D.C. Sumrall plot Archives

Character Interview: Charlie

This week I’ll be conducting my last character interview for my book The Heir to the Unexpected, with Jon’s uncle, Charlie DeBlanc.

Charlie– So, where are you from and what do you do?

Sure enough. I’m from Pleasant Grove, Mississippi. After the honor of serving my country in the Vietnam war, I travelled the world for a while, saw a lot of great things, but came to appreciate home all the more. So, about 30 years ago when my sister started having kids, I decided to settle down again back in Pleasant Grove. I took up a job as a long haul truck driver, which allows me to have a home base near my family, but get away when I need to.

What do you love most about Mississippi?

For me, it’s the family bond to the land. My family fled France in 1680 and came to Charleston, South Carolina due to religious persecution happening with the Calvinists (or Protestants, for those who aren’t versed in the history of that era). After a few years, they relocated to our current family homestead in Mississippi. From what my Great Grandmother told me, they wanted to be close to the French culture of New Orleans, but safely away from any religious persecution. I love that land and the rich history that it has given me the responsibility to carry on.

Would you have done anything differently?

I’m proud that I was able to serve my country and protect my land, but I sometimes wonder what could have been if I had pursued a career as a minister with a family. For all the fighting and killing I’ve seen and done, I think I would have done more good if I helped guide and grow people instead. Today, I’m trying to help a few folks get back on track who live on one my properties in a trailer park.

What do you do in your free time?

If I’m not on the road or fixing things at the trailer park, I do like hunting. I don’t go out to kill things for the sake killing. But I like watching, feeling and smelling nature at it’s most innocent moments. Don’t get me wrong, if a big ole buck comes walking into my tranquility, I’m obliged to fill my freezer for the next month or two.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 to 10 years?

Well, I never married or had kids, but I do have a nephew, Jonathan, who I’ve always been partial to. I’m hoping I can convince him to move home from New York City and work down here instead. I have lots of stories and things I still want to share with him. I don’t think he’s wanting to return, but he doesn’t know what’s right for him. What’s going to be required of him some day…

By D.C. Sumrall|October 19th, 2013|The Heir to the Unexpected|1 Comment

Character Interview: Liz

As a continuation of my character interviews for my book The Heir to the Unexpected, this week I’ll be interviewing Elizabeth Ann Todd, known by her friends and Family as Liz. Liz is my protagonist’s, Jon’s, longterm girlfriend.

Hi Liz– So, can you share with us how you landed where you are today?

I grew up in Boulder, CO with three brothers and the Flatirons in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains as my playground. After graduating college in Denver, I moved to New York City to pursue a job as a Drug Sales Rep for Hayera Pharmaceuticals. Huge change for me in environment, but a fun new adventure.

It took me a few months to settle in to the bustle of the city, but when I did, I found a great group of friends. In fact, that’s how I met Jon. One of my girlfriends met him at party, and she set us up. He was quite the pleasant surprise. He’s just as passionate as I am about his work, but he values the same bigger things in life as I do and he wasn’t about playing games. We also have some fairly unique connections. For example, I had a head injury in high school that resulted in me loosing most of my ability to smell and taste. The head injury is a story for another day. But, try imagining how chocolate looses it’s allure when you only have the texture to remind you of it’s flavor. So much of our sense of taste comes from smell. Thankfully, Jon has a really uncanny sense of smell and an amazing ability to articulate the details of flavor- it makes me able to love food again!

What do you love most about New York?

The shopping! Definitely a step up from crunchy Boulder. I love the colors and the styles that the City inspires. My parents are very proud Hippies and they taught me how to shop at thrift and vintage clothing stores. I love the challenge of finding the best outfit for the best price. It’s a game that my girlfriends and I play together.

What do you miss back in Colorado?

As much as I love New York City, when it’s hot, you’re hot. In Colorado, if it’s hot, you can go drive a few thousand feet up in altitude and there’s a cool breeze waiting to greet you. Mountains are dramatic and relaxing… and the city is fast and exciting. Colorado snow is fluffy and accessible, while New York snow is icy and annoying. There are trade-offs… but I love both.

Where do you see your self in next 5 to 10 years?

