Jared Axelrod

he Maze of Bones is Book One of the popular middle-grade adventure series The 39 Clues. It was recently suggested to me that read it for tips on plot construction, and I now I see why. Rick Riordan has created a storyline that is plotted with a mathematical precision that is astounding.

How astounding? There are twenty chapters in The Maze of Bones. Here are the major points of plot, for each chapter:

1. Overarching threat is hinted at, the plot is set in motion
2. Protagonists and antagonists are introduced, meet. Threat is repeated
3. Stakes are set, protagonists make a “Point of No Return” decision
4. Threat is reiterated. Supporting characters #1 & #2 make contributions
5. The 1st step forward in the plot is made. Reversal of fortune #1 occurs
6. Sacrifice #1 to continue forward in the plot is made, Protagonists escape Death Trap #1, Supporting character #3 joins the plot
7. Focuses on the antagonists.
8. Plot step #2, Reversal #2, Death Trap #2 threat is reiterated
9. Sacrifice #2, 2 stakes are raised
10. Focuses on the antagonists
11.  Reversal avoided
12. Plot step #3, escape danger without sacrifice
13. Focuses on the antagonists, reveals the source of previous danger
14. Plot step #4, Reversal #3, Death Trap #3 with escape
15.  Supporting cast provides plot support, more info is revealed
16.  Plot step #5, Reversal #4, Sacrifice #3 in order to escape Death Trap #4
17.  Plot step #6, Reversal #5
18. Character arc completion, Plot step #7, Death Trap #5, Reversal #6, Sacrifice #4
19.  Plot step #8, Protagonists are rewarded, new status quo is established
20. Threat increases

On first glance, it’s easy to see patterns emerge. Almost every success the characters have in terms of plot is immediately taken away from them (literally, in this case, as the plot points are all clues that lead to next part of the story, like a scavenger hunt), and is followed almost immediately by a sacrifice. This is standard plot stuff, but what’s interesting is how often it happens. The two main protagonists have to make two sacrifices apiece before the story is over, and have the tables turned on them six times. There are five brushes with death. A great deal happens in the books 220 pages.

Breaking the chapters in halves, we can see that everything happens faster. There are more plot points, more reversals, more death traps. It’s also worth noting that all of the characters are at least mentioned by Chapter 2. No one is introduced later who has not been name checked by then, and the final supporting character joins the story midway through the first half. No one new is brought in the second half.
Breaking it into quarters, everything becomes even more clear.

• Chapters 1-5 are all introduction: introducing characters, relationships, situations and the dangers our characters will face. The first quarter tells you everything you need to know about the book. If you’re not hooked by the end of Chapter 5, this isn’t the book for you.
• Chapters 6-10 are our nitty-gritty plot chapters. The supporting cast in finally complete and the plot begins in earnest. A clear pattern is of wins, reversals and sacrifices is set up. There’s two death traps in this quarter, both dramatic (a fire and a bomb). Half our protagonists sacrifices are made here.
• Chapters 11-15 break the formula, and show our characters learning from their mistakes. We get to see the heroes win without sacrifice, and we get the answers to some of the plot questions. The pace is slowed somewhat,  the treat of the death trap is less immediate (a pit that will be filled with concrete).
• Chapters 16-20 move at a breakneck pace, with three plot points, three reversals and two sacrifices. Two death traps (an underground train and a rooftop ladder during a storm), though it is noteworthy that neither are explicitly set up by the antagonists; the world is now out to get our heroes. The penultimate chapter rewards our heroes, but the final chapter implies that their victory is short lived.

That’s some pretty tight plotting—it mimics the Lester Dent Master Plot, while adding some “breather” space necessary for a larger work—but what makes the plot interesting is not what happens when you break it into quarters. It’s what happens when you break it into sixths.

The first and last chapters are essentially a prolog and an epilog. If we remove those, that leaves eighteen chapters, which can be broken down into six parts, each three chapters apiece. Here’s what happens in each part:

• Chapters 2-4: The world is set up, the threat is established, and all the characters are introduced.
• Chapters 5-7: The plot begins, the cast is set, there’s one reversal, one sacrifice, one death trap and the antagonists have some focus.
• Chapters 8-10: One plot step, one reversal, one sacrifice, one death trap and some antagonist info. Almost exactly like the previous part
• Chapters 11-13: The formula is broken. Not only does the reversal come before the plot step, but no sacrifice is needed to move forward. And there’s no death trap
• Chapters 14-16: Everything starts moving faster. Two plot steps, two reversals, two death traps and one sacrifice.
• Chapters 17-19: Again, we get a quicker combination of elements. Three plot steps, two reversals, one death trap and one sacrifice. One of the protagonists completes her character arc. The heroes win, but at a cost. The future is met up with a new feeling of accomplishment and apprehension.

