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Plot Doctoring: 9 Steps to Build a Strong Plot

Like the main event itself, NaNo Prep is always better with an incredible writing community around you. Luckily, our forums come with such a ready-made community. Inspired by the Plot Doctoring forum, we asked Derek Murphy, NaNoWriMo participant, to share his thoughts on plotting, and he outlined his 9-step plotting diagram:

Here’s a truth: you must write badly before you can write well. 

Everybody’s first draft is rubbish. It’s part of the process, so don’t worry about it. The writing can be polished and fixed and improved later, after NaNoWriMo, during the editing stages.

What most writers get out of NaNoWriMo is a collection of great scenes that don’t necessarily fit into a cohesive story—and that’s a problem if you want to produce something publishable.

Nearly all fiction follows some version of the classical hero’s journey: a character has an experience, learns something, and is consequently improved. There are turning points and scenes that need to be included in your story—if they are missing it won’t connect with readers in an emotionally powerful way. And it’s a thousand times easier to map them out before you write your book.

Keep reading

So, I heard that some of you were having issues with the download. Here’s my outlining guide just as is in photos. Same quality. Enjoy!

Writing Tip February 26th

33 Ways to Write Stronger Characters (Part 1/3)

To Give:

1. Give them a goal. A strong goal not only gives your character purpose, it helps you map out your plot with ease.

2. Give them a motivation. Something is driving your character to chase down their goal. It could be a negative emotion like fear, guilt, or regret; a negative trait like pride, vanity, or greed; or a positive emotion like love, determination, or passion. Whatever the case, giving your character a motivation will make the actions they take to achieve their goal seem realistic and relatable.

3. Give them purpose. Consider how your character adds to the story. Do they create conflict or undergo emotional development? If not, your character will seem pointless.

4. Give them a fear. Fear is an emotion that all humans feel. It leads to insecurity, impatience, and conflict, which is why fear is the perfect emotion to include in your story. It both hooks readers and drives the plot forward. Just don’t let your characters cower in fear for long; make sure that they take action, too.

5. Give them a flaw. Perfection is boring. Imperfection is human. Write a human story by giving your character flaws. Go beyond the physical and give your character a poor personality trait, bad standing in society, or an unpleasant circumstance to live in.

6. Give them a history. Allow your character’s past to shape who they become. Give your character a rich history that will affect their present-day decisions.

7. Give them a present story. Don’t drown your novel in backstory. Give your character a present-day story, a quest or a journey that will shape and grow them.

8. Give them a personality. Don’t let your character have a dull, flat personality. Make your character complex by giving them contradictory traits and avoiding clichés at all costs.

9. Give them interests. A character that doesn’t like anything simply isn’t interesting. Give your character a passion, even if it’s one your readers will hate. Fervor breeds interest, no matter the subject.

10. Give them a quirk. Everyone has their strange habits. And strange is just as interesting as passionate. Give your character a quirk to help them stand out from the crowd.

11. Give them a name. More specifically, give your character a name with purpose. Showcase a time period, foreshadow their actions, or hint at their interests. Give your character’s name a role in your story.

12. Give them a desire. Desires are powerful motivators. Some desires may lead your character to accomplish their goal while others may lead your character away.

13. Give them a love. How can your readers love your character if your character loves no one? Your character doesn’t have to be all hugs and smiles, but they do need to hold love for at least one person if you want your readers to like them.

-She’s Novel Blog

OH, GLORY - a wip introduction by @whorizcn​​​​.

fame is a languid and fragile thing. calypso quintero knew that all too well.

GENRE: contemporary na psychological thriller STATUS: plotting && outlining THEMES/TROPES: blackmail, deadly ambition, deception, found family except everyone lowkey hates each other, manipulation, the morality of fame, power struggle, privilege WARNINGS: alcholism, drug use, eating disorders, mental illness, sexual assult, suicide LINKS: wip page, wip tag, pinterest, playlist

SYNOPSIS:

  21-year-old calypso quintero had it all: fame, awards, designer clothes, affluent parents who never knew the word no, millions of fans worshiping the very ground she walked, beauty and talent at her fingertips.

  adored by many and envied by thousands, she had the life that teenage girls dreamed of. she had a heartthrob of a boyfriend that starred in countless blockbusters, and an elite girl squad that dominated all social media outlets and graced the front covers of every relevant magazine: her name whispered like a hymn amongst her fans.

  well, that was until she was found floating in the waters of her malibu mansion’s pool, with a gun clutched in her right hand and a bullet buried in her left temple.

  calypso quintero had it all, so why did she kill herself?

