Bonus: How Rowling Used Plot Catalysts to Keep Readers Engaged (A Sneak Peek From My Book!)
Jul 18, 2024
Savannah Gilbo
Plot catalysts make it difficult for a character to achieve their goals. If you’re writing an Action story, there are three main plot catalysts you’ll want to include in your book—a speech in praise of the villain, a deadline or ticking clock, and one or more set-piece action sequences.
Tune into this episode to hear a sneak peek from my new book, The Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and hear how Rowling used plot catalysts to keep readers engaged.
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Also, if you haven't done so already, make sure you're following the podcast! I'll be adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following the show, there's a good chance you'll miss them. Click here to follow now!
Plot catalysts make it difficult for a character to achieve their goals. If you’re writing an Action story, there are three main plot catalysts you’ll want to include in your book—a speech in praise of the villain, a deadline or ticking clock, and one or more set-piece action sequences.
Tune into this episode to hear a sneak peek from my new book, The Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and hear how Rowling used plot catalysts to keep readers engaged.
⭐ Rate + Review + Follow on Apple Podcasts
"I love the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast!" ← If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing this show! Your rating and review will help other writers find this podcast, and they're also super fun for me to read. Just click here, scroll all the way to the bottom, tap five stars to rate the show, and then select "Write a Review." Be sure to let me know your favorite episodes, too!
Also, if you haven't done so already, make sure you're following the podcast! I'll be adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed, and if you're not following the show, there's a good chance you'll miss them. Click here to follow now!
👉 Looking for a transcript? If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, scroll down below the episode player until you see the transcript.
Speaker 1:
Keep in mind that whatever happens in these scenes needs to tangibly affect the outcome of the story, your plot and your character's development. It needs to alter the story's course of direction. It can't just be a flashy or exciting distraction simply to keep the reader entertained. That won't work. These set-piece action sequences must feel so integral to the storyline and the reader's enjoyment that they cannot be edited out of the final product. Welcome to the Fiction Writing Made Easy podcast. My name is Savannah Gilbo and I'm here to help you write a story that works. I want to prove to you that writing a novel doesn't have to be overwhelming. So each week I'll bring you a brand new episode with simple, actionable and step-by-step strategies that you can implement in your writing right away. So whether you're brand new to writing or more of a seasoned author looking to improve your craft, this podcast is for you. So pick up a pen and let's get started.
Speaker 1:
In today's extra special bonus episode, I'm going to give you a sneak peek inside my new book A Story Grade Masterwork Analysis Guide of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. You've probably heard me talk about this book over the last few weeks, but just in case you haven't, it's essentially a guidebook of how and why the first Harry Potter book works. So if you're writing a fantasy novel or any kind of novel with life and death stakes, and if you like the story grid methodology, you will absolutely love this book. I'm super proud of it and I can't wait to share some of it with you today. So, speaking of that, I'm going to share a part of the introduction where I talk about plot catalysts. So these are some of the conventions that are unique to the action genre and I'll share how they show up in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. So, yes, I'm literally going to read you part of my book. Like I said, it's part of the introduction and if you enjoy it and want to check out my book and all the extra special pre-order bonuses I'm giving away with purchase, you can go to savannahgilbocom forward slash masterwork to get all the details.
Speaker 1:
Let's examine the plot catalysts that make things even harder for the protagonist. Plot catalysts are things that naturally arise from the environment to create conflict and force the protagonist to switch up their tactics in order to reach their goals. In other words, they put pressure on the protagonist to grow, change and start making different choices as well as taking different actions that show readers how they've grown and changed. Different choices, as well as taking different actions that show readers how they've grown and changed. When writing an action story, you'll need to include three main plot catalysts a speech in praise of the villain, a ticking clock or deadline and one or more set piece action sequences. Let's take a look at how these plot catalysts show up in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Number one the speech in praise of the villain. In an action story, the speech in praise of the villain helps to define the large power divide between the protagonist and the antagonist. It puts pressure on and motivates the protagonist to level up their knowledge and skills before facing the antagonist. In many cases, we learn what the antagonist wants and why they want it during the speech in praise of the villain, but not always.
Speaker 1:
In chapter 4 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, hagrid says there was this wizard who went bad, as bad as you could go, worse, worse than worse. His name was Voldemort and about 20 years ago he started looking for followers, got him too. Some were afraid, some just wanted a bit of his power, cause he was getting himself power. Alright Dark days. Harry Didn't know who to trust. Didn't dare get friendly with strange wizards or witches, terrible things happened. He was taken over Course, some stood up to him and he killed him Horribly. One of the only safe places left was Hogwarts. Reckon Dumbledore is the only one you know who was afraid of Didn't dare try taking the school not just then anyway. And then he goes on to tell Harry about how Voldemort killed Harry's parents and how no one ever lived after he decided to kill him no one except you and he killed some of the best witches and wizards of the age. This speech shows us that Voldemort is a very powerful wizard and later, when we learn that Voldemort wants the sorcerer's stone so that he can come back to life and power, it helps us understand what's at stake. If Voldemort succeeds, terrible things will happen and life as Harry and the wizarding world knows it will essentially be over.
