#plotting fiction

Done right, a map gives a lot of background. Once the rivers and mountains are drawn, you can see where cities and boundaries may be, and what products a region might produce. Sometimes, too, a name suggests things.

For example, I drew a map that had a major pass through the mountains. I gave it a name that sounded Greek to my ears. After a while, I realized that a Mediterranean culture must have passed through, because the name didn't fit others around it. Obviously, I decided, the name was a remnant of an empire.

I also realized that the pass would remain a major trade route. That, in turn, led to cites at either end of the pass. Obviously, a lot would happen in such region. I ended up with two cultures fighting for control of the pass. Plus, the mountains would be a wild place, so the remoter parts of the pass would be full of magic. When I added a river to the pass, I realized it would have salmon, which told me that the lands by the river would be like the cultures of the Pacific Northwest, set in a rainy climate with cedar important in building, weaving and art.

In fiction, plot is everything. Yet it is rarely talked about except in generalities that are of limited use to new writers. I know that, even now, with some apprentice level experience, I would appreciate a sample of how plot is developed, but such examples do not seem to be available. As a result, I am posting an example based on my own drafting -- not because it is outstanding in any way, but because it shows how a plot element can develop and the amount of work involved. My hope is that other writers will find the example useful for their expectations. And who knows? Maybe they will even be motivated to show how their own work evolved.

My example is from a story about a young man on the run from his sister and her pet monster. In the first draft, I soon realized that his sister was off-stage for most of the story. My efforts to change that involved many aspects of the story, but here are the steps of how is how one part of them developed: 1. Instead of having the sister stay at home, I decided she would pursue her brother with an army so that they could have more interactions before the climax and keep the tension strong.

2. To allow further reactions, I gave the sister a way to communicate with the brother though the monster.

3. That still wasn't enough, so I gave the sister thre allies who also were involved with magic,

4. Four people in a high stakes situation would unlikely be equals or in perfect agreement. So I made one a rival to the sister, and another a junior partner who was bullied and abused by the others.

5. This situation made the junior partner defect to the brother's side

6. To emphasize the conflict, I gave the junior partner a different kind of magic from the other three. Her magic consisted of a few minor but surprisingly useful spells.

7. Originally, these minor spells were only background. However, having mentioned them, I felt obliged to change the plot so she would use them. First, the junior partner's magic helped prepare the brother's discovery of his own form of magic. Then I found other ways she could could play an active roll in the story, especially in the climax.

The end result? A highly developed secondary character, and more interest and conflict.

I've always been a discovery writer, or pantser. However, I only recently discovered why starting with an outline doesn't work for me: it's planning too far out. An outline may be useful for the first chapter, or even two or three chapters if I get lucky,. but much further along, it becomes obsolete and a waste of time and effort.

For me, the time to outline is between drafts. By outlining what I have already written, I have a summary that helps me to detect plot-holes and missed opportunities for an interesting story.

Should I decide on a major revision of a chapter, I have enough of a foundation that I can create a revised outline in less than half an hour, and can plunge right into writing, avoiding spending too much time on an outline and risking wasting energy that is better channeled into writing. I am sure to still improvise in the coming revision, but I will do so with more of a sense of direction.

Most people can learn to write a few paragraphs. Few, however, learn anything about creating a plot. Of course, few ever have to. But even those who want to learn about plots have to struggle. There's a lack of teachers and resources, and even of vocabulary. Usually, the only sources that are available teach a single method, which can be useful, but limited. It's not that the three act plot or the Hero's Journey don't work but that far more alternatives exist, one of which might work better for your story.

But the rise and fall of the action is only the framework of the plot. I have been studying plot structure for years now. I've taken several dozen novels, plays, and stories apart to find why they do or don't work, and plan to do more. I don't call myself an expert, because plot structure is an endless subject. However, here are some of the central truisms that work for me: 1. A story is a series of inter-connected events. To give the classic example, "The king died, then the queen died" is a narrative. By contrast, "The king died, then the queen died of grief" is a plot.

2. Successful plots must be developed along with the background and the characters. Background details are the source of plot incidents. For example, in Patricia Finney's Robert Carey mysteries, one book is built around the fact that poorly made Elizabethan guns tended to explode in the user's hand.

3. Successful plots must be developed along with characters.If Othello took the lead role in Hamlet, the play would be about two scenes long, because, hearing of his father's murder, Othello would immediately kill his uncle. Similarly, if Hamlet replaced Othello,there would no play, because Hamlet would never act

4. Fiction plots have some similarities to film or game plots, but are not identical. To give one example, until recently, TV shows were structured around regular commercial breaks -- a poor structure for fiction.

5. Events do not always need to be foreshadowed. However, they are more believable when set up before they occur. If a character dies in space because his oxygen runs out, the death is more plausible if he is shown being careless about space suit maintenance.

6. Effective plots are economical. They have only the events and characters that are absolutely necessary. In later drafts, you can often make the story more effective by eliminating details that are unnecessary or don't add color, and doubling up characters when possible to reduce their number. Chariots pulled by dinosaurs may be cool, but being cool is not enough to justify their existence.

7. A step by step description of events is not enough for a good scene. The most effective scenes do at least 2 things at once. Don't just describe troop movements in a battle; use the same scene to create atmosphere or show character. Don't limit a sex scene to each kiss and caress; use it to show the relationship of the participants or to foreshadow a future event.

Why am I a pantser? Or, as I prefer, a discovery writer? Because I love the challenge. Each time I write something, I ask myself: what comes next? Then I struggle to find an answer. I may need to revise part of what I have already written, but mostly I explore what might reasonably follow while providing the best story. Often, I come up with several possibilities, or blend several together. Other times, I take a metaphor or detail, and the task is to rationalize it -- for example, why is my main character surnamed "Ravenpiper?" As I discover what comes next, I eliminate some plot possibilities, and find new ones open up. I think of the process as navigating through alternate universes, descending into some and eliminating others behind me.

1.) Lack of knowledge: The skills needed for writing fiction are not taught. We don't even have a common set of words to discuss skills like plotting. Writers have to learn their craft by themselves, so it's not surprising that new writers are sometimes unsure how to develop a story. Go study works you admire or detest, and you may find a solution.

2.) The Mystique: Writer's block is often treated as a mysterious, powerful force. But if you redefine it as a problem to be solved, writer's block often goes away. You may be helpless against a mysterious force, but problems can have solutions.

3.) Ignoring the Hint: Writer's block can be a hint from your unconscious that something doesn't work. Re-plot, and the block often goes away.