TAGLIST (tagging a few people whom i think may be interested!) ask to be added/removed!

@emdrabbles​​​, @omgbrekkerkaz​​​ , @vandorens​​​, @southerngothiques​​​, @jugularss​​​, @apollchiles​​​, @holotones​​

Thanks to @inkingfireplace for tagging me!

1.     Name: Anthea

2.     Nickname: Ann

3.     Star Sign: scorpio

4.     Prefered pronouns: she/her

5.     Sexuality: lesbian

6.     Favourite Color: blue

7.     Time Right Now:  14:59

8.     Average Hours of Sleep: seven hours

9.     Lucky Number(s): nine

10.  Last Thing I Googled: corona universities

11.  Number of Blankets: one

12.  Favourite Fictional Character: Luna Lovegood

13.  What are you wearing: green jeans and a grey sweater

14.  Favorite Book: Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe by Benjamin Alire Saénz

15.  Favorite Musician(s): Coldplay, Muse, Racoon, U2

16.  Dream Job: astrophysicist or writer

17.  Number of Followers: 33

18.  When Did You Create Your Blog: a few months ago

19.  What Do You Mostly Post: things about my wips or about writing in general

20.  What Made You Decide to Get a Tumblr: I thought it would be fun

21.  When Did Your Blog Reach Its Peak: not yet I guess

22.  Do You Get Asks on a Daily Basis: no

23.  Why Did You Choose Your URL: I wanted a username related to writing and this one wasn’t taken yet.

Tagging: @dowings, @myhusbandsasemni, @poeticparchment, @inklingsoflaura, @epicpoetry

the only real thing

you loved me like it was routine the kisses felt like chores you held me out of necessity and you touched me in familar steps

the i love yous were repetitive and the good nights felt compelled your eyes no longer looked at me whenever we collided and your skin no longer electrified at my touch the smiles you’ve been giving me were calculated and the days when you loved me were on schedule

the only real thing that was out of the plan and the only real thing that broke our little pattern was the only real thing that i never thought twice on it was deciding that i had to leave right then and there

“could love really be that transcribable?” 

musings about love at 5am………. 

the bestest of babes!! @sundaynightnovels @vandorens @laketrials @unnagi @babyreeds @haleliwia @paracomas @ncwrites @ashesconstellation @luciellesgarden @heyabella @poeticparchment @silver-wields-a-pen @semblanche @stuffaboutwriting

Weeds and ruins: I am still a flower

@flashfictionfridayofficial

“I always knew you were the weed of the family!” 

“Don’t you understand how you ruined everything for us?”

Usually my parents told me their criticism at least in pretty euphemisms. Maybe I had crossed a border by dropping out of university for the third time but I just couldn’t find the right programme.

“Please, believe me this time I really,” I swallowed my tears away, “I really tried my best.” 

“I don’t think your best is very good then,” my mother told me. My sister laughed a bit but I didn’t think it was funny. I actually didn’t believe she was really joking.

“So what is your plan now?” my sister asked. I didn’t know. “Are you going to an art school?” She had been telling me my whole life that I just should go to art school. But for art school you have to be good at art. I wasn’t good; I just really enjoyed it. My sister didn’t really know the difference between those because whenever she is enjoyed something she was also really good at it.

“Well, I haven’t really had time to draw or paint the last months so my chances to get accepted are… like, zero.”

“In my opinion it is not-” my father began but I already knew what was coming. We’d had this argument many times before. He thought art wasn’t a serious career. 

“I’m going for a walk,” I announced. Our home felt too cramped for my father’s anger, my mother’s disappointment, my sister’s hubris and my… everything.

“No. We have to talk about-” I slammed the door. I wasn’t ready to hear about all my mistakes again.

When I was outside I didn’t know where to go until I heard cheerful voices from the playground. It used to be one of my favourite places. The slide looked more dilapidated then I remembered though. The lawn wasn’t well maintained either. It was full of dandelions. Adults always thought they are a weed. 

“Whoo!”. Two boys went down the slide. The smaller one looked a bit scared but an elder lady, I think their grandma, catched them. Grandpa applauded. “Watch out, madame!” I dodged the ball that was coming my way. It landed in the bushes behind me. I picked it up and threw it back to the girls who were playing soccer. “Thank you so much, madame!” 

