Plotting your way out of Writer's Block

Hi everyone - I just finished this great tape last night that a friend of mine let me borrow, and just thought that I would share some of the informative tidbits that I learned for any writers out there!
The tape is a recording of Carolyn Green's workshop at one of the RWA Nationals titled "Plot your way through writer's block"

Understanding Plot Structure

(read "The Hero's Journey" by Christopher Vogler - explains specific steps in a story)

1) Start with an inciting incident - (open the can of worms) - that draws the reader into the story.
Middle of story - reader expects that character(s) will already have overcome a series of obstacles.
End of story - give character(s) a dark moment and foce them to make a difficult choice which shows how strong the character has become throughout course of events in the story.

2) Plot out the "big points", then fill in - work toward big events in book.

3) Make a little storyboard that has chapters broken down / goes through each scene in the chapters - (Carolyn only plots roughly 3 scenes per chapter)
Each scent - know "what is the emotional significance? " / meaning what is the character going through emotionally that leads them to the next chapter. (If you don't know what the emotional significance is, perhaps that scene does not belong.)

4) Plot events that grow from the characters - have 3 traits to describe each character
Example - 2 adjectives and 1 noun
List positives and negatives of each trait.
List ways that you can show character traits in your story.
Example: Disorganized - character has notes stuffed in her pockets / strings tied around fingers / ect. - using that trait in story - she drops stuff on the floor.
Using these can help to give ideas of things that can happen in your story which are "believeable" .

5) Give the character an irony (quirk) - something that doesn't quite fit the character traits.
Example: Disorganized - maybe character is that way at home, but at work, he/she may be the most efficient secretary.
Doesn't fit, but makes them seem real.

6) Idea to Use - Linda Lael Miller's & Debbie MaComber's "LIST OF 20"
List 20 things that can happen in your story - (80-90% will probably be dumb / cliche stuff, but after some silly ideas, really dig in - you'll see twists appearing and ideas that can be used).
List 20 things to show your hero being heroic / heroine being adorable / villian being crafty.
Think about what you want your characters to do and ways that you can show that.
List ways you can show characters oppositeness - (good for romantic conflict).

List ways characters can fall in love. Think of ways characters can fall in love based on four areas: Physical, Intellectual, Social, and Spiritual
Examples:
Physical: outside in park, starts downpouring, characters are running / falling in the mud, and kissing in the rain.
Intellectual: hero has security system, he takes heroine on a tour of building explaining what he does in his job, trusting her with info, etc.
Social: see him interacting with classroom full of kindergarten students - heroine believes him to be wonderful one-on-one, but at a party, he's a flop. Shows heroine something about him with children.
Spiritual: heroine never kills anything (not even a bug). Characters having a picnic, ants walking by - hero realizes there's an ant in her hair, takes ant and puts it with rest of ants. Shows her a bonding on one type of level with him.

9) Coming up with scenes beforehand:
write up a scene card the night before of what you want to write the next day
(On card: working title, place, time, date, and weather - chaper & scene #, paradim element (middle, end, dark moment, etc.) and scene catalyst (link that carries your scene from one to the next).

10) POV Character - pick and describe who you start with.
Scene goal - (what is the character's goal? What's the prize if he/she achieves the goal? What's at stake if he/she loses it? What does he/she have now that he/she didn't have at the beginning of the scene? How does this character feel about it?)

Switch to next character POV for next scene - (see questions above) - end with a decision that carries you into the next scene or a future one.

11) Conflict is falling flat? Tips:
A) Raise the stakes / Increase the risks for the characters
B) Increase the price of failure (make bad thing even worse)
C) Increase the price for success (what could be better?)
D) Set the clock ticking - give character a reason that it has to be done NOW.

Carolyn Green's website is www.theplotdoctor. com.

Thanks,
Shannon