Vonda Skelton - Christian Speaker, Author, and Funny Lady

Last week Pepper Basham wrote a blog post about plotting over at her group blog, The Writers Alley. Since I’m at the Gideon Media Arts Conference and Film Festival this week, this is a good time to focus on movies and plotting. Thank you for sharing it with us here at the Christian Writer’s Den, Pepper!

Plot Points with Indiana Jones by Pepper Basham

Okay, so put on your brown Fedora, pick up your whip, don your best sarcasm, and watch out for snakes, because we’re going to look at Plotting Tips from Indiana Jones.

Not your typical movie for plot points, but I like being unique – and I’m a big Indie-fan. I particularly want to focus on movies 1 and 3 (the other two weren’t all that great IMO) – but Indie’s premiere movie and especially The Last Crusade have some great plotpoints to teach.

Why do we like Indiana Jones? (besides the obvious or at least, why do we find Indiana memorable?

I think there are lots of reasons: Indy is a strong character. He has a sense of humor, is confident, an expert in something, and he’s quick to risk himself to save others – he’s also vulnerable and flawed. Which make this ‘larger than life’ character more believable. But another reason why I LOVE the Indiana Jones movies is because of the plot – (the action, adventure, suspense, and world travel

Let’s start from the beginning – How do we meet him? In the opening scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark, our whip wielding hero is walking through a jungle in search of a cave with a golden idol, a historical artifact. There is a feeling of danger. Uncertainty. Foreboding.

Within the first 10 minutes of the movie, Indy is nearly shot with a pistol, jabbed with a poisonous dart, dropped into a deep cavern, flattened by a rock wall, and squashed by a giant boulder. He’s had to use his expertise in archeology to get through booby traps, save treacherous guide’s life twice, outwit his nemesis, while sporting his sense of humor. Whew…what a beginning!

Most stories don’t start off with this much action – except maybe Mary Connealy, Brandilyn Collins or Steven James’ stories. Many novels begin with proposing a sense of uncertainty to the reader – whether it is by peril, attraction, or change.

But action alone doesn’t make a great story. Or perhaps I should rephrase this statement-

meaningful action makes a great story (and action can take both external and internal forms)

Most people will say that fabulous characters drive a plot line. Yes – that’s true. Fabulous characters are the heartbeat to a good story, but plot is the pathways by which the characters give life to the story.

In fact, I like to refer to plot as the character of the story.

Is your plot an aggressive character? Furious? Serious? Funny? Suspenseful?

Does it grow and expand like any good character should?

So how do we string meaningful action together to make a lingering plot?

1. Begin with a BANG. HOOK the reader.

Indie movies have no trouble offering a beginning ‘hook’. All stories need to be ‘caught’ by the story from the very beginning.

2. Don’t just keep the reader on his/her toes, but give the characters a purpose that drives the story.

A plot is usually built around a bigger story. In Indiana Jones, the overarching problem is that Adolph Hitler wants to rule the world and one of the ways in which he’s seeking world domination is through the collection of religious artifacts. His hunt is the catalyst that initiates Raiders of the Lost Ark.

It’s true for most stories. There is an overarching event driving the plotline.

In Ruth Logan Herne’s newest novel, Small Town Hearts, the overarching external goal was establish a candy store – but this goal drove the plotline throughout the story.

The reason I like Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade more than any other Indie movie is because (along with the hooks, cliffhangers, plot turns and such) there is a deeper character development. A deeper story of healing between Indie and his father, as well as a deeper growth inside Indiana. It’s almost like a discovery of what true ‘worth’ really is.

3. Enhance your characters through a perfectly placed plot

Plots usually bring out a characters past wounds for them to battle or reconcile. For Indie, it’s either his past with Marion or his hurt with his father.

Plots initially ask questions that we answer throughout the story. First questions: Who is this guy?

What’s he doing? Why is he doing it?

Then the questions become more complex – how will he solve this external goal? The internal one?

A good plot keeps the viewer/reader constantly asking new questions.

How will he get out of this? Will Marion and Indie survive, let alone be together? How will he save his father’s life? Who is the traitor? What will Indy choose, the grail or his life?

As long as the questions keep popping in the reader/viewer’s brain – they’ll stay engaged in the story.

Plots stretch our characters into someone new and better.

Good plots put your characters in places that challenge who they are, what they believe, and maybe even their physical stamina. There are lots of life-threatening situations that take place in Indiana Jones movies such as gunfights, fistfights, boat fights, car fights, burning Scottish castles…you know, the regular stuff But even if you don’t use such action-packed situations in your novel, you can still place your characters in plot situations that stretch them.

When our characters are challenged, we watch them grow.

Plotpoints to remember:

1. Frame your scenes (or chapters) with hooks. Catch your reader with a hook at the beginning and then leave them wanting more at the end. (I love trying to do this for EVERY chapter. So much fun)

2. Shove your characters out of their nice, predictable lives into a new adventure, discovery, opportunity, or trial. (in the Last Crusade it’s when Indie finds out his father has ‘disappeared’ and he’s forced to make a decision to rescue him)

3. Build the conflict as the story grows. The best stories have both internal and external conflict building at the same time and meet at the climax of the novel. In the Last Crusade, it’s when Indy’s father is shot and Indie must test himself and his faith to save him.

4. Embrace the unexpected – unexpected turns in the story increase interest and tension. Most authors wil
l tell you to send your characters in places they would never choose to go – or to make choices they would never make on their own.

5. Character is built through trial – Your plotline has to place your characters in situations where their personalities go deeper than the superficial. Remember, most times we’re only shooting for a happy ENDING – the rest of the story needs to stretch those characters to their limits and beyond. The most memorable characters were forced into change and self-reflection due to circumstances.

And for fun – I found a great blog post called The Indiana Jones Guild to Achieving Your Goals.

And you can purchase your very own Indiana Jones hat at

Thanks for joining us Pepper. Here’s more about Pepper and her writing:

Pepper D. Basham – Pepper is a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, mom of five, pastor’s wife, and university instructor. When she’s not sleeping, she’s creating fictional worlds where good defeats evil, laughter reigns, and adventure thrives. She won the Award of Excellence at BRMCWC in 2009, the inspirational category of the TARA in 2010, and is a double-finalist in the Genesis for 2011.

Here is her current motto: “Three things are necessary, four are required: God’s grace, a sense of humor, children’s hugs, and good chocolate. Everything else is secondary.”

She writes stories (in various genres) that are peppered with grace and a dash of humor.

You can learn more about Pepper from her personal blog, Words Seasoned With Salt or at her group writing blog, The Writers Alley.

(Images courtesy of )

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Kudos for the Christian Writer’s Den Gang!

Congratulations to these writers. Their hard work is paying off!

1. Cheryl Barker (KS): My piece “For My Amazing Mom” is the featured piece for October in the 2012 Blue Mountain Arts calendar of the same name (already in stores). The calendar is pictured halfway down and to the right on the Blue Mountain Arts webpage. 
2. Cathy Baker (SC): Focus on the Family’s Thriving Family will publish a small article about tweens and lying, tentatively scheduled to post to in November.
3. Jeanne Doyon (CT): The editor from Crosswalk.com emailed and asked to use my last blog post on the women’s page, Stepping Under God’s Macro Lens.
4. Heather Allen (MI) I signed an agreement to write for The Christian Pulse website for one year. I submit one article each month and write under the category of Christian Life.
5. Marcia Moston (SC): Women of Faith writing contest winning book,
   Call of a Coward, is now out in print and available at online retailers or Westbow press. You can read the Westbow press release here.