Tips on Making a Plot
Hey! :) Are you the type to make these in depth characters who are amazing and awesome but when it comes to giving them a story, the urge to throw your computer acts up? Same.
I would like to share some little things that have helped me so far develop the plot of my drafts.
(1) Write Utter Insanity.
Seriously. If you're not much of a plotliner and more of a pantser, then embrace the chaos. What's that crazy scene in your head? Write it! How'd they get there? Well naturally this string of inconceivable coincidences! Spicing things up? Time for a murder mystery! And now you got a ton of story material, even if not much of it is quality, it can still be repurposed if you like some of your ideas. Call it the rough draft for the rough draft.
I know it's a lot more writing, but it's good practice and gets the ideas pumping. I've have four pre-drafts of my first draft before, and I don't regret any of them. You can analyze your writing style and improvement, and even copy and paste details into your real draft when your plotline is put together! I have plenty of scenes from draft 0.4 that fits into draft 1!
(2) Use your OCs.
Your characters are a major part of your story and you've spent a lot of time and effort developing them, and there's more progression to come! Your characters control how the plot progresses. What conditions will it take for your characters to get involved with the plot? Let's take mine as an example. Alice (Alyce) is one of my main characters. She's firstly from the Victorian era and a friendly, dramatic young lady quieted by the standards she must keep for her family's reputation.
So what would convince Alyce, or your OC to get involved with the plot? The plot involves Alyce's family, and a friend of hers in need. With this motivation, it drives not only your character, but the story! Now she's starting to shake off the expectations placed on her for the sake of what she cares for. She's eavesdropping on important conversations (which can lead to her own investigations, and branches of the story), changing to accommodate the conflict, and making those motivations very, very clear.
If your OC isn't motivated or given reason to do anything, or if they're made to do things out of character, then your overall story will suffer as a result. (Let's not talk about draft 0.3....)
(3) Make a Checklist.
Let's take your first draft as a grocery trip checklist: What does your MC need to progress through the plot and accomplish their goals? Do they need to overhear a conversation? Is this a mystery situation where they must find evidence in their own unique ways? (Ex: some characters are more perceptive of people, some of their surroundings, etc.) Do they have to go through motions to figure out who the antagonist is, or do they find out through the story in a reveal?
Pick up a popular book of your genre and study it! Write down the steps that lead to the climax, and resolution. Then, read through the plotline you wrote out. How does the author get from point A, to B, all the way to Z?
(4) Take it One Step at a Time
Write down those details and scenes you really want to be included, and put them to the side. It's a good fun start! Keep it simple yet descriptive, enough to remind you of what you envisioned. Now, write down the start, and several somewheres, details, and whatever you want included. Then write the middle, then more somewhere heres and more details, integrating your big ideas like sprinkles on cupcakes. Do not be upset if you can't think of anything. It took me several days to make a plotline for my rough draft, and even now I occasionally go back and tweak/move things around!
Once it's finished, it'll be a lot easier to keep your draft in order. You don't have to have a plotline kept to the side, but it can be helpful for organization, and keep the plot on track.
I hope these tips help in some way! If you have any questions or need anymore advice that you think I might be able to help with a little, then I'd love to give it my best shot! (I can't guarantee it'll be helpful though 💀)