#luvami

You’ll have to make a few different lists for this method:

List One: This list will have everything that you do not want to include in your story.

List Two: This list will be an outline of the old story.

List Three: This list will be an outline of the new story.

List Four: This list will have everything that could potentially happen.

Looking Back:

Before you start replotting, reread your old story. Take note of what you like and what you don’t like (relating to scenes, plots, subplots, characters, settings, etc., but not prose). Every time you find something you don’t like or that you don’t want to repeat, put it in List One. If you find something that could possibly be tweaked, put it in List Four.

Old Outline:

While you are reading your old story, or after reading, create an outline of that story. this will be List Two. However detailed you want it is up to you. Some parts of List Two, such as plot points, may overlap with stuff you listed in List One.

I have information on outlining here, including different examples for plotting structures.

Replotting:

Start making List Three. Coming up with a new plot can be difficult, so you have to go out and look for inspiration. Since you already have a constructed world, you might be able to use an existing thing within that already. You just need to introduce some sort of conflict.

When you are making an outline of your new plot:

Make sure you do not do anything that leads back to List One.

If your characters must make a decisions, make them choose the one that has the worst possible consequences without killing all of them. This adds suspense and conflict.

Add ideas to List Four. Even if they’re not related to what you’re doing at that moment, add your ideas. Use them as a reference and as options. They can be changed to fit certain situations, they can be split up, and they can be combined with other ideas. Pull from List Four when plotting.

If you reuse an old plot or scene, but you want to change it, make your characters act differently and give it a different outcome. Different outcomes often lead to more choices in plotting that different beginnings.