The 5 Stages of Grief-- I Mean of Plotting a Book
(And a masterlist of blog posts that help along the way)
All plotting styles are different and these are just the 5 stages that I go through and think are most common.
I will be updating this with links as new posts are published, so bookmark this post if you find it helpful!
1. That little idea
The little idea can come from literally anything. That’s the beautiful thing about a creative mind. The idea is also usually very, very tiny at first. It’s a character or a setting or a bare-bones plot or a prompt. But it’s an idea!
Prompts Masterpost Using an Image as Inspiration
2. A bigger idea!
This is where you flesh out the little idea. I braindump (i.e. writing down every little idea I have pertaining to the story, including plot points) during this time. This is also a good place to figure out the central idea/question/themes, and important characters.
The Ten Genres 50 Character Name Ideas OC Names of the Day #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 How to Make a Story File (w/ template)
3. Setting the stage
Now is the time to flesh out your worldbuilding, characters, arcs, and relationships.
How to Make a Story File (w/ template) When You Have a Large Cast of Characters The Anti-Villain: A Study in Motivation My Personal Character Files: The 6 Box Method (w/ template) Some Worldbuilding Categories ½ Some Worldbuilding Categories 2/2 Worldbuilding in Detail Vol. I: Flora and Fauna Worldbuilding in Detail Vol. II: Religion 7 Worldbuilding Tips Little Quirks and Habits for Your OC Words to Describe Dress of a Character (Semi) Master List of Character Motivations
4. The Worst Puzzle Known to Man
Now you’ve got to start arranging the plot points you have into a cohesive-ish order. I find this is also the time I get tired or bored of my story, so I’ve included my post about beating writer’s block. Because, as we know, it can happen well before you even start writing.
Tips of Writer’s Block 5 Better Ways to End Your Story Raising Stakes
5. 5 Seconds to Launch
A working outline should be ready for you to work from now. You’ve ordered the plot points, filled in the gaps, your characters and their relationships are ready to go. While I have a “working title” from the get-go, this is when I settle on the final title.
5 Ways to Find Your Novel Title Gillian Flynn: A Closer Look at Two-Word Titling Some Titling Formats and Examples
Reminder: I will be updating this with links as new posts are published, so bookmark this post if you find it helpful! Please let me know if any links are incorrect!
