The state of design has reached a moment exhibiting either an abundance of opportunity, or an abundance of clutter.

If this sounds bad, it isn’t.  The abundance is manageable through thoughtful editing where poverty is more difficult to reverse through forced creation.  My design of An Author’s Inspiration makes few demands for data entry by the writer, but at this stage, I have more options to fulfill than I have reasons to use them.

So, the question to answer is do I march forward into what might be a baroque design, or do I sit back and trim it down into a straightforward one?

To the writer, it may seem that the few configuration files available for editing don’t carry much material.  By number, for instance, the character files do have 20 entries to fill in.  19 of those 20 are single word  or numeric entries.  This amounts to two or three sentences, tops, for the writer to characterize their characters.  Then there is the 20th entry which could easily top this several times over with a character sketch; however, it barely tips the scale in outline generation.

The inspiration of An Author’s Inspiration is that in those 19 entries, their combinations as keys to character analysis bring the abundance of psychological revelation.  I have to be careful that this abundance does not fatigue the writer with too many emotional twists.  When it comes to two characters being considered within a beat, this promises to raise the stakes 19-fold.  Considering the full set of characters within a beat raises the stakes further which could render a novel-length outline.

To this point in the design, it has been focused on the Point Of View character, typically the protagonist, but An Author’s Inspiration is agnostic here, and should be able to present the antagonist with equanimity.  What I am saying here is that An Author’s Inspiration should present an authentic psychological vision of any character that is consistent with the writer’s description of them in 20 entries.

However, each character carries a suite of buddies, friends, and one loathsome individual that they are sensitive too.  So far I’ve done nothing with that association, but in every beat there is the possibility of their contributions to the character’s motivations add in complex ways.  Do I compound all their stress contributions into one?  And if I do, how does this risk in upsetting the expected narrative arc?

Another way of approaching this crowd of supporting characters is to simply provide each with their own response to the situation, and abandon the complexity of combining them into one expression of tension and its resolution within the beat.  This last may be achievable if, in fact, the user of An Author’s Inspiration would find it useful.

Continuing  background:  An Author’s Inspiration is planned to be distributed with writer configurable files.  These files describe characters, plot, setting, and (most importantly), stress.  As distributed, these files currently describe the adventures of Harry Potter in the film version of The Order of the Phoenix.  The outline generated by An Author’s Inspiration combines these elements, expanded into 28 beats.

In The Order of the Phoenix, there are a lot of characters each with their strengths and weaknesses. In An Author’s Inspiration, each character has a file of trait descriptions and character sketch provided by the writer.  The emphasis on these traits are largely psychological.

The beat format of the generated outline allows for 80-90% of the scenes from the film to fit into beats’ settings.  The plot is a matter of interpretation, but with Harry Potter, the elements in the file describing plot can be arrived at through what is largely formula for the Harry Potter series.

What of the stress I describe as (most) important?  Research has borne out Kurt Vonnegut’s observation of the emotional shape of at least six types of story.  Each shape is a simple curve expressed in a flow of shifting levels of both good (eustress) stress and bad (distress) stress.  The writer can not only establish a plot point, but can attach a level of stress to it.

The Order Of The Phoenix
JK Rowling
(C)2003

Generated by An Author’s Inspiration
An A.I. product designed by RW Clark (C)2017
visit www.secondroot.com

None of these attributions may be removed from A.I. generated files

Wade (Wade Jarvis)
Connie (John Constantine)
Harry (Harry Smith)
Dusty (Dusty Smith)
Kent (Kent Smith)
Eugene (Eugene Smith)
Russ (Russell Smith)
Donna (Donna Smith)
Mary (Mary Smith)
Cindy (Cindy Smith)
Toppy (John Smith)
Swede (Lars Svenson)

Beat 1 spanning from 0 percent to 10 percent in Act 1

Establishing Scene
Describe the protagonist and main characters and their relationships.
For here and throughout, name those who are already present, who are entering the scene, and who are leaving the scene.

