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Since the Central Ohio SCBWI meeting last week, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the W-plot that romance novelist Donna MacMeans presented. And all I can say is, “Wow! This works!” I’ve taken a complete step back from my WIP and have actually begun to plot it out. This is a new approach for me since I’m a total pantser (I write by the seat of my pants, for those unfamiliar with the term), so wish me luck.

When I taught high school English, I used the traditional plot arc, called Freytag’s pyramid (below).

This is still a useful structure, but while Freytag’s pyramid represents the rise and fall of action in a story, the W-plot represents the emotional thrust of the plot movement. Here’s the W-plot again:

I’m going to explain it the best I can, but remember I just learned this. If you get a chance to see Donna MacMeans at a conference or meeting, please learn from the expert.

At the meeting, MacMeans gave us the page numbers of the novel Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen that corresponded with each turning point on the W-plot. I’ve converted those numbers to percentages, so you can see about how far into a novel you would reach each point. Also note that many of the terms MacMeans uses come from the The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler.

A. Ordinary World. Before you can show how your character’s world changes, it’s helpful to show the day-to-day world of the MC, including setting. This is the place to get your reader emotionally invested in your MC by using rooting interests.
B. Inciting Incident. 5% This is the action that launches the story and upsets the character’s ordinary world. It’s the call to adventure. The call should be difficult, which will turn the emotional thrust downhill. This is also the time to introduce a mentor, which is not necessarily a person. The inciting incident should be in your first chapter.
C. Things Get Worse. The MC makes a plan to deal with the inciting incident. Once the plan is made (whether to take action or refuse to act), the situation continues to get worse. This will force the MC to make a new plan.
D. Crossing the Threshold. 18% MC makes a new plan. Perhaps all other options have been eliminated, so MC has to go reluctantly (important word!) forward, possibly accept help. This turns the story in a different direction emotionally and starts the middle of the book.
E. Allies and Enemies. This line will be jagged, in a two-steps-forward-one-step-back kind of way, but the overall emotional thrust is positive. MC must learn needed skills (such as how to fight or crack a safe), and who friends and enemies are. Often, this is the place to reveal backstory. It’s the “approach to innermost cave” in the language of The Writer’s Journey. And whatever the MC is running away from in the beginning, it comes back in this section.
F. Point of No Return. 70% This is the highest point of happiness, where MC changes to a point where he or she can’t go back to the way things were in the beginning. In romance, this is usually the sex scene. You’ll know you’ve reached this point because everything seems perfect; it’s all set for everything to go downhill fast.
G. Things Begin to Fall Apart.
H. The Crisis/Big Black Moment/Turning Point. 96% (I would equate this to the Climax in Freytag’s pyramid. Because the W-plot looks at the emotional thrust of the plot, the highest point of excitement is the low point in terms of how bad things can get.) All appears doomed, until the villain is outwitted, the golden elixir recovered, and the crisis caused by the inciting incident is resolved.
I. Return with the Elixir. Struggle to recover. Tie up loose ends. Resolve inner conflict. The overall emotion is one of hope, survival, or success.
J. Happily Ever After/Slow curtain/Full circle back to beginning of the story.

My husband picked up my papers when I was writing my blog last week and clearly he got it too. We watched Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian over the weekend, and he said, “Look, they’re showing the Ordinary World.” And as we watched it through, I was astounded how perfectly the movie followed this plot structure. So, below, I’ve detailed how the second Night at the Museum movie follows the W-plot. If you haven’t seen the movie and plan to, stop reading now!

SPOILER ALERT * SPOILER ALERT * SPOILER ALERT

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian plotted on the W-plot

A. Ordinary World. Larry Daley has left his museum night guard post and is now a successful entrepreneur who has invented a glow-in-the-dark flashlight. His life is made up of text messages, infomercials, and sales meetings.
B. Inciting Incident. Larry visits the museum and finds out most of the old exhibit with his come-to-life-at-night friends is being shipped to the Smithsonian.
C. Things Get Worse. Larry plans to pull some strings to get his friends back. He’s saddened even more when he finds out that the magic tablet that brings the exhibit to life at night won’t be shipped and many of his friends will never come to life again. Larry gets a phone call from the Smithsonian. The tablet has been shipped, and the biggest museum in the world has awakened at night. The Smithsonian is at war.
D. Crossing the Threshold. Larry rushes for the airport for he must go to retrieve his friends and the tablet.
E. Allies and Enemies. At the Smithsonian, Larry must find out where the tablet and his friends are. He must figure out how to sneak into the underground storage areas. There, he finds himself aligned with his old friends, Custer, and Amelia Earhart against an evil Egyptian, Al Capone, Napolean, and Attila the Hun. His enemies enclose his little cowboy friend Jedidiah in an hourglass. He must discover the secret code to unlock some Egyptian portal or his friend will die. Amelia kisses him and gives him much advice about having fun.
F. Point of No Return. Larry and Amelia get the secret code from the Einstein bobbleheads. Larry overcomes his fear of flying and helps Amelia fly a plane out of the Air and Space Museum. They soar together into a perfect night, with the monuments lit up and success certain.
G. Things Begin to Fall Apart. When Amelia and Larry arrive, they find out the Pharaoh already has the secret code. The little cowboy is dying.
H. The Crisis/Big Black Moment/Turning Point. The Pharaoh opens the portal and the Birdmen come out. They are DOOMED!
I. Return with the Elixir. A huge Abraham Lincoln shows up and chases the Birdmen away. A fight ensues, but Larry and his friends prevail. Larry learns that being a successful businessman is not the same as being happy. He seizes the magic tablet, and Amelia flies him and his museum friends back to New York.
J. Happily Ever After/Slow Curtain/Full Circle. The museum reopens with nighttime hours in which the museum characters are on display alive. Larry now works there again, and for a perfect HEA, he meets a museum visitor with a striking resemblance to Amelia Earhart.

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