How to Plot-build

[TopHat]

Every time I start writing there's one problem that always pops up: The Plot. Eventually the plot always feels flat and boring, too short, or too cliché and then I lose the desire to continue on the project. Even though I've read a lot about models for plotbuilding, I'm having a hard time applying them to my own projects. I have discovered that I work best when I write down the plot roughly, and then I add a few subplots and twists to spice things up. Later I change while I'm writing when I need to.

How does one know when the plot is "good" enough? Should I have one Storygoal that the protagonist is trying to achieve while being constantly hindered or delayed by subplots? How many subplots is enough or too much?

How do you guys do when your'e planning your plots?

Yours,
TopHat.

 

[JRFLynn]

How does one know when the plot is "good" enough? Should I have one Storygoal that the protagonist is trying to achieve while being constantly hindered or delayed by subplots? How many subplots is enough or too much?

How do you guys do when your'e planning your plots?

Well, personally I like to outline the chapter before I start writing. Not always, but usually. By doing so, I have a firm idea in my mind where the story is heading, theres a beginning and an end, yet there's wiggle room for creativity. In a book like mine, the main plot is to face off against the "main" antagonist...yet there are lots and lots of antagonists in my story, protagonists to, but getting there will be slow and suspenseful. For me, I think it's okay to have as many sub plots as you want as long as it's "relevant" for your character on his/her way to the main plot. If it all comes together in the end, you'll have a very intricate, complex, storyline that will hopefully engross readers.

As for knowing if the plot is "good" enough, we all struggle with self doubts from time to time. If you enjoy reading your book and you're passionate about making it a vibrant, fascinating, and fun place, chances are the audience will enjoy it too.

 

[wordwalker]

One way I measure plots is by how fully they use all the options they give the characters. Let the MC be a student at one time and a mentor at another; let him investigate, sweat, battle, beg, sneak, trance, riddle, bargain the devil and give the angels a piece of his mind. Variety.

This isn't just because variety is good in itself, it has two other advantages. First, at a given moment, it keeps your mind open to the plausible next thing to do (just leave the haunted house!), and how to filter that through character preferences or plot up barriers to force him from the simple choices to the hard ones. (There's something to the theory that dramatic tension comes just from how the MC can't get away from making hard choices.) Second, when you get through a story that's explored every option and put the MC through every hurdle, you've well and truly honed him into a complete hero-- or justified whatever else you've pushed him into.

 

[GeekDavid]

The #1 thing for me is to try and cover all the possible plot holes.

For example, if you have your character in a cave with a hungry critter outside, don't forget to have your character explore deeper into the cave to see if there is an exit there. If you don't, at least some readers are gonna ask why he didn't do that (me among them).

It doesn't take much to accomplish that, it could be done as easily as remarking that the character had gone around the cave and found nothing but stone walls.

 

[BWFoster78]

Another important element to plot building is to not make anything extraneous.

For example, in my novelette, I started with the protagonist on kind of a random adventure in order to introduce him as a character. Based on beta reader feedback, I made the "random adventure" tie into the overall plot of the piece. It worked much better.

 

[Penpilot]

How does one know when the plot is "good" enough? Should I have one Storygoal that the protagonist is trying to achieve while being constantly hindered or delayed by subplots? How many subplots is enough or too much?

How do you guys do when your'e planning your plots?

There's no answer to the question "How many is enough or too much?" It's as many as you want to put in. As for "good" enough, good enough for what? To start? To sell?

I know when I'm ready to start writing when I've laid out the arcs for each of my plots and sub plots from beginning to end. I use Dan Well's 7 point structure to help me with this. Dan Wells on Story Structure, part 1 of 5 - YouTube

 

[skip.knox]

I don't think the plot can be good enough any more than characterization can be good enough or pacing can be good enough. At least, not considered in isolation. The only thing that can be good enough is the story.

Your editors -- you first, then your critiquers, then your agent -- will let you know if there are plot holes and so on. Even then, I'd be hard-pressed to say "the plot" is good or bad. I can say if the climax of the story comes too early or if the resolution is ridiculous, that sort of thing. But that's about all.

