The structure of Oz

In her book on writing Ariel Gore uses The Wizard of Oz to illustrate “the classic five-act” structure for a novel. She calls it “the traditional Western male story structure that so much of modern prose relies on.”

Act I : “This is your background … This act shows your character in her known world, in her daily life, in her culture or subculture. This is Dorothy in Kansas before the tornado.”

Act II : “Your character faces a crisis and leaves something that is known for something that is unknown. … This is Dorothy landing in Oz.”

Act III : “This act introduces a complication or further conflict. Here your character faces tests, bumps in the road, a temptation or distraction from the goal. … This is Dorothy crossing a fast-moving river, falling asleep in the poppy field, seeking an audience with the Wizard.”

Act IV : “In this act, it appears that the forces of ‘evil’ will win out, the character will never reach her destination … Total defeat. The Wizard is a fraud.”

Act V : “There is a turn of events … that enables your character to resolve the problem, get to her destination or home again. … Dorothy realizes she has what she needs within herself to get home. Tap, tap, tap.”

Ariel Gore mixes up the original L. Frank Baum novel and the MGM movie adaptation somewhat. There’s no fast-moving river in the movie, but there is in the novel. There is no realization in the novel that Dorothy has always had everything she needs to get home. But it does take a sorceress to tell her the silver shoes will get her there, the very shoes she’s been wearing ever since she shook the dust of the Wicked Witch of the East out of them. Her companions, the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion, are the ones who already had what they needed within themselves.  

source:

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead

by Ariel Gore

2007. Three Rivers Press / Crown Publishing / Random House

“make it impossible”

In an interview with a book editor, Ariel Gore asks for tips on the kind of query they would like to see. 

The editor shakes their head at “sloppy” authors who don’t “really put a lot of time and effort into making the best impression.” The editor goes on, “The sad truth is that, like everyone else, agents and editors are busy, and as much as we want to find the next book we can’t turn down, there is such a high volume of material coming in that it’s easier to find reasons to say no than to say yes.”

The editor concludes, “The author’s job is to make it impossible for us to say no.”

That’s what the author’s job is. The book is obviously secondary. You’d better be good at sales, author. You’d better be a real salesman. 

None of this is a new information. Since I was a kid I’ve been reading books on how to be a writer and achieve publication. But this is one of those things about being an author that I find discouraging. Sales. I’m no good at sales. 

The editor’s obvious disgust for authors is offputting, too. I get it. Editors are overwhelmed by the mass of manuscript that comes their way. On their bad days they’d prefer 99% of the hopefuls clogging their in-box would just drop dead. In order to stand out you’d better be good at jumping up and down on the page and shouting in just that way that demonstrates your brilliance, the million-selling potential of your product, your obedient and marketable personality, etc. 

I like to write. I get a lot of value out of it. Having written interesting things, I would like to find a publisher for them. But the sort of advice the editor is dishing up always depresses me. Make it impossible, they say. But that seems to be their job.

source:

How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead

by Ariel Gore

2007. Three Rivers Press / Crown Publishing / Random House