Speaker 1:
2. A deadline or ticking clock. In an action story, a deadline or ticking clock helps add tension to the plot by giving the protagonist very little or no time to solve their problems. This kind of time pressure forces the protagonist to consider options they wouldn't normally consider and to act without overthinking the deadline. A specific time or ticking clock, time pressure without a specific time frame are useful devices to add excitement in any story, as long as they emerge organically from the setting and circumstances. In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, this kind of time pressure is highlighted in multiple instances. For example, in Chapter 16, we learn that Hagrid told a stranger in the pub how to get past the three-headed dog guarding the trap door on the third floor corridor. This means it's only a matter of time until Snape really Quirrell takes action. He now has everything he needs to get to the Sorcerer's Stone, except he still has to get past Dumbledore. A few pages later we learn that Dumbledore has been called away from the castle, which means Snape really Quirrell will most likely act tonight. That's a deadline. Notice how the time pressure escalates and the deadline gets more specific over time. This is a fantastic way to up the stakes in an action story and it's an effective way to quote-unquote force your protagonist to grow and change.
Speaker 1:
Number three set piece action sequences. Set piece action sequences are mini action stories within the global story. These scenes or groups of scenes move the story forward in a significant way and they're often the larger, more exciting moments that your external plot and your protagonist's internal arc pivot around. This is why they usually occur in or around the obligatory moments and why they're often the most memorable scenes in a story. This is also why set piece action sequences can be challenging to write. They often require a lot of planning and layering to create something that moves both the external and internal storylines forward. You'll need to manage and layer together multiple plot lines, including subplots, to ensure the emotion of the set piece is building and hitting the intended emotional note, which is usually excitement in action stories throughout the entire scene.
Speaker 1:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone has quite a few set piece action sequences, but my favorite occurs in chapter 16, through the Trap Door. In this penultimate chapter, harry, ron and Hermione must successfully pass several challenges in order to receive the Sorcerer's Stone. They have to circumvent a ferocious three-headed dog, escape from the strangling tendrils of Devil's Snare, retrieve a specific flying key from amongst hundreds, win a life-size game of wizard's chess and finally master a riddle of poisonous potions before Harry can face Voldemort in the final chamber. This scene is particularly fun because each of these challenges emphasizes a different magical skill which corresponds to the Hogwarts professor who instituted that particular challenge. It also helps highlight Harry's strengths and weaknesses and shows why Harry Ron and Hermione are stronger together than apart. Harry Ron and Hermione each bring a different set of skills to this series of challenges. As first-year students, none of them have the magical experience or talent that would allow them to reach the Sorcerer's Stone on their own. They must help each other move from challenge to challenge.
Speaker 1:
I will highlight some of the other set piece action sequences in this masterwork guide, but keep in mind that a set piece can be one scene or a sequence of scenes, and remember that in the Story Grid universe, we don't determine where a scene starts and ends solely based on a change in location or cast of characters. We're looking for a defined and meaningful value shift that impacts the global story, as well as a change in the protagonist's scene goal. When writing your own set piece action sequences, keep in mind that whatever happens in these scenes needs to tangibly affect the outcome of the story, your plot and your character's development. It needs to alter the story's course of direction. It can't just be a flashy or exciting. It needs to alter the story's course of direction. It can't just be a flashy or exciting distraction simply to keep the reader entertained. That won't work. These set piece action sequences must feel so integral to the storyline and the reader's enjoyment that they cannot be edited out of the final product.
Speaker 1:
Alright, I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek into the introduction of my new book, the Story Grid Masterwork Analysis Guide to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. There's a whole lot more waiting for you. Inside the book we talk about story structure, character development, world building, and then I even take you on a deep dive into every single scene of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to see how each scene works and how each of the scenes work together to create the final product. So if you want to learn more about the book or pre-order a copy, you can go to savannahgilbocom forward slash masterwork and once you get to that page you'll see there are a handful of pre-order bonuses available should you purchase a copy between now and August 4th.
Speaker 1:
And my personal favorite of the pre-order bonuses is a two-hour live workshop that Abigail and I are hosting, where we're going to take you on a deep dive into the climactic moment of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. So you probably know what scene I'm talking about. It's where the kids travel through that trap door, navigate each of those obstacles in the chambers under the school and Harry eventually faces Voldemort in that final chamber. So it's going to be really fun. We're going to talk through that and then we will do about an hour of Q&A where we will just talk about anything related to writing, anything related to Harry Potter and things like that. So, like I said, that's just one of the pre-order bonuses available. To learn about all of the pre-order bonuses and to get your hands on a copy of the book, go to savannahgilbocom forward slash masterwork.
Speaker 1:
So that's it for today's episode. Thank you so much for tuning in and for showing your support. If you're an Apple user, I'd really appreciate it if you took a few seconds to leave a rating and a review. Your ratings and reviews tell Apple that this is a podcast that's worth listening to and, in turn, your reviews will help get this podcast in front of more fiction writers just like you. As always, I'll be back next week with a brand new episode full of actionable tips, tools and strategies to help you become a better writer and craft a story you're proud of. Until then, happy writing.
