The

Lester Dent Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot

This is a formula, a master plot, for any 6000 word pulp the matter?" He looks in the book and finds, "El khabar,
story. It has worked on adventure, detective, western and eyh?" To keep the reader from getting dizzy, it's perhaps
war-air. It tells exactly where to put everything. It shows wise to make it clear in some fashion, just what that
definitely just what must happen in each successive means. Occasionally the text will tell this, or someone can
thousand words.
repeat it in English. But it's a doubtful move to stop and tell
the reader in so many words the English translation.

No yarn of mine written to the formula has yet failed to sell.

The writer learns they have palm trees in Egypt. He looks in

The business of building stories seems not much dierent the book, finds the Egyptian for palm trees, and uses that.
from the business of building anything else.
This kids editors and readers into thinking he knows
something about Egypt.

Here's how it starts:

Here's the second installment of the master plot.

1. A DIFFERENT MURDER METHOD FOR VILLAIN

TO USE
Divide the 6000 word yarn into four 1500 word parts. In
2. A DIFFERENT THING FOR VILLAIN TO BE each 1500 word part, put the following:

SEEKING

3. A DIFFERENT LOCALE
* * *

4. A MENACE WHICH IS TO HANG LIKE A CLOUD

OVER HERO
FIRST 1500 WORDS

One of these DIFFERENT things would be nice, two better, 1--First line, or as near thereto as possible,
three swell. It may help if they are fully in mind before introduce the hero and swat him with a fistful of
tackling the rest.
trouble. Hint at a mystery, a menace or a problem to
be solved--something the hero has to cope with.

A dierent murder method could be--dierent. Thinking of

shooting, knifing, hydrocyanic, garroting, poison needles, 2--The hero pitches in to cope with his fistful of
scorpions, a few others, and writing them on paper gets trouble. (He tries to fathom the mystery, defeat the
them where they may suggest something. Scorpions and menace, or solve the problem.)

their poison bite? Maybe mosquitos or flies treated with

deadly germs?
3--Introduce ALL the other characters as soon as
possible. Bring them on in action.

If the victims are killed by ordinary methods, but found

under strange and identical circumstances each time, it 4--Hero's endevours land him in an actual physical
might serve, the reader of course not knowing until the end, conflict near the end of the first 1500 words.

that the method of murder is ordinary.

5--Near the end of first 1500 words, there is a

Scribes who have their villain's victims found with complete surprise twist in the plot development.

butterflies, spiders or bats stamped on them could

conceivably be flirting with this gag.
SO FAR: Does it have SUSPENSE?

Is there a MENACE to the hero?

Probably it won't do a lot of good to be too odd, fanciful or Does everything happen logically?

grotesque with murder methods.

At this point, it might help to recall that action should do

The dierent thing for the villain to be after might be something besides advance the hero over the scenery.
something other than jewels, the stolen bank loot, the Suppose the hero has learned the dastards of villains have
pearls, or some other old ones.
seized somebody named Eloise, who can explain the
secret of what is behind all these sinister events. The hero
Here, again one might get too bizarre.
corners villains, they fight, and villains get away. Not so
hot.

Unique locale? Easy. Selecting one that fits in with the

murder method and the treasure--thing that villain wants-- Hero should accomplish something with his tearing around,
makes it simpler, and it's also nice to use a familiar one, a if only to rescue Eloise, and surprise! Eloise is a ring-tailed
place where you've lived or worked. So many pulpateers monkey. The hero counts the rings on Eloise's tail, if
don't. It sometimes saves embarrassment to know nearly nothing better comes to mind.

as much about the locale as the editor, or enough to fool

him.
They're not real. The rings are painted there. Why?

Here's a nifty much used in faking local color. For a story

laid in Egypt, say, author finds a book titled
"Conversational Egyptian Easily Learned," or something
like that. He wants a character to ask in Egyptian, "What's

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 The Lester Dent Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot

SECOND 1500 WORDS These outlines or master formulas are only something to
make you certain of inserting some physical conflict, and
1--Shovel more grief onto the hero.
some genuine plot twists, with a little suspense and
menace thrown in. Without them, there is no pulp story.

2--Hero, being heroic, struggles, and his struggles

lead up to:
These physical conflicts in each part might be DIFFERENT,
too. If one fight is with fists, that can take care of the
3--Another physical conflict.
pugilism until next the next yarn. Same for poison gas and
swords. There may, naturally, be exceptions. A hero with a
4--A surprising plot twist to end the 1500 words.
peculiar punch, or a quick draw, might use it more than
once.

NOW: Does second part have SUSPENSE?

Does the MENACE grow like a black cloud?

The idea is to avoid monotony.

Is the hero getting it in the neck?

Is the second part logical?

ACTION:

Vivid, swift, no words wasted. Create suspense, make the

DON'T TELL ABOUT IT***Show how the thing looked. This reader see and feel the action.

is one of the secrets of writing; never tell the reader--show

him. (He trembles, roving eyes, slackened jaw, and such.) ATMOSPHERE:

MAKE THE READER SEE HIM.

Hear, smell, see, feel and taste.

When writing, it helps to get at least one minor surprise to DESCRIPTION:

the printed page. It is reasonable to to expect these minor Trees, wind, scenery and water.

surprises to sort of inveigle the reader into keeping on.

They need not be such profound eorts. One method of THE SECRET OF ALL WRITING IS TO MAKE EVERY
accomplishing one now and then is to be gently WORD COUNT.

misleading. Hero is examining the murder room. The door

behind him begins slowly to open. He does not see it. He
conducts his examination blissfully. Door eases open, FOURTH 1500 WORDS
wider and wider, until--surprise! The glass pane falls out of
the big window across the room. It must have fallen slowly, 1--Shovel the diculties more thickly upon the hero.

and air blowing into the room caused the door to open.
Then what the heck made the pane fall so slowly? More 2--Get the hero almost buried in his troubles.
mystery.
(Figuratively, the villain has him prisoner and has
him framed for a murder rap; the girl is presumably
Characterizing a story actor consists of giving him some dead, everything is lost, and the DIFFERENT murder
things which make him stick in the reader's mind. TAG method is about to dispose of the suering
HIM.
protagonist.)

BUILD YOUR PLOTS SO THAT ACTION CAN BE 3--The hero extricates himself using HIS OWN
CONTINUOUS.
SKILL, training or brawn.

4--The mysteries remaining--one big one held over

THIRD 1500 WORDS to this point will help grip interest--are cleared up in
course of final conflict as hero takes

1--Shovel the grief onto the hero.

the situation in hand.

2--Hero makes some headway, and corners the 5--Final twist, a big surprise, (This can be the villain
villain or somebody in:
turning out to be the unexpected person, having the
"Treasure" be a dud, etc.)

3--A physical conflict.

6--The snapper, the punch line to end it.

4--A surprising plot twist, in which the hero

preferably gets it in the neck bad, to end the 1500 HAS: The SUSPENSE held out to the last line?

words.
The MENACE held out to the last?

Everything been explained?

DOES: It still have SUSPENSE?

It all happen logically?

The MENACE getting blacker?

Is the Punch Line enough to leave the reader with that
The hero finds himself in a hell of a fix?
WARM FEELING?

It all happens logically?

Did God kill the villain? Or the hero?

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