Outside the Dursley home
Characters already in place: Harry
Characters entering: Dumbledore, Lily and James
Characters leaving: Dumbledore, Lily and James

Beat 2 spanning from 0 percent to 10 percent in Act 1

The World As We Know It
Described as life in the comfort zone and show the protagonist in a moment of authenticity

Characters already in place: Hermione
Characters entering: Hagrid
Characters leaving: Hagrid

Beat 3 spanning from 0 percent to 10 percent in Act 1

State the Theme in terms of Threat on the Horizon
Describe how the world is shifting with the protagonist seeing beyond the comfort zone into the risk zone

Characters already in place: Ron
Characters entering: Vernon, Dudley and Marge
Characters leaving:

Beat 4 spanning from 0 percent to 10 percent in Act 1

Plot Hook
Doubt arises Unfinished business

Characters already in place: Hermione and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 5 spanning from 10 percent to 20 percent in Act 1

Inciting Incident
An incident confronts the protagonist whose attempts to deal with it lead to a dramatic incident

train platform
Characters already in place: Harry, Hermione and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 6 spanning from 10 percent to 20 percent in Act 1

Indecision
The protagonist receives a challenge and weighs the consequences of action/inaction

Hogwarts
Characters already in place: Harry and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 7 spanning from 20 percent to 25 percent in Act 1

First Turning Point
The protagonist makes a decision and crosses from the comfort zone to the risk zone

Characters already in place: Harry and Hermione
Characters leaving:

Beat 8 spanning from 20 percent to 25 percent in Act 1

Rising Action
The protagonist attempts to adjust to the choice to move out of a former comfort zone and into the risk zone

Characters already in place: Harry and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 9 spanning from 20 percent to 25 percent in Act 1

The World At Risk
Present the rules of the new world and events that will allow the protagonist to grow outside of the earlier comfort zone and describe life in the risk zone

Characters already in place: Hermione and Ron
Characters entering: Snape
Characters leaving:

Beat 10 spanning from 25 percent to 40 percent in Act 2

Gaining Support
Show how the protagonist is unable to resolve their problems because they need new skills to deal with their challenge; Present how to learn new skills is for them to arrive at a higher sense of awareness of self and their capabilities; Achieve this through introducing mentors and co-protagonists

Characters already in place: Harry and Hermione
Characters entering: Snape
Characters leaving:

Beat 11 spanning from 25 percent to 40 percent in Act 2

Introduce B Story
Why The Theme Matters; In relation to the themes built into the B Story

Hogwarts
Characters already in place: Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 12 spanning from 25 percent to 40 percent in Act 2

Why We Should Watch out
aka Pinch Point

Hogwarts
Characters already in place: Harry and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 13 spanning from 40 percent to 50 percent in Act 2

Initiative
Present the protagonist doing what they would not have done in act one; based on what they have gained through other support; Compare the former naif to the current apprentice in terms of What the Theme Promises

Hogwarts
Characters already in place: Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 14 spanning from 40 percent to 50 percent in Act 2

Midpoint
Present a severe setback to the protagonist initiative due to hidden danger; Here things go from bad to worse

Hogwarts
Characters already in place: Harry, Hermione and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 15 spanning from 50 percent to 60 percent in Act 2

The World In Danger
Describe life in the danger zone

Hogwarts
Characters already in place: Harry, Hermione and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 16 spanning from 50 percent to 60 percent in Act 2

False Win or False Loss
Describe a possible early confrontation; as simple as a feint

Characters already in place: Harry
Characters leaving:

Beat 17 spanning from 50 percent to 60 percent in Act 2

Sides Regroup

Characters already in place: Harry and Hermione
Characters leaving:

Beat 18 spanning from 60 percent to 70 percent in Act 2

More Why We Should Worry
aka Pinch Point

Characters already in place: Harry and Hermione
Characters leaving:

Beat 19 spanning from 60 percent to 70 percent in Act 2

Second Turning Point The Crisis
Dramatize how the protagonist constructs a plan learned from failure

Characters already in place: Hermione and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 20 spanning from 60 percent to 70 percent in Act 2

Contemplation
Locker room PEP talk; Talk it up WON; Talk it down LOST

Characters already in place: Hermione and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 21 spanning from 70 percent to 80 percent in Act 2

Take on the Troopers
Describe a confrontation where a valuable prize is gained or lesson is learned; This is conflict en masse among the troops

Characters already in place: Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 22 spanning from 70 percent to 80 percent in Act 2

New Information
aka 2nd Plot Point

Hogwarts
Characters already in place: Ron
Characters entering: Hagrid
Characters leaving:

Beat 23 spanning from 70 percent to 80 percent in Act 3

Climax Level 3
Close with the resolution of the story and its subplots where the tensions of the story are brought to their most dramatic intensity and the challenge is won

Characters already in place: Harry, Hermione and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 24 spanning from 70 percent to 80 percent in Act 3