I’m on track for being promoted in the next month or so, but you know how things happen in this economy. You really have to look out for your career and be proactive in owning your own advancement. So, as much as I like my job, I might have to consider other options if things don’t work out on the time-line that I want. Relationship-wise, I’m just really lucky to have found Jon. He’s an amazing guy who makes me feel special and I know I can trust him. If we keep going in the direction I think we are, I might have to put up his antics for life!

By D.C. Sumrall|October 12th, 2013|The Heir to the Unexpected|0 Comments

Character Interview: Jonathan

I thought a fun break from blogging about the topical process of writing my book could be to give you a more direct introduction to the actual world of my characters over the next few weeks. To do this, this week I’m going to interview my protagonist, Jonathan Lee Thomas, known by his friends and family as Jon. Look for similar interviews with his girlfriend Liz, and his Uncle Charlie moving forward!

Hello, Jon– It’s good to have you with us today. I’d like to start the interview off having you tell us a little bit about yourself. For example, where do you live, and what do you do for a living?

Sure… Glad to be here and share my background to the audience. I’m 27 years old. I live in Brooklyn, New York and work off of Madison Avenue at an advertising agency, ArtWord. I’ve been an Art Director there for the last 2 years working on the Rein Sportswear and Junk Footwear accounts. I’m responsible for shaping the campaigns that appear on TV, all of those ads that appear in Sports Point magazine, and all of their web campaigns. You name it: football, baseball, soccer, etc. If you see a Junk shoe or a Rein Jersey ad, I was one of the people who was behind it.

What do you love most about living in New York?

The food. I love the fact that I can step out of any building or subway stop in the city, and always be within walking distance of some new and exciting thing to eat. You can navigate the boroughs by the delicious and diverse aromas wafting through the different communities. My personal guilty pleasure is the greasy food at the Shake Shack at Madison Square Park. Between their juicy burgers, thick custard shakes and the wait in the park, it’s a dangerous addiction that results in a lot of gym visits for me…

What do you miss back in Mississippi?

I miss my family and the quiet mornings that greet your day– privacy is cheaply available there, unlike the chaos of New York. I miss watching the SEC with a beer and the barbecue with the family. Oh, and I miss the speed of driving; the freedom of driving as far and as fast as the backroads of Mississippi will allow you.

What do you do in your free time?

What free time? <laughs> Well, in the city, you always have something to do. My girlfriend, Liz, and I enjoy the city stuff- like going to gallery openings, seeing the latest up-and-coming band, or just grabbing drinks with our friends. But we also really like to try and take in what quiet time New York allows you… like sitting on a park bench in the evening and taking in the different smells and noises. Liz mostly keeps me out of trouble, but life still has its way of keeping things interesting.

Where do you see yourself in the next 5 to 10 years?

Professionally, I’d like to be a Creative Director at a well known agency, which should be realistic if things keep going in the direction they’re going. I’m passionate about what I do, so I work hard. From a personal perspective, Liz and I have been dating since about two years out of college and I think she’s the one. But while I’m starting to feel more confidant about that, I’m nervous about how she and my larger family will get along. They’ve met, but a quick fun-packed weekend is different from day-to-day-life…

By D.C. Sumrall|October 5th, 2013|The Heir to the Unexpected|1 Comment

Starting a Plot Outline

Starting a Plot Outline To write about the plot outline process, I had to carefully balance not giving away every plot-line element in my current book while explaining how I landed on it’s structure. So, in order to shape a dialogue around this topic, I decided to dissect an existing story and re-tell it from a different character’s perspective. This technique has been used on many well known books and movies– it’s called the Rashomon Effect.

For my example, I’m going to take the story The Elephant’s Child from Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling and create an outline of the existing story with the Freytag pyramid. After which, I’ll use the Rashomon Effect to create an alternate storyline in a parallel Freytag Pyramid.

The Elephant’s Child–Original Plot

Exposition:
The Elephant’s Child, a child with ” ‘satiable” curiosity who lives in Africa is constantly getting in trouble with his family for asking too many questions.

Rising Action:
The Elephant’s Child keeps getting spanked by his relatives for his curiosity over what crocodiles eat. Out of desperation to know the answer, he leaves the safety of his family to pursue the truth.

