Novel Writing: The Rainbow Method

Greetings, Wizard Writers!

Over the course of my time in the M.A. program for creative writing, I came to understand that (with the exception of writing workshops and literature courses), we were basically learning the same literary elements module to module. I thought about my blog followers often, and how to send all of this information over, because, let’s face it: it’s just the same repetitive list, easy to follow for those already writing their short stories and novels. To that end, I have devised The Rainbow Method of Novel Writing, which includes all the literary elements in spectrum form so that you can familiarize yourself with them and utilize them in easy ways. All of these components should come together for you as you pen (or type) your novels. The colors should also serve as a checklist for completed novels. 

Red

PLOT

Because red is the color of energy and motion—the heart of something—I’m using the first color of the rainbow to denote plot in novel writing. Plot is the action in the story, the beating heart and pulse, the physical movement that takes the protagonist on a journey from beginning to end. When looking over your manuscript, short story, or when you’re in the outlining phase, use this color to remind you of plot and action in your story. 

Orange

CHARACTERS

Orange is the color of creativity, vibrance, fire, and uniqueness. Therefore, I’m devoting the color orange to characters in a story. Without characters, every story would fall flat. Characters provide the spark in a story, and should be created from your unique imagination (joining with the imagination of your readers). Characters should be vibrant—like the color orange—and leap off the page. Use the color orange to remember characterization in your writing projects.

Yellow

DIALOGUE

The color yellow represents many things, from the middle or “gut” of something to intelligence and lively communication. It’s the color of spontaneity and energy, therefore, it seems fitting to assign yellow to the literary element dialogue. When we think about writing dialogue, we consider voice and meaning and the energy of a character—how they get their thoughts across to other characters and the reader. It’s also an active color, one that melds well with the purpose of dialogue: to move a plot along. 

Green

SETTING

Trees, grass, islands, nature . . . all of this brings forth a sense of place and setting. Therefore green, the color of land and the symbol of environment, seems the most fitting to help us remember to include vast vegetative settings in our stories. Green is also the color of growth, so we can use it to remind us that the setting often reveals other literary elements in a story, including character and how they might grow and move throughout a story. Connecting the color green with setting can allow you to start in one place and end in another. 

Blue

MOOD/TONE

Blue is the color of emotion, so I’m using it here to remind us of the importance of mood and tone in a novel. The mood of a story is the feeling the reader experiences while reading, and is usually accomplished by a blend of other literary elements such as setting and characterization. Because blue is the color of reflection, introspection, and even sadness, it reminds us of deep inner emotions and the importance of portraying that in writing. Likewise, tone is the attitude or manner of the writer, so we can also use blue to remind us about emotions evoked that set the tone: serious, aggressive, cheerful, or sad.

Purple

THEME

Purple represents the spiritual side of life: the spirit, ending, lesson learned. This is perhaps my favorite link so far, because purple is such a terrific color to use to remind us about theme. Theme is the underlying meaning in the story, separate from the active nature of plot—theme is the lesson you want your reader to learn and take away from the story. Purple is the color of wisdom, enchantment, and inspiration; therefore, it’s the perfect fit alongside theme. 

RAINBOW ARC

We can now look at the entire rainbow as the story arc, the change the protagonist goes through from beginning to end. Maybe they find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, or maybe they don’t, but they should be forever changed from the journey. Start in one place and end in another, take a trip to explore all of the colors, and see where the protagonist ends up.

There are of course a few more minor literary elements to consider, including style, POV, and voice, but this method should hit all the major points we're looking for initially with our manuscripts. I hope this helps you with your writing projects. GOOD LUCK!

Quick Breakdown of The Rainbow Method:

Red: Plot

Orange: Characterization 

Yellow: Dialogue

Green: Setting

Blue: Mood and Tone

Purple: Theme

Rainbow Arc: Narrative arc