How do you find those Peripheral Plotting elements?

Yesterday we talked about Peripheral Plotting – a great little trick to widening your suspense plot.  How, however, do you find those elements?  

Look around you – each one of us has people and things we care about in a widening circle. This is our periphery.

 Let’s say my goal is to get to the airport so I can get to Seattle to see my mother for Christmas. In a linear plot, all that might stand between me and my goal might be transportation, or perhaps money. Maybe getting time off from my job. But let’s do some peripheral plotting.

 Let’s say that I get a call from the principle of the school. My son has had a fight on the playground and they can’t find his father (who is supposed to pick him up). I must get off work early and go to the school. Now, my son has been pulled in from the periphery.

 After meeting with the principle, I call my husband and discover that he never showed up at work today. Let’s add more stress to the plot and say that we are estranged. Now, do I go find him, or do I drop my son off at my sister’s house? In plotting, I could pull in the disappearance of my estranged husband into the periphery.

 But let’s say that I decide to ignore him, and head home to get my bags and drop my son off. When I get home, I discover that my house has been broken into. I must call the police, and one of the answering officers just happens to be an old boyfriend I haven’t seen in years.

 Now I have two more peripheral elements – the ransacked house and the old beau.

 See how the story is widened already?

 Now, a missed call and cryptic message on my cell phone from someone I don’t know, but who says she knows where my missing ex-husband is, pulls in another element and raises the stakes even more. Especially when I convince the old beau to come with me to meet this woman…and find her dead!

 See how pulling in peripheral events suddenly creates more tension? I might then also turn the focus back onto the main goal by having my mother call, and tell me she is on her way to the hospital with chest pains.

 Now, this is an intriguing story.

As you’re plotting, ask: What is the worst thing (within reason) that could happen, right now, to someone or something in your periphery that would derail your own quest in life?

 Another way to figure out peripheral stakes is to do Visual Plotting: Create an idea web, with your character at the center, and a web of the things he or she cares about around that central hub. Then it’s easy to see the big picture and create scenarios or “what-ifs” for each of these things. From there, you can develop the Peripheral Stakes. (I often use Inspiration Software, a brainstorming program, to gather my thoughts.)

 Note: Peripheral Stakes are not Subplots, or even layers, but additional devices used in the main storyline. But, peripheral plotting can help you find those layers or Subplots you may want to incorporate into the story. (We’ll talk about Subplots and layers next!)

 Pick someone or something in your character’s periphery and create trouble. Something that could potentially divert your hero’s attention, or even damage him. As he races to solve this peripheral problem, of course, the larger stake is affected, and worsens. He is forced to choose between two equally good Primal Instincts and your reader is on the edge of their seat. 

 Finding Peripheral Stakes opens up new scenes, new secondary characters, new plotlines and new opportunities for character growth and widens your plot!

 Now, go cause some trouble.  🙂

 Susie May