Climax:
Naively, the Elephant’s Child asks the Crocodile what crocodiles eat, not realizing he is talking to a crocodile. The Crocodile answers by chomping down on and tugging the Elephant’s Child’s nose.

Falling Action:
The Elephant’s Child’s nose begins to stretch and stretch as the Crocodile pulls. With the help of a Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake though, the Elephant’s Child is able resist the crocodile until he gives up and lets go.

Denouement:
After waiting 3 days for his nose to shrink back, the Elephant’s Child unconsciously swats at a fly on his back that would have been previously out of reach. Then, he reaches down with his new elongated nose, pulls a large bundle of grass from the earth, and stuffs it in his mouth. Not even thinking, he then scoops up some mud and slaps it on his head to cool himself off. With these new found nose-abilities, the Elephant’s Child goes home to spank his family with his new trunk.

The Elephant’s Child–Alternate Plot

Exposition:
The Wise Crocodile who lives in Africa is frustrated over the younger generation of animals scaring food away.

Rising Action:
At the river bank one day, the Wise Crocodile gets inpatient when a group of young crocodiles refuse to hunt in the traditional ways. Out of frustration, he decides to go hunting upstream away from them all.

Climax:
After a few hours of seeing nothing, the Wise Crocodile decides to take a nap on the river bank. To his surprise, he is awakened by a young elephant asking him what crocodiles eat. Rather grumpy and hungry, the Wise Crocodile decides to take this opportunity by the nose, and tugs…

Falling Action:
The Wise Crocodile has never seen a nose stretch so long before. Just when he thinks he has the young elephant in his grasp, a Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake decides to help his naive prey. Afterwards, sitting high above the stream and out of the crocodile’s grasp, the young elephant proceeds to scare all other animals away by his very loud complaints about his new nose.

Denouement:
Annoyed by the commotion, the Wise Crocodile decides to go back to his original feeding ground. He swims back down to the main river bank and discovers that all the young crocodiles have finally moved on. With the water’s edge calm and quiet, and a little bit of patience, he is able to wait and eat a hearty fish dinner.

You can see that different perspectives of the same story create an opportunity to explore character development and plot possibilities. The Freytag Pyramid is one construct to guide your basic plot structure and fully explore what your story can be.

By D.C. Sumrall|September 14th, 2013|The Heir to the Unexpected|1 Comment

Plot Development

Plot Development Did my book idea come from a long lost relative dying and leaving me a fortune? Unfortunately no… But the idea of how a person may struggle with that journey shaped a lot of the story. With a few modern twists and a little imagination, I took a historically worn topic (inheritance) and shaped my book The Heir to the Unexpected into a relatable experience for the reader.

I’m constantly reminding myself that my readers are making a commitment to invest time and energy to read my stories. If I write a book that’s a waste of their time and attention, I know they will not be opening another story by D.C. Sumrall again in the near future. So, I need to factor in my readers’ enjoyment with the story I want to tell, my own emotional investment, the actual entertainment-value, and how all of those things will co-exist as I start building a plot structure from there.

From a plot development standpoint, I’ve found the Freytag Pyramid to be a decent guiding principal to start with. Developed in 1863 by Gustav Freytag, his Pyramid is a 5-act dramatic structure that, with a little creative freedom, can easily anchor a conceptual story flow into a solid plot-line.

Freytag Pyramid

Exposition- The opening… Who are players? What is setting?
Rising action- The conflict or the build up… What is threat? What is the desire?
Climax- the final conflict… What is action? What is the result of the build up?
Falling action- post climax… What are the immediate consequences? Where are we going?
Denouement- resolution… How do the character move on? How does the day end?

While I would never recommend that anyone compromise their characters’ motives or personalities to a formulated story-telling methodology, I do think the Freytag Pyramid can help a writer better ground their characters’ humanistic needs, wants, desires (and the consequences thereof!) in the overarching story.

Not everyone though has their entire plot outlined when they begin to write though, myself included. While I know the general tale I want to tell, I’m constantly scribbling ideas down as I go to better align my stories to my audience. Over a period of time, I start looking at how these ideas can be grown or expanded upon to inform a more defined plot. It’s a priceless collection of reference points on the days that I’m experiencing writer’s/creative block. More on that to come in future posts!

By D.C. Sumrall|August 31st, 2013|The Heir to the Unexpected|0 Comments