Plot Help for
Screenwriters

Learn to deepen:

The Character Emotional Development Plot line
The Dramatic Action Plot Line
The Thematic Significance Plot Line

for screenwriters.

Writing plot is the single-most challenging aspect of writing a writer faces. As the author of BLOCKBUSTER PLOTS Pure & Simple, an award-winning writer of historical fiction, and a plot consultant, I have developed a three-part method that has transformed the lives of hundreds of published and aspiring writers. My clients include best-selling authors of adult, children's, and young adult fiction, screenplays, and memoirs, writing teachers, and fiction editors.

Screenwriting could be called scene writing. Understanding the difference between how to write scene versus summary becomes paramount. Understanding the tricks of writing greaw versus simply good scenes also becomes paramount.

Testimonial I just wanted to thank you for insight into plots. I'm a screenwriter who before I ran across your material was pretty good with characters and dialogue but couldn't plot a story or do an outline to save my soul. I still need a lot of work with story and outlines but you made the terms "advancing the story forward" and "raising the stakes" a lot less ambiguous and easier to understand.
R. Todd, screenwriter Los Angeles


Plot is a series of SCENES deliberately arranged by CAUSE AND EFFECT to create DRAMATIC ACTION filled with CONFLICT to further the CHARACTER EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT and provide THEMATIC SIGNIFICANCE.


WHERE TO GO FOR MORE PLOT HELP?

For PLOT TIPS, go to PLOT TIPS.

For PLOT TOOLS to help deepen your plot on the overall story level and at the scene level both, go to PLOT TOOLS.

For a PRIVATE PLOT CONSULTATION focusing on your story's plot line, go to PLOT CONSULTATION.

For PLOT WORKSHOPS that focus on plot development, to EVENTS AND RESOURCES.


Take the Test
To determine whether you are primarily a character-driven writer versus a dramatic action-driven writer, take THE TEST.

Unable to attend a live workshop?

With an emphasis on Thematic Significance, this plot DVD shows writers how to produce superior plots, using scenes from John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath.

This interactive DVD demonstrates both the Scene Tracker and the Plot Planner tools for writers. Plus, the DVD is formatted like a book so you can either watch "play the movie" in its entirety or, for help in a specific area, click on the "lesson selection" chapters.

The chapters are as follows:

1) Introduction
2) Plot Definition
3) Thematic Significance
4) Scene vs Summary
5) Character Profile
6) Scene Tracker

If you learn best by "seeing" the information rather than reading about it, this is the Plot Tool for you.

"Guaranteed stronger scenes, more agile story movement, more engaged readers and more gratifying writing." Ken Jones President of CWC Central Coast Writers


To deepen your understanding of plot, you may also wish to purchase as reference material:
BLOCKBUSTER PLOTS Pure & Simple

To deepen your interactive participation, you may also wish to purchase the reference material:
SCENE TRACKER Template CD


You are welcome to attend any of the plot workshops and use as reference materials the plot book, DVDs, CD, and Kit available for your writing and plotting success.
©2008 Martha Alderson. All Rights Reserved.
This document and all documents on this website are copyrighted material. Any use of content requires prior written permission.