Let's talk about plotting and motivation. My first thought was "Yeah, I know about that. Plotting, that's what I do to avoid writing." And motivation? Well, that's what overcomes the plotting and gets the words down on paper.

Seriously, plotting is the backbone of your novel. It's the crucible that keeps your characters together, in spite of what they may want. It's the "red string" that runs through the entire book, unresolved until the end. It's the ticking bomb that keeps your reader turning the pages wondering if Hero and Heroine will really reach the Happily Ever After this time.

Chris Vogler's The Writer's journey lays out the path of classic storytelling. He identifies the various steps a successful plot follows and very clearly provides a fraamework on which to build your story.

Yet another bit of plotting advice comes from an unexpected quarter. It's a quote, attrributed to Mark Tain, which has popped up with surprising frequency: "Make 'em laugh. Make 'em cry. Make 'em wait." Excellent advice. It's a mantra to keep in mind when one feels compelled to relate Hero's entire back story in the second scene of the first chapter. Or as my critiuq partners ever so kindly pointed out to me early in our association, "No, Rosemary. Chapter two cannot consist entirely of a flashback."

"But it's really a great scene."

"Yes, it's very nice, but you can't use it heare."

"But, but, whyyyyyyyy?"

"Because it stops the momentum."

"Ooooh."

The light dawned, aleit slowly. You need to keep your characters moving forward and growing. You need to avoid the dreaded "sagging middle." You need to keep your reader reading. You need to keep writing. You need to keep motivated.

Motivation can take a number of forms. Sometimes the urgency of your characters beating at the door of your brain to get out is enough. Deadlines can be helpful, unless you're a procrastinator. Then a deadline of "…by the end of the month" only give permission to dawdle until the 27th. Greater immediacy is important. Knowing I have a critique group deadline in two weeks keeps me writing. Knowing there's a chocolate at the end doesn't hurt either.