Remove Low Hurdles; Take On The Lieutenants
Describe resolutions to simple problems; This is conflict between the competing front line staff

Characters already in place: Harry, Hermione and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 25 spanning from 80 percent to 90 percent in Act 3

Climax Level 2; Remove Mid Hurdles; Take on the Captains
Describe resolutions to modest problems; This is conflict between the competing General staff

Hogwarts
Characters already in place: Harry, Hermione and Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 26 spanning from 90 percent to 100 percent in Act 3

The New World
Describe life in the new comfort zone which boundaries have extended into the former risk zone and pushed out the boundary of the danger zone; Show how the protagonist and other characters have a new sense of who they really are; Compare the prior journeyman to the current master

Characters already in place: Ron
Characters leaving:

Beat 27 spanning from 90 percent to 100 percent in Act 3

Climax Level 1; Remove Highest Hurdle; Take On The General
Describe the resolution in terms of the theme; This is the conflict between the warring Generals personality

Characters already in place: Hermione
Characters leaving:

Beat 28 spanning from 99 percent to 100 percent in Act 3

The New Risk Zone; The New Danger Zone
Hint of new regions of growth or stagnation

Characters already in place: Harry
Characters entering: Hagrid
Characters leaving: Hagrid and Dumbledore

Strategies

To this point, the ship of The Order of the Phoenix has been rechristened to a title in my X-Division Assignment series.  A new crew has signed on.  Some of their jobs are plotted, some still have vestiges of the old crew’s assignments.  A new course has been set, but we may still be sailing in the fog—the distracting elements of Harry Potter linger.  And yet and all, An Author’s Inspiration accepts everything as if it were your intention, and it satisfies its purpose in integrating everything into a comprehensive outline.

Here is where strategy emerges.  A lot of rough edges, as you find them in the outline, sets an agenda for future shifts of character, coloring of setting, or stressing the plot.  Some of the distracting elements are inconsequential compared to the glaring clashes that pop out.

The inconsequential can be left unedited.  This is because they may disappear entirely (either in the original or in their early edit) when a major clash is resolved.  For me, it is better to resolve the major clash first.  Even the minor psychological traits of my characters go unedited in the early transformation away from The Order of the Phoenix.

So, that leaves my attention on the glaring clashes.  A clash can by a warning signal that escaped my attention while I was fantasizing how wonderful my story was.  Equally, a clash can simply be the POV (point of view character) is wrong.  One is a simple mechanical fix, like change the POV.  The other can be a complex psychological solution, a tangle of knots to be untied through assigning the correct community to my character (the character’s follower, partner, nemesis, and so on).

A clash can arrive where in the first crisis I have put to much stress on my hero so that the climax seems tepid in comparison.  This is typically a story.plot editing issue, but it may also reveal a poorly described character—or a very serious problem where both files are fighting each other.  A similar clash can arrive in the form that my climax arrives halfway through my intended book length (it normally arrives much later) and leaves my characters depleted and lost in the vastness of celebrating victory too soon.  This is an equally serious problem that will be laid out baldly in the outline.

These choices and changes relate to strategy where the writer can focus their tactical choices in the progression of beats that all add to a successful campaign at the end of the story.

This also brings me to my Aha! moments as they were inspired through my observations in developing my own works.  Their description will follow.

Refinements

So, to this point, much of the how and why of An Author’s Inspiration is superficial and mechanical.  As the saying goes, however, the Devil’s in the details—so is the inspiration of developing character, plot and story-line.

Once story.plot has had all traces of Harry Potter characters by name removed, then their character files can be removed from the work folder.  This instruction is also mechanical in nature, but it reduces the clutter of their hanging around in the outline and distracting you from your own work.  Run An Author’s Inspiration to confirm the removal of all these character files has resulted in a generated outline containing only your characters.

However, removing these files may not remove all traces of the old Harry Potter characters from the outline.  That is because they probably live on inside your character files that were copied to your purposes.  That is, your heroine of Francesca may still follow Dumbledore, she may, in turn, be followed by Ron Weasley, and so on.  These old characters (now unsupported by character files) persist because you will not have adequately edited the contents of Francesca.character.  These rough edges survive and do nothing to derail the generation of the outline, but neither do they move the plot forward.

The take-home is that a lot of debris from the old outline lives on, but is easily changed to match your vision of your character in your plot design of your original story.  This is done in field edits of the Francesca.character file and story.plot.

