#plotting process

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)