THE ONE-SENTENCE PLOT:
How to Write the Plot of an Entire Novel in One Sentence
by Molly Noble Bull
A one-sentence plot is also called a line plot, and you can’t write one without including a major conflict. What is a major conflict?
Stay tuned.
The first part of a one-sentence plot names the main character. It introduces the opposing character, tells the viewpoint character’s goal, and ends with because. The word because forces the author to develop a major conflict so strong it seems impossible to resolve.
. The Romance Novel:
“Model and movie star, Jane Greer, thinks she’s found a way to escape the glitter of Hollywood when she trades places with her twin sister for six months, meets her sister’s boss, Jake Stillman, and becomes his secretary, but their mutual attraction can never end happily because--”
Parttwobegins after “because” and explains why the main character cannot reach his or her goal. In other words, the major conflict is named after the word because. Below is the last half of my linear plot.
BECAUSE—
“Jane is not the person she pretends to be and must soon return to her old life.”
. The Short Story:
"Hungry and abandoned by their parents in a dark forest, Hansel and Gretel meet a kind old woman who promises them food and shelter, but their dream of a home and safety are soon dashed, because, the old woman is anything but kind and wants to cook them in her oven and eat them for supper."
. The Mainstream Novel:
"When Allison Foster takes a two week vacation to Paris and meets Tyler Barnhart again after many years, she thinks she has found true love at last, but their romance can only be temporary, because, Tyler is now a Catholic priest and has vowed never to marry."
. The Western:
"After making a down payment, Jake Morrison takes out a loan to buy land on a creek in West Texas and asks Mandy Ware to be his wife, but his dream of land and a happy future with Mandy disappears shortly before the wedding, because, banker and neighboring rancher, Roger Stokes, is also in love with Mandy and demands that Jake pay off his bank loan immediately or lose the land and his down payment."
. The Mystery:
“Private investigator, Tom Grant, volunteers to help Marta Mentes discover why her father disappeared, but when Marta vanishes and her uncle turns up dead, Tom wonders if he has been deceived, because, Marta and her father are her uncle’s only heirs to a secret Swiss bank account.”
Not only will writing the plot in one sentence attract the attention of an editor, it will also help keep the story focused and moving forward. Remember, a linear plot is the backbone of your story, and a plot isn’t a plot without a major conflict. ~BE
___
Leave Molly a comment.
CBA author Molly Noble Bull has sold short stories as well as novels via
Zondervan and Love Inspired Books. Her newest non-fiction book is titles The
Overcomers: Christian Authors Who Conquered Learning Disabilities. To fine all
Molly’s books, write Molly Noble Bull in the search slot at online and walk-in
bookstores. http://www.writersrest.blogspot.com