As I move through the routine of recasting from a story from The Order of the Phoenix to one of my own in my X-Division Assignment series, I have the options of renaming characters, changing the plot, changing the setting, and more.  Or, I can do a wholesale restart, from the ground up, so to speak.

Well, as practiced as I am at using my software (I did this once, after all, for TOOTP), I’ve also encountered the astonishing mess that can come from wholesale changes.  For sanity’s sake, let’s step away from massive shifts toward slight modifications of the characters supplied in the distribution of An Author’s Inspiration.

One at a time, I add my own characters and run An Author’s Inspiration to test how the new character fits into the generated outline.  If all goes well, I add another.  Repeating this process brings in a new cast who has yet to be integrated into the plot, but I am safe with my characters, as far as they go (possibly because they were cut and pastes over duplicates of the Harry Potter characters).

So, for those that need clear directions: copy (duplicate) one of the The Order of the Phoenix characters into a new character file.  For instance, if your heroine is called Francesca, take Harry.character and copy it to Francesca.character.  That alone is sufficient for your first move.  Leave Harry.character alone (it will be removed later).  From there, second and following moves all go to editing the contents of Francesca.character to match the characteristics you think Francesca exhibits (or hides).

Repeat the paragraph above for each of your other characters.  Feel free to re-brand Harry Potter character files with your own characters as that seems natural.  In time, and through your editing of them, these original characters will fade away to leave the flower of your creation to blossom.

The next step is to put those characters into story.plot, a configurable file that the writer edits to describe setting and plot points across 29 beats.

For those that need clear directions: edit story.plot so that it contains your character names (replace Harry Potter character names with your character names).  That alone is sufficient for your first move with this file.  At this time, ignore all other entries—leave them alone for now.  Run An Author’s Inspiration to test how the new story.plot fits into the generated outline.

These steps alone are sufficient to turn the ship of The Order of the Phoenix onto a new course toward my X-Division Assignment series’ destination.  The outline generated by An Author’s Inspiration still reveals many of the Harry Potter characters and plot situations, but like a suntan in late September, that will fade as we progress through owning the final outline.

Those refinements, and the strategies involved will follow.

With the background established, I move on to my own experience using An Author’s Inspiration.  As I am also the designer, it allows me to adjust the design of the software to suit short-falls, add flexibility, and to create new features that were unanticipated during early stages.

The first thing that hit me was about the design at a fundamental level.  I had planned on the writer having the ability to write free form notes into unlimited text fields.  Unfortunately, that design has constraints.  The writer cannot use punctuation in this text (that made it easy to write the code).  However, I as the writer need the ability to separate ideas into sentences, and this put demands upon me as the designer to step up to the plate to make that happen at a very fundamental level.

So, the first lesson of using my own software is to add a robust method to allow me to enter complete paragraphs with punctuated sentences into the text field.  This will be mildly complex, and demand deep testing as changes at the fundamental level can cast dramatic problems into what should be high level subtleties.

I have decided to start a journal to express the Aha! moments that are arriving now.  However, some background is needed to say how I got to such moments.

I have put in roughly six months (or 1,000 hours) of design and development of the idea I call An Author’s Inspiration.  In fair market prices for a senior software developer, that would bill out at $80,000.  There is more design and coding to go, but I am at a beta release version of 0.7 that suits many functions I set out to achieve.  Going the distance from beta release version 0.7 to product release version 1.0 places new appeals to my designer’s inspiration.

I am currently re-purposing my beta for use in my own fiction writing, and I am discovering short-falls of design.  In the culture of software design, using my own product is know as “eating your own dog food.”  That is, in my release package, I have files designed specifically for Harry Potter in The Order of the Phoenix.  I am not writing a Harry Potter story.  As needs must, I have to replace those configurable files with files that describe my own story with its own characters.

Currently, beta version 0.7 does that very well.  That is, An Author’s Inspiration has exceptional flexibility, allowing for many levels of character and plot invention and tailoring by the writer.  It presents the writer’s effort with a fully fleshed out psychological tone map of their story in a linear outline format.

And on this point of tone map my design effort turns (and eating my own dog food emerges).  As I modify the distribution files I am beginning to see the shape of how I might proceed outside of the forced linearity of the process.  Fortunately, An Author’s Inspiration‘s flexibility allows the writer to leave out many details, and develop them later.  I designed that feature deliberately, and as a writer using An Author’s Inspiration, I find it brings me considerable relief not to have to decide every character trait from the outset.

More to follow.