#plotting advice

Reading a story is like walking through a train. You pass through individual compartments (scenes) and you always understand how you got from one to the other. That transition is what many people forget to make work.

Transitions are needed to make the plot build on itself instead of a series of events that just happen to the protagonist. It leads to an easier flow while reading, gives characters agency, and makes it easier to spot plotholes.

So, when outlining your plot, all plot points should all be able to get linked using “but” or “therefore.” If you would be using “and then,” get back to work!

Try making a table, so that you can track the different storylines and plot structures!

Personally, I have one column for the plot (inciting incident, climax, resolution etc), one for the romance (meeting, getting closer, break-up/climax, resolution), and one for the main theme (like discovering a mystery, the clues, red herring, twist, and reveal).

That way, I can see exactly where my subplots tie into my main plot, and I can easily prune or eliminate filler or determine soggy bits in my writing. It also helps me define what genre I'm trying to write, and if I'm trying to do too much or too little plot-wise.

Any tips?

Oh boy, plotting. Lemme just--

--right, let's do this.

SO, YOU'VE LOST THE PLOT

The solution to this all too common problem varies from writer to writer and usually depends on the exact issue you're having, but here's a few things I usually do.

Re-read all the plot you've got so far

It sounds obvious and you've probably already done it, but sometimes it's as simple as re-reading everything to get your flow back!

Figure out what you want from the plot

What's missing so far? Are there any characters being left behind? Have you opened a plot thread that hasn't been mentioned in a while? Is there a piece of character development you really really want to happen? Taking some time to think about what you have and what you're missing is important!

Skip that bit

You heard me. Figure out the next bit of plot you want to happen, skip to that bit. Come back to bridge the gap later!

Start over

I know I know, you put all this time into plotting and I'm telling you to scrap it. Don't scrap it! But just start writing the plot again from scratch and figure it out from there. Sometimes just the process of rewriting the same thing will give you a better perspective on where you're going! And sometimes you'll find the reason you can't get past the block is because something earlier in the plot isn't working, and this'll give you a chance to reshuffle and fix it!

Try a new medium

This is a lil bonus option I found recently works for me: just,,,, write somewhere else. New location, new medium, new program. I write all my plotting by hand! It helps me to have to write slower and to be able to plot somewhere that isn't the same place I write and spend my days (at my PC)

If you haven't already, you can listen to The Fanfic Writer's Craft's second episode: How to Plot? out now and available on Spotify! Let us know what you think and have a lovely day! 💚

If there is something I'm not proud to say I've struggled with, is brainstorming. It seems like the easiest part of the writing process, since it gives you the freedom to be random and creative, but I'm yet uncertain of what's the best brainstorming technique for me to use. This list will probably not be news for you, but keep your mind open and give every example a try!

DISCLAIMER: I love cats and dogs.

Free Writing - "Cats have tails but not every cat deserves it because tails are for pretty cats and some cats are bad boys. This cat has a pretty tail that he doesn't deserve because he feels like a dog and dogs use their tails to express happiness and this cat is moody."

Word Storm - CATS > magical tails, mood changing tails, hissing, calming paws, therapy cats, bad mood absorving tails, purring healing, massages by cats. (This is the appropriate for Magical Realism and Fantasy, don't forget to make your association according to your genre!)

What If... - "What if in this world cats had tails that magically healed when they touched something alive? And what if that was happening in a world where cats were rare and sacred, but they desperately needed a thousand cats to heal a whole village, so they had to send three dogs on a journey to find a thousand cats in a far away town they don't know nothing about. What if there has been a war between cats and dogs 53 years in the past and now they're not sure how cats will react to their request, even if they're sacred now?"

Questions - What are cats? Magical animals that purr away bad moods and heal with their tails. Why are they important? Because people are depressed. How can they help? By healing and changing the way people think. Are they easy to acquire? No, because they have to choose their humans, and humans are all boring.

Reverse Idea - Cats are sacred > Cats are outcasts that have lost a war 53 years ago; Cats heal with their magical tails > Cats have poisoned tails that can kill a human in 2 minutes; Their natural enemy are dogs > dogs and cats have shared their life since forever and they also share an enemy: humans.

Don't forget you're not bound to any strategy! You can switch it up, mix them a little if it works for you and DON'T HOLD YOURSELF BACK. I know what that feels like because I've done it to myself plenty of times. Remember this are just ideas that will be developed, polished and worked on. You're an artist and your work is not foolish!

Do you have any personalized technique you often use? Let me know!

Best of luck,

Elysia Larch

I have tried probably eight thousand different plotting methods over the last ten or twelve years, and I now stick with something like three or four? A lot of it depends on what the story will be, but I will still use at least two different plotting and structuring methods before I start writing the book.

A whiteboard is my go-to if I don’t feel like I have enough story to fill out a beat sheet or plot diagram yet. I keep a huge-ass whiteboard in my room and have it divided into eight sections, four down one side and four down the other. The left side is for the “main storyline”, and the right side is for “B plots” (and/or C, D, E, etc. plots.) The four sections on each side are labelled Act 1, Act 2A, Act 2B, and Act C. I keep it as available to me as possible, and when an idea pops into my head, I write it on a sticky note and add it to my board in the appropriate location. (Or a rough approximation of the appropriate location.) This is a great physical brainstorming process for me, and I find being able to see all my ideas constantly keeps them moving around in my brain longer, which in turn helps me connect the dots more thoroughly. When I feel like my board is full of plenty of ideas, I transfer it into my preferred plotting chart.

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel is my go-to for plot structuring. If I feel like I know a lot of the basic plot beats already, I’ll jump right into organizing using the STC beat sheet. I highly recommend reading the book if you’re not familiar with this idea, and especially if you really struggle with saggy middles and the organization of your story beats. This is also a really great breakdown of the structure.

Find your words, discover your story, unleash your dragons.

Created by author, podcaster and overall book nerd Rebecca Fisher, Dragons Unleashed editing and revision services is dedicated to helping science fiction and fantasy writers get their manuscript ready for publication, pitching, or even just to the next stage of the drafting process. With her experience, enthusiasm, compassion and knowledge of the publishing and writing world, Rebecca is 100% dedicated to helping you find your words, discover your story, and unleash your dragons.

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About Rebecca

Rebecca went all the way through school with a book in her lap and ideas scribbled in the margins of her notebook, and despite all the trouble she got in with her teachers, wound up with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Literature and Writing from Hiram College. She studied Library and Information Science at Kent State University for a while, and has since worked as a Youth Services Librarian, a shop clerk, and a writer for podcasts, and a receptionist at a Chiropractor’s office. She’s now splitting her time between working on her own projects and helping other writers with theirs. When not getting lost in stories, she’s wondering out in nature or snuggled up on the couch with her husband and their five cats. She lives in Cleveland, Ohio.