What’s fascinating is how clean these breaks are. A place for everything, and everything in its place. You could build a monument on this plot, it’s so sturdy. Given that the books in The 39 Clues are written by a total of seven authors, such an exact plotting framework may have been a necessity to ensure that each book felt the same.

This plot framework isn’t necessarily the best for every story, but one could do a lot worse than learning from it.

ather, a portion of it. The writing expertise part. I am offering my services up as part of the Boom Effect charity auction. The actual auction takes place Saturday, and will be broadcast here, but feel free to put in a proxy bid over at the site. Just put in however much you consider a piece of my headmeats is worth.

Now, I suppose the question is, “How much of Jared’s brain will I be getting?” A valid query.

I would say, around about this much:

Jared Axelrod, published author and creator of the ALIENS YOU WILL MEET and VOICE OF FREE PLANET X podcasts, will edit your short story up to 9000 words. But what is being offered here is more than mere red-pen spelling and grammar check. Over a personal Skype discussion, Jared will provide:

-Detailed analysis of themes, and how you can make them stronger.
-Discussion of the wants and obstacles of both the protagonist and antagonist
-Examinations of the setting and the pace of the story
-Market suggestions for your story
-Axelrod-brand Encouragement! (TM)

The whole business will be auctioned in the Bespoke items timeslot on February 27th. But if you can’t make the event, feel free to place a proxy bid.

Bid high and bid often!

very now and then, either JR or I will turn to the other and ask a question about the story we are writing. Is this character interesting? Is this plot too twisty? Is this feminist enough? It then falls upon the other to answer “That’s not a 1st Draft question,” or whatever draft we are working on at the time. Which is always the correct answer.

It’s very easy to get caught up in questions that just be addressed one, two, three drafts ahead, so it’s nice to have to have a guideline of what questions should be asked when. Your mileage, of course, will vary. But this works well for us.

1st Draft: What happens next?

This is the only question you should be asking yourself as you write your first draft. The. Only. Question.

The point of the first draft is the foundation, the rocks you build your story on. And for that story to be built, the foundation has to be finished. Nothing is more important in writing your first draft than reaching the end. Not your word choice, not your plot mechanics, not your personal politics. All of that can be changed, but not until the draft is finished. This means when you’re done you’ll have a pretty shitty piece of writing, but who cares? You’ve got at least 3 more passes to get it right.

2nd Draft: Does the plot make sense? What does my protagonist want? What is in his/her way to getting it? Are his/her decisions in keeping with his/her character, or to just move the plot?

Now you’ve got a shitty piece of writing that at least has a beginning, middle and end. Good job. It probably has a few human-shaped lumps that could pass as characters, so here’s your chance to make those characters real. Ideally, the protagonist should drive the plot, not the other way around (nobody likes a reactive protagonist, we like people who get shit done). Concurrent with this is the concern that these proactive decisions are keeping in touch with the character. If they aren’t, you can always change the decisions, or change the character.

3rd Draft: Are my characters engaging? Does my antagonist have proper motivation? How is the pace? Should I cut/add anything? Are the places and people properly described?

Your shitty piece of writing now has gained an engaging through-line and an involved, proactive protagonist. Time to beef up those side characters. A good rule of thumb with this is to imagine the story told from each and every character’s point of view. These new stories, where our side characters and villains are now the main heroes, should be just as engaging—if in different ways—as your main story. You don’t have to write these stories, but it’s important to imagine them. Would STAR WARS be as enjoyable if Han Solo, Princess Leia and Darth Vader didn’t have their own stories going on just to the side of Luke’s? MIDDLEMARCH works the same way.

This draft is also a good time to look at pace. Is the story moving fast enough? Is it going too fast? Luckily, your new and improved side characters and antagonists can help out, by cutting some fat off some scenes or adding drama to others. Take some time to define who these people are, as well as the places they inhabit. If Draft 2 was all about the protagonist, Draft 3 is about giving that protagonist a world to inhabit.

4th Draft: Are the words the best words for the situation? I am comfortable with the themes and politics of this story (is it feminist, conservative, racist, etc)? Is it interesting to people who aren’t me?

The story’s not looking quite so shitty now, is it? Here we get to the polish stage, where you can add all those writer bells and whistles you’ve been dying to include since Draft 1. String all the pearls you want; your story should hold them. Now that that you have the story complete, you can also examine the themes and tweak them appropriately. Same with the politics. I’m making a note of them here, in Draft 4, because it’s very easy to fall into the trap of think of these sort of things before the story even finished. No character has politics until they’re fully fleshed out, no themes are evident until you get to the end.

After this pass, you can hand it off to a first reader or two, and they’ll have their own questions for you.

A note to users: much like the mastery of a martial art, one must approach writing in the appropriate sequence, and build upon the questions of a previous draft. You may ask yourself “What happens next?” while working on Draft 4, but if you find yourself wondering if Draft 1 is sexist, you’re focusing on the wrong things.