for children. They might be short, but writing them is harder than it appears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, I wondered why an author of (mostly) children\u2019s books would emphasize micro-plotting. It seemed like a matter of unnecessary complications. Still, I was curious about “how to keep a reader glued to a page.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an adult reader, I have often persisted through lengthy descriptions. Children, however, will not tolerate a narrative that takes their minds away from the character and will deliberately push the book aside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s when micro-plotting comes into play. And whether it’s writing a children’s book, a novel, or a memoir<\/a>, micro-plotting is what makes a page-turner that readers cannot put down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bemis explains that anticipation is the key. Each part should be like a mini-story when it\u2019s done well. This is what J.K. Rowling mastered in Harry Potter. Even the smallest scene generates anticipation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each scene should do two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n