Character-driven plots & what never to include in a query

What a summer it’s been for writing conferences! (And yes, with temperatures still in the 90’s here in North Texas, I’m counting September as summer.) I’ll start with the most recent conference, last weekend’s writing workshop of the Dallas-area science fiction/fantasy conference, Fencon. This year’s workshop leader was Angie Hodapp, director of editorial and literary content for clients of the Nelson Literary Agency. In that capacity, she's read incredible numbers of manuscripts as well as helped would-be authors whip their writing into shape. Since she's also an author (including Do You Need a Literary Agent) and married to an author, she knows both sides of the agenting process.

Angie Hodapp

I can’t divulge all her secrets – for that, you’ll have to attend one of the many workshops she gives – but here’s a sampling.

The answer to the writer’s equivalent of “which came first, the chicken or the egg” – “character or plots” is, both. And since we can’t have a plot without characters, here, especially for those gearing up for the upcoming NaNoWriMo, is Hodapp’s fill-in-the-blank, plot-generating engine:

Heroes, Henchmen, and Sidekicks: The Characters-First Approach to Plot

#1. Statement of genre and setting

This ___ [genre] story will take place ___ [time] and ___ [location].

#2. Hero statement

My hero, ___ [name], is a ___ [role*] who is also a ___ [role].

#3. Sidekick statement

My hero’s sidekick or best friend, ___ [name], is a ___ [role].

#4. Love interest statement 

My hero is drawn to ___ [name], who is a ___ [role].

(Note: love interests aren’t just for romance, but not all non-romance stories need a love interest. However, adding one to the mix upfront generates even more possibilities for story conflict, so play along.)

#5. Antagonist statement 

My antagonist ___ [name], is a ___ [role] who is also a ___ [role] and who wants ___.

After writing #1 - #5 as a single paragraph, brainstorm ideas or questions about each item you underlined. You'll probably realize you need more characters, and plot ideas will begin to percolate. Begin to think in scenes and arrange as required!

*About those roles:

Here’s a sampling of Hodapp’s list of occupational roles: accountant, assassin, cult leader, kidnapper, mercenary, mob boss, nun, sheriff, tarot reader, or veterinarian. (I’ve included occupations from her antiheroes and villains lists, because, hey, a job’s a job!)

And for nonoccupational roles, here are more samples to inspire: amateur, cross-dresser, husband, hypochondriac, recluse, or transgender. Don’t forget your character’s gender (including trans, non-binary, etc.), age, history, or health status.

***

And a sampling from Hodapp’s question and answer sessions: 

Q. What are your thoughts on writers who follow both traditional and indie (self-publishing) routes?

A. “Hybrid publishing (a mix of traditional and indie publishing) looks bright and will probably become the norm. Those who do well (as indies) also brought readership from their traditional publishing.” (Hint: be sure any contracts with traditional publishers don’t exclude the ability to self-publish.)

Q. Why can’t more writers get literary agents? Does failure to get representation mean we’re bad writers?

A. “It’s not because the talent pool isn’t there, or that the writing isn’t fantastic. It’s just that taking on clients is a lot of work. That limited number of seats on the bus kind of thing.” Besides, she added, “No agent is better than a bad agent.”

Q. What can indie writers do to make themselves more marketable?

A. If you want to know how to market and brand yourself in any genre, get with RWA (Romance Writers of America). Romance writers do a great job of marketing (and) they move faster than traditional publishers can.” Whether traditionally published or indie-published, though, “authors must participate (by) coming out to conferences and actually meeting people. There’s not a lot that can beat that connection.”

And a final Q&A, for laughs – I hope!

Q. What’s the most awful query letter you’ve ever seen?

A. The most-awful variety is so frequent, Hodapp said, that her agency keeps a file – the “penis file. There are writers out there who admire their penises and think other people would too, including the 10-foot penis, the detachable penis” (don’t ask!) and more!