Master Plots, wasn't always correct. Strictly speaking, that is. I could be wrong. I probably am. Here's what's on my mind:
Mr. Tobias claimed that a novel is the protagonist's story. In My More Than Sister, (due out for Kindles any minute now), Glinda, the protagonist, connects with the wrong gorgeous man, is shot at, nearly drowns in
quicksand, is arrested for murder, and gets pregnant by a homosexual who will never marry her.
Carolynne, the sister of the title, is too busy with her difficult life for self-examination. She is the quintessential working mother, treasures clothes from JC Penney and cooks tuna casseroles. She forgoes pleasure and even love for the sake of her two small daughters. Glinda sees her as an irritating peripheral character, a finicky, small-minded mediocrity. Yet it's Carolynne, and only at the very end, who kills the bad guy in order to save Glinda's life.
Glinda the protagonist is a psychopath who talks to an imaginary sister and kills a sadist while telling Carolynne's story by indirection. I'd hate to be alone in a room with her when she spazzes out, which she often does.
Yes, we relate to Glinda rather than to Carolynne. And yes, the tale uses the framework of setup, struggle, and climax as recommended by Mr. Tobias. Both women have character arcs and, as they develop, affect one another and create the plot (it's a suspense thriller). All through the novel Carolynne, the more than sister, is denigrated, but she's the one who winds up with a good man's love and a secure future.
That's the good thing about writing novels; whatever lie you make up, that's it; that's the truth. The bad thing is, another liar is going to follow you and embroider on the fabric you create.
The first liar was probably the Neanderthal who painted his dead daughter's bones to bring her back to life; it was Homer's teacher; whoever invented Gilgamesh and Sheila-na-gig; who dreamed up the first Japanese Pillow Book. I get to embroider their fabulations, and boy is it ever fun.
Dr. Seuss wrote, "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"
Good advice. This is a picture of the Russian River where Glinda nearly lost it.
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