Plot Dissection: Me Before You

In an effort to become less of an idiot regarding plot structure and, in general, how stories work, I have embarked on a journey of discovery: reading fiction and sussing out their plots through my careful note-taking.  

The second book: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Spoiler Alert: The plot is completely revealed below.

First, a quick review:

Me Before You kept me reading.  I found myself cheering for Lou, wanting her to succeed in her quest to save Will from his suicidal plan. It was an easy read and had some light politicization regarding euthanasia, but it was mostly a love story that even got this hardened husk of a woman to shed a tear at the end. Moyes knows what she's doing.  Four stars on GoodReads--it's not fine literature, but it was good.

Now, for the dissection.  First, thank you to Jane K. Cleland's Mastering Suspense Structure and Plot for the following initial factors to think out when considering plot:

Protagonist Motivation: Lou; to make Will ant to live

Antagonist Motivation: Will; to die

Narrative Question: Will Lou save Will and, by extension, herself?

Theme: Choosing to live

Setting: Small town England

Structure: Chronological, over six months

Pace: Steady

Suspense: Will Lou and Will fall in love?  Will Will (I know, but I didn't name the character!) find a reason to live? Will Lou find herself?

Next, the plot analysis, with plot points as outlined in the webpage The Eight Sequences compliments of ScriptLab.  Now, there are lots of different names for these major plot points, but I found this one easy to follow and relevant for novels, even though it's for script writing.  Here it is:

ACT I

Status Quo: Prologue of Will before the accident.  In the present, Lou loses her job.  There are many complicated factors at home (she lives with her mother, father, grandfather, sister, and nephew), the biggest of which being money problems.

Inciting Incident:  Gets a job caring for Will

Predicament: Things are complicated for Lou: she doesn't know what she wants from life.  As for Will, he's attempted suicide.

Lock-In: We find out Will wants to exercise his right to die (28% into the book).

ACT II

First Obstacle: Lou quits the job--she can't be a part of this. Will's mother convince her to stay.

Raising the Stakes: Lou will stay and launches a plan to make Will want to live.

First Culmination/Midpoint: They go to the horse race track, and it's pretty terrible.  Will is angry that no one ever asks him what HE wants. (43% into the book)

Subplot: Flashback to Lou's rape.

Rising Action: Good times happen (the symphony, her birthday party, getting tattoos, bonding over the maze when Lou tells Will about the rape, go to a wedding together, and decide to go on vacation together).  There are complicating factors, too, such as Lou's love life with her boyfriend, Patrick, and the overriding sense that time for Will is running out.

Main Culmination: Lou admits her feelings for Will to her sister, and Lou and Patrick break up.

END of Act II: Will lands in the hospital with pneumonia (80% into book).

ACT III

New Tension: They go on a tropical island vacation.  It's amazing.  Lou tells Will how she feels about him.

Twist: Will still wants to die and wants Lou to be there with him.

Resolution: Lou refuses to go but on the day of, gets summoned there by Mrs. Traynor.  She sees Will and they share a tender time, but she's accepted his decision to die, and he does.  She starts her new life.

THE END.

Plot Dissection: Good in Bed

In an effort to become less of an idiot regarding plot structure and, in general, how stories work, I have embarked on a journey of discovery: reading fiction and sussing out their plots through my careful note-taking.  

The first book: Good in Bed by Jennifer Wiener

Spoiler Alert: The plot is completely revealed below.

First, a quick review:

Good in Bed is the second book I've read authored by Wiener, the first being her recent memoir, Hungry Heart, which I loved.  I was shocked reading Good in Bed and how closely it paralleled Wiener's own biography, from her fat-shamed self to her father issues and lesbian mother to her slacker boyfriend and seriously attention-seeking sister.  Of course, there were differences, but the novel itself felt about fifty pages too long.  I gave it two stars on GoodReads.  A little harsh, yes, but honest.  It just wasn't that good (in bed or otherwise) because it was too slow.

Now, for the dissection.  First, thank you to Jane K. Cleland's Mastering Suspense Structure and Plot for the following initial factors to think out when considering plot:

Protagonist Motivation: Cannie; to get Bruce back (find love)

Antagonist Motivation: Bruce; to move on

Narrative Question: Will Cannie learn to love herself?

Theme: Growing into self-acceptance

Setting: Philadelphia

Structure: Chronological: over a year or so

Pace: Steady (a bit slow)

Suspense: Will Cannie get Bruce back?  Will she learn to love herself and, in turn, find love?

Next, the plot analysis, with plot points as outlined in the webpage The Eight Sequences compliments of ScriptLab.  Now, there are lots of different names for these major plot points, but I found this one easy to follow and relevant for novels, even though it's for script writing.  Here it is:

ACT I

Status Quo/Inciting Incident:  Cannie, newly single, reads an article in a magazine by her ex about their (ahem, sexual) relationship that mortifies her.

Predicament: She still wants to be with Bruce.  She also feels terrible about about herself and has a complicated past (and present!) with her family.

Lock-In: Bruce's dad dies (23% into the book).

ACT II

First Obstacle: Bruce and Cannie have a one-night stand after the funeral.

Raising the Stakes: Flashback of serious father issues.

First Culmination/Midpoint: Bruce is dating another woman.  Cannie is pregnant (45% into book)

Subplot: History of Cannie's mother and her partner, Tanya; spending Thanksgiving with the family.

Rising Action: Decides to keep the baby.  She tells people and writes a letter to Bruce (with no response), but things are looking positive.

Main Culmination: Goes to California after selling her screenplay and has a great time, but then she sees and is disappointed by her father who abandoned his family long ago.

END of Act II: Back in Philadelphia, Cannie sees Bruce and the new girlfriend in the airport.  They have a fight, and she falls and blacks out (83% into book).

ACT III

New Tension: The baby is born prematurely; will she live?

Twist: Cannie is experiencing serious depression.

Resolution: Dr. K and Cannie fall in love, and they live happily ever after.

THE END.