And it depends on the kind of book you are writing. Right now I'm reading Robert Graves' "I, Claudius" which is hardly more than a long string of anecdotes and musings, yet is absolutely brilliant.

 

[buyjupiter]

How does one know when the plot is "good" enough? Should I have one Storygoal that the protagonist is trying to achieve while being constantly hindered or delayed by subplots? How many subplots is enough or too much?

How do you guys do when your'e planning your plots?

Yours,
TopHat.

Typically, I don't plan my plot (at least at first). Normally I start with introducing a character and a minor problem that can be solved fairly quickly, but it turns out that things aren't what they seemed at first. Along the way, while writing the first thousand words or so, I get a sense of what that character's worst week would consist of, and then I start throwing it at her. When I start seeing how she reacts under stress, I get a sense of what the story is about and how to raise the stakes for her (and the reader). This is where I outline the remainder of the plot. Then I just amp it up, until I reach the resolution. I get to have quiet moments around the characters as well along the rising action path, but learning where they go is probably a bit harder than learning how to amp it up.

You might consider taking a look into the plot types, there are 7 or 36 depending on how detailed you want to get. If you did a literal take on one of the 36 plot types, only adding character description and dialogue, that would be a plot that I'd find very dull. There'd be no surprise, no wow factor, nothing to keep me reading beyond the first chapter really.

Subplots: If you can do them well, add a few. If not, there's nothing wrong with writing a clean goal-driven story that is a tug of war between accomplishment and defeat. And the less distraction there is along the way, the more you can save up for a big twist at the end.

How many are too many? If there is a significant chunk of story time that takes place apart from the main goal, that keeps getting interrupted by new subplots, you have too many. That could be two, or fifteen, depending on the story you're writing.

 

[Bruce McKnight]

I usually start with an idea for a character and his general arc ("he will start here and end up there"). Then I think about who would help or hinder him and what sort of things would happen along the way. I put together a five to ten bullet outline and dive in to the writing.

Then I use a lot of "how would this character react?" and "what would he do now?" to get the ensuing scenes going. This inevitably leads to a lot of shakeup of the bullets as I get to them, but it's pretty rare for the ending to change much.

 

[Svrtnsse]

I'm currently reworking the outline for the remainder of my WIP. I'm testing a, for me, new method based on reiterating the story over and over and increasing the detail with each reiteration. It's taking its time, but I'm feeling good about it and I've already seen some of the benefits of it in that I've discovered possible plot-twists in the planning stage rather than when I'm writing the actual story.

I'm posting about it as I go in this thread: http://mythicscribes.com/forums/brainstorming-planning/10410-experimenting-outlining.html
It's been a while since the last update, but that's because I'm working on detailing one of the characters I'm introducing in the story.

 

[Helen]

How do you guys do when your'e planning your plots?

You won't get any really good answers until you define plot. What is plot?

After that, it's kinda self-explanatory.

Also, be wary of people confusing structure with plot.

 

[Ruby]

I start with the characters and I draw some pictures of them. Then I get them to audition for the book. I usually have a vague idea of where it's going. Then I start writing a few scenes and by about chapter 12 the plot has arrived. I think this is known as "Pantsing" but it's a lot of fun as the characters write the book. Then of course you have to go back to the beginning and rewrite it putting the plot in. After that I go further back and write the back stories...

 

[Noma Galway]

I actually don't usually plan out everything I'm going to write. My current WIP started with a short story, and I was told I needed background for my characters, so I started writing from the very beginning of the conflict at hand. I then went to a writing workshop and wrote scenes from random events that I know have to happen somewhere, but I'm not quite sure where. I also wrote a lot of characterization. At this point, I have had to go back and write the beginning again because I needed another POV for any of this to make sense, but the point is, I don't go from an outline. I know where it has to end up, and for me, it is up to my characters how they get there. I tend to write spontaneously.

 

[writeshiek33]

i can't plot to save my life though i know how to do it but actually doing i can't my mind tends to freeze when i try so i give up on doing plotting i realise write as i go creating rough story with characters i have and learn about them on the way i let the characters tell the story i do plot but can't put on paper it alimental yep being dyslexic annoying writing for me a very long process but i did finnish my first short story