I sat down on the swing. It squeaked. I watched the children and their grandparents play. It made me sad to see this place turned into such a ruin but they didn’t seem to be bothered by the state of the playground at all.

“Do you want a dandelion?” one of the children handed me an overblown flower. I thanked her, my voice still sounding as if I was about to cry. 

“You have to blow it.” I did. “Make a wish,” she whispered. I wish....

The flower fluff flew away. I wish…

I wish everyone would realize that dandelions are not a weed. No, I wish everyone would know that even if a flower is blooming in a place where it doesn’t belong, it’s still a flower.

Acing pacing in your writing

I’ve read too many books and watched too many shows where pacing has ruined a good story. So, here are some of my tips for getting pacing right:

1. Don’t take too long to get to the inciting incident

Look, showing the ordinary life of your protagonist might be interesting if there’s something strange about their life, but readers want stuff to happen.

At least with genre fiction, you shouldn’t take too long to get to the action - the event that gets the story going.

If you can do it well and have readers invested from the start, you can start with the inciting incident. However, for most works I would recommend having it in the second chapter.

Your readers want to know what the story is about, not what the character thinks of his English teacher

2. Keep it moving, but don’t rush

Action is important. It drives the story and it’s interesting. You should make sure to put enough action in your work. Things should be happening.

BUT a novel is not a play or a movie or a comic. What makes reading a full-length novel so entertaining is the detail. The in-depth characterisation and description. The emotion and thought processes.

So, keep it moving, but don’t sacrifice the juicy details. Don’t skip from one action or dialogue scene to the next without taking your readers deeper into the intricacies of the story and characters.

It’s a delicate balance that can only truly be found by reading a lot and practicing.

3. Avoid a sagging middle

Your beginning is solid. Your end is exciting. But the middle is a chaotic mess that bores the reader. Trust me, it happens more than you might believe.

Sagging middle syndrome is a thing, and the only way to avoid it is to plan.

Look, I like pantsing, but planning the middle of your novel will help your pacing exponentially.

Make a rough outline of what needs to happen to get your characters to the climax. Add a few lighter/character-driven scenes where there are too many action scenes in the sequence. Remove events which are unnecessary. And make sure that everything makes sense!

This counts for second books in series as well. It should be good on its own, not just as a filler.

4. Don’t fast forward to the end

I’m looking at you, Game of Thrones.

If you’ve built up the story and set up everything for the final big bang, you have to deliver.

Keep the pacing somewhat similar to that of the rest of the story. Your readers have gotten used to it. And if they’re still reading at that point, they probably like that pace. Don’t write a relatively slow book and then have the climax be over in three pages.

I know you want the climax to be exciting. So, yes, make it a little more fast-paced than the middle. But not massively different.

5. Trust your characters

As with every aspect of creative writing, character is most important.

Is your character experiencing the scene quickly and choppily? Or are they slowing down and taking in everything?

If you stick with what your characters are feeling, you will get it right.

Look, exams have fried my brain. So, this isn’t the most well-formulated post I’ve made. But I hope that it can be helpful.

Reblog if you found these tips useful. Comment with your own pacing tips. Follow me for similar content.

Character Introduction:

Name: Victor Romanov

Wip: The Hunters

Alignment: Lawful evil

Occupation: Former scientist and weapons expert.

Physical Appearance: White. Tall and lean. Chaotic eyes that people have trouble meeting. Mischievous smile.

Summary: Currently an outlaw on the run. Created a weapon of mass destruction secretly. It accidentally went off the damage was minimal but could’ve been catastrophic. The government and criminals alike saw the potential the weapon had. Fearing the destruction the weapon could cause he threatened that if anyone came for him he’d destroy everyone. The government painted him as a bomb crazed power hungry lunatic. The government finally caught him took the weapon and used it to stop a revolt killing millions in the process. Now that he’s escaped from prison he wants to get revenge on the people who stole from him. Wants to hold the government accountable for their actions. Often seen as crazy, chaotic and unstable. Intelligent, analytical, quiet and reserved. Short temper. Cares about the truth. Observant. Very closed off. Prefers to stay in the shadows. Does things just to see what will happen. Likes to collect machines, tools, and weapons.

Quote: “You used to be a complete no one!”

“I did,” the Victor admitted, sounding oddly wistful. “I wish I still was, most days.”

“Then why did you start showing off the weapon? Threaten everyone?”

“Because I didn’t have a choice. When the world found out what I could do, when the government found out what the weapon could do…” He sighed. “It was control the destruction or be powerless to it. So I made my choice.”