All About the Lester Dent Master Plot Formula: Step-by-Step Story Creation

Doc Savage #1, March 1933.

Lester Dent was the creator of the classic pulp-fiction hero, Doc Savage, and a powerful story-creation formula, The Lester Dent Master Fiction Plot, published in 1939. I’ve presented it below, fleshing it out where needed with my own commentary.

From here on out, Dent’s words are shown in normal text, while mine are in italics.

The Lester Dent Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot

This is a formula, a master plot, for any 6,000-word pulp story. It has worked on adventure, detective, western, and war/air. It tells exactly where to put everything. It shows definitely just what must happen in each successive thousand words. Continue reading “All About the Lester Dent Master Plot Formula: Step-by-Step Story Creation”

Episode 23 of Silver Buckshot: Altar Ego

Photo credit: The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

It’s Sunday, so an innocent trip to church is in order for Princess Flavia and her boyfriend, Frank. It’ll be fine: hardly life-threatening at all. Just because the king brought along a mysterious second limousine with unknown occupants behind its dark windows doesn’t mean he’s bringing along a SWAT team just in case! Nothing to see here, citizens.

Last episode, Frank admitted to being upset that his vampire pals Maria and Charlotte can’t come anywhere near a church. Upset at the churches, not his pals. How will he behave during the service?

Find out in Episode 23: Altar Ego.

See also my main story post for Silver Buckshot or jump right into Episode 1 on Kindle Vella.

Episode 22 of Silver Buckshot: Youngest Profession

Secrets are revealed in Episode 22 of Silver Buckshot, Youngest Profession. What are they? It’s a secret!

One thing that Frank lets slip is that when he writes to his parents, his letters are in code, but Flavia can’t watch this interesting process because he’s under orders not to let anyone see the code book. A code book! It’s like being in a spy novel!

See also my main story post for Silver Buckshot or jump right into Episode 1 on Kindle Vella.

Robert Plamondon’s Fiction

I put my fiction writing tips in this blog and also talk about my fiction.

I have two complete novels out: One Survivor (a space opera) and Silver Buckshot (a romantic urban fantasy thriller with extra banter), and others in the works. This site talks about my stories and also about fiction writing in general.

My fiction writing tips are collected here.

Silver Buckshot: Magic, Mystery, and a Most Aggravating Boyfriend

Originally serialized on the now-defunct Kindle Vella platform. Now available in paperback and Kindle.

Silver Buckshot is available in paperback and Kindle.

Thirteen-year-old Princess Flavia has endured a lot recently. Polio crippled her legs and killed her mother, her father is sunk in grief, and her servants veer between negligence and cruelty. She takes refuge in her books and never complains.

But she draws the line at being murdered. Fourteen-year-old Frank Barron, a contender for the most aggravating boy in the universe, conceals her when the shooting starts. This is no accident: a letter told him what to do. It’s signed, “Love, Flavia.” She has no memory of it, and, anyway, she can’t tell the future! Or fall in love. Can she?

Continue reading “Robert Plamondon’s Fiction”