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The Magical Recipe of Story

by Martina Boone

I’m a sucker for anything to do with literary magic, so the title of James Killick’s latest blog post, “Where’s the Magic?” got my finger clicking. And I read the post with increasing awe–especially since I’ve just finished Albert Zuckerman’s Writing the Blockbuster Novel.  According to Killick, with a tip of the hat to BubbleCow (who I LOVE), the recipe to a blockbuster boils down to story, love, and milieu.  Zuckerman’s list is a little different, but not as much as you might think. It includes:

  • High stakes
  • Larger than life characters
  • A high-suspense dramatic question
  • A hot concept
  • Multiple points of view
  • Setting

Killick used literary works to illustrate his point: The Da Vinci Code, Twilight and the Harry Potter series. He is right in pointing out that none of these are exceptionally well-written, but they transport you someplace outside yourself, keep you turning the pages, hold you in a spell so magical that you forget to examine the words you are reading. They draw you into a world that keeps a grip on your heart long after you put the book away and start to feel surprised and, perhaps, even a little embarassed about how much you loved it.

Thinking about Killick’s list as well as Zuckerman’s, I had a revelation about my own recent reading list, which includes: War for the Oaks, Darklight, Heist Society, Fallen, and Shiver. It turns out, I’m a sucker for complicated love, high stakes, and suspenseful story. But what really gets me is the setting. For me, it really is about the magic, whether or not that is truly magical. War for the Oaks, while it certainly has the element of faerie to lift it from out of the ordinary, is magical because of the way Emma Bull uses the music and the urban setting. I am probably the least musical person on the planet, but I felt her riffs and inspiration. In Heist Society, the world of theives and society is so vivid and sophisticated I couldn’t help but be drawn in. Not only did I feel transported as I read, I know I will carry little pieces of those worlds with me like jewels within my heart.

Killick’s post was a great kick to help me put a little extra thought into the setting for my new novel. Turns out, I need that touch of magic.

http://jameskillick.blogspot.com/2010/03/so-wheres-magic.html
http://www.bubblecow.co.uk/2010/03/7-books-every-writer-should-read-and-why/
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Blockbuster-Novel-Albert-Zuckerman/dp/0898795982

Magical writing!

Martina

Martina Boone

Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, starting with COMPULSION from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse and the Celtic Legends Collection of novels set in Scotland, Cornwall, and Ireland beginning with LAKE OF DESTINY. She’s passionate about improving lives through literacy and the love of books, and she runs the Compulsion For Reading program to distribute books to underserved schools and libraries.

She lives with her husband, children, Shetland Sheepdog Phinney, and Zoey the lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction with a hint of magic set in small towns and beautiful places. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Post © Martina Boone and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.
Posted: Apr 5, 2010
Category: Imported from AYAP
Tags: High Concept | Martina Boone | Premise | Setting | Story Structure

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p> <p>Your main character needs to be:<br /> • Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br /> • Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br /> • Active enough to drive the story<br /> • Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p> <p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />
The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p> <p>But your theme needs to be:<br /> • Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br /> • Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br /> • Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br /> • Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p> <p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />
The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p> <p>In general, your plot should:<br /> • Hook readers fast<br /> • Build tension that a child can follow<br /> • Create page turns that feel natural<br /> • Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p> <p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.
The Arms of your story are the side characters.
The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p> <p>Your setting should:<br /> • Make your character's world feel real<br /> • Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br /> • Connect different scenes and moments organically<br /> • Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p> <p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black. 

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