Six Core Competences as a Writer

Lecture Notes: Larry Brooks – The Six Core Competencies of Successful Writing
(Website: www.storyfiction.com)


Willamette Writers – Saturday January 2nd, 2010:


Six Core Competencies: - All have to be present and all have to be strong (mastered)
In addition one or two have to be great (One should be concept or theme)
Novel has to have something extraordinary for agent to choose from the hundreds of
books that end up on his desk
No more and no Less – all there is

1st Subset: Elements of Fiction: (in no order)

Characterization
Concept
Theme – don’t overlook – critical part of story
Story Structure

2nd Subset: Two Execution Competencies

Scene Execution
Writing Voice

Engineering Terms: Buckets of Information
Needs checklist; criteria model

Story Architecture – (not about words – about scene construction)
1) Story Structure a Subset Of
a. Reader wants to know summit as fast as author can make it
i. The longer novel is the faster it must go
b. Setting a subset of story structure – overrated
c. Subsets of structure are:
i. Pace
ii. Conflict
iii. Tension
iv. Subtext
v. context
2) Writing Voice and Scene Execution -> Nail four elements into architecture




Goal: To Develop a Tool Chest from these Six Core Competencies
Every novel (and movie) must have 3 Plot Points Only
1) Best places to observe this:
a. Movies
b. Unpublished and Beginning Novels
i. Says Published Novels Won’t Help with This
ii. They don’t make those mistakes

(Recommend Book (believes a lot about structure can be learned from movies and Screenplays):
“Screenplay” by Syd Fields – Says it’s a masterpiece)


Have to follow formulas to get Published – Principles Not Rules
Different rules for published writers and first-time writers

Criteria for Breakout Novel – has to be something amazingly good – The only thing we have control over is what ends up on page
Fickleness of market -> what succeeds – out of author’s control
(Based on sales too)

Most likely will have to do own Promotion – New York not doing much of it now
 At least for first time authors





Odds of Getting Published: Similar to odds of making the PGA tour:
1) Getting PGA tour Card
a. First have to do good enough to make qualifying tournament
i. With 6 competencies just good all we get is into qualifying tournament
b. Have to come in within top three of an amateur tournament to just make the tour
c. Difference – Golfers recognize and understand how hard it is to make the tournament and aren’t willing to do what is needed to make the tour
i. Instead they play for enjoyment




Three types of Writers: (Not a case of right or wrong – instead a case of effective or not)
1) Planners – all set up ahead of time
a. At end of continuum – completely inflexible – author goes exactly by outline without any changes
2) Organic Writer (Pantser – one who writes by the seat of their pants – like Stephen King):
3) Hybrid


Planner versus Organic Writer (Pantser – one who writes by the seat of their pants – No tool chest):
1) There are rules that can’t be broken – especially for first-time novelists – (story structure)
a. 3 plot points
b. Inciting Incident
i. Has to be 25% of way through Novel
1. Not optional – required
*) Gives time to develop characterization first
c. Why Authors Abandon Novels: They fall out of Love with Their Novels
(Novel Doesn’t Work)

With Pantsers and Planners: Both have same end:
To discover what story is about – where it needs to go
Every draft a new story plan
Story Planning – falls on a continuum to degree

For Pantser to succeed – Must be able to recognize mistake, start over and revise

Planner: (It’s actually possible to publish first draft)


Planners know ahead of time:

Hybrid: Middle Ground:
6 to 8 scenes (plot points)






Inciting Incident: Everything before and afterwards should be in context of inciting incident
Setting first -> Consequences Afterward
1st Place where story gets meaning
1st Plot Point (25% of way through novel)
Where stakes are laid down
(Too early – haven’t set up character development well enough)

Some of his most important things:
1) Everything has to be in context with following two
a. Have to know how novel ends before starting to write it
b. Have to know How story begins
2) Most important moment
a. Inciting Incident
3) Conflict – have to have it
a. Without it it’s not a story
b. Stakes
i. What’s at stake
1. Most at stake
c. Example – Movie Titanic
i. Will people live or drown?
1. Conflict: Not everyone believes ship is going down – class struggle over who gets lifeboat
4) Scene Execution
a. Mission driven scenes (Mission Driven Fiction)
i. Every scene has a point
1. Planners know missions ahead of time
b. Sequence
5) Theme – essential to story
6) Writing Voice – One of most important


Story Structure:
1st Plot Point
25% through Novel (not optional)
Heroes Journey
Where new information gives life to hero
Gives them a quest

Story Planner ( Scene Execution – one of two execution competencies)
Must Identify Every Scene
All Scenes Must have a Mission (mission driven) – P lanners decide ahead of time




Concept – First of Six Core Competencies: (Target and Path to Target) -- Concept
Question: Why would publisher want to publish your book?
What’s so different about it? Unique? What will make it stand out from billions of books the publisher has to choose from?


Lot of authors confuse Concept with Theme

Tool to Nail Concept: (Bring Compelling Essence to Story –
Essence-> Conflict plus Stakes):
1) Ask a “what if question”?
a. Answer is story
b. 1st plot point should be from “what if” question.
2) Can and should do for every smaller part of story too


Theme: What your Book is About: (Character “What If”)
What Story is about in terms of Real Life
a. What you sell; what you get people to believe (propaganda)


Back to 4 elements: Like corners of a building – Need all 4 solid before starting to write

Story comes from one of these
Allow power of ideas that grab you
Come up with one out of nowhere and then conjure up the others



Aside: Short Story Structure: Can be flexible


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