Plot has always been something I've struggled with. I love characters and intriguing relationships and situations and scenarios, and can come up with those in a snap, but getting those ideas from the character scenario point to a novel worthy plot is a whole different thing, and much harder for me.
But I've been learning. The system I use currently is this: I start out with the character and scenario that I like and that I think I want to work with. Then I look through old notebooks and books from my bookshelf and cards from the game Liebrary and think and think until I have a bullet-point type list of plot points, just like a half sentence describing each. Something like, "Ben finds the lost golden retriever on his porch". I grow the list as much as I can until its nice and long. Then I break the list up into tentative chapters, make sure I have enough, see where the plot holes are and try and fill in where I need to. Then I go chapter by chapter, changing plot points around or adding as needed.
What do you do? Do you just start from the character scenario place and just go and see where it takes you? If so, how? Or do you have paragraph length descriptions for each chapter? I would seriously love to know how you go about building a story. Specifics are good, I think we all could use some advice and fresh ideas.
Happy writing!
Sarah Allen
11 comments:
The method your using can be very difficult unless you get hit by inspired ideas regularly. You might consider instead of a scenario, having a predicament. A situation where something has to be done, not by choice but by necessity.
It could be the house is on fire, what do I do? Or it could be I've run out of milk and my new boss who demands perfection is coming round in 2 minutes, what should I do? But if you just have I've run out of milk, what should I do (with no pressure) you might come up with something interesting but the narrative will feel flat (could've just gone without milk).
Put your character in a predicament and the plot options will become a lot easier to see.
mood
Moody Writing
@mooderino
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I start with my ending, then characters, then the inciting incident. Once I have those three things, I write down the plot points I know, then brainstorm to fill in all the holes.
My stories always start with a character and a question. "What would happen if he..." The question usually presents the predicament mooderino suggested.
Then I use the book Book in a Month to form an extensive outline of the plot. This is a fantastic resource that I cannot recommend enough, especially if you're not sure how to build a plot. I've used it for four books now, and I love it.
I love these suggestions!
I am a big outliner. But I struggle with plot myself. Currently, I do a lot of journaling, writing down everything I know from point A to point B. Often I find that a lot of plot changes, multiple times. :(
I also draw it out on my wall that I have covered with freezer paper. I create a road map. It can get very tangled. It also has a lot of layers.
I have found that the outline process it what gets me through the story as long as I consult the map and don't get too lost in the process of outlining it all.
I must look out that Book in a Month!
Sarah - I'm like you, I tend to get my characters first and that lands me with all sorts of problems, such as dead ends. I'm trying to know exactly how I want to start and how the story will end. This way it'll reduce my number of versions. I hope :)because I know that I'll still be "winging it".
I start with an idea and then develop it. I look up stuff on the Internet and get inspiration from other stuff. I watch TV i read other stories but I always make sure my ideas are orginal. Most of all, I ask for advice from my friends and family. They give me all kinds of great ideas!
I'm hopelessly useless when it comes to plotting. I can do it, but IF I do then I find that it kills the compunction to actually write the story.
For me, writing blind is the only way I can stay excited by a project. Those are the ones I finish. I have a bunch of plots in notebooks which I might get to one day... but I'm not so excited about them.
It's like my Dad said when I asked him if he'd ever seen the movie "Titanic". He replied, "There's no point: I know how it ends..."
For the book that I'm starting to query, the plot idea came to me while I was sleeping:
Woman in debt to her loan shark.
Within an hour of waking up, I began brainstorming and came up with the scenario of the loan shark of being an uncle and the that the only way she could raise the money was to become an actress in adult movies. The rest of the story was inspired by DS9.
Most of my story ideas have come from doing the cheapest free entertainment that one can do.
People watching.
My husband is a plotter. It drives me crazy because I just don't get it! The trick is plotting in a way that works for you. My husband is creative and incredibly large-picture and it works so well for him. My eyes gloss over when I try his techniques. I am a discovery writer and need more visual plotting devices.
I have an entire file that has random newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and pieces of notebook paper that have ideas that seem to come out of nowhere. I tend to think of my plot first. I know that it is probably not the plot I will end with, but I like to have something to start with. Personally, I struggle with characters. The physical aspect (how they look, how they sound, etc.) comes easily. It is the mental aspect (their thoughts, internal conflicts, basically bringing them to life) that I find so difficult.
I use my own modified 7 step hero's journey outline. Beginning, hook, twist, midpoint, twist, hook, ending. Try, fail scenarios are littered throughout because characters that can overcome anything on the first try are unbelievable. I then list out all the major characters needed for the story. Heros, villans, support characters etc. Each one of these characters get their own hero's journey.
I make sure I have all the standard elements of a good book/movie. Action, Growth (emotional, physical), Comedy, Romance, etc.
I logic out any plot holes that might crop up. After I get everything outlined out, I do a chapter summary from start to end. It can be 1-2 sentences to a full page per chapter.
This can take a few days to a week to do, but for me its worth it. When I sit down to write, I can look at my notebook and see exactly what needs to happen in each chapter. I still let the story flow on its own but the outline keeps the story on track and it lets me write quickly because there is never any writers block.
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