When I started writing, I struggled with plot.
As in my first novel didn’t exactly have one, probably why it got nothing but form letter rejections. I’d taken writing classes, but those classes almost exclusively focused on whether a scene worked or not. The advice on plot was basically to string the scenes together.
That might work for some writers, but it didn’t for me.
It’s also not the kind of book I like to read. I prefer genre fiction–mainly suspense, thriller, horror, and mystery. Those types of books rise and fall on how much the reader is invested in the characters and on whether the plot keeps the reader turning pages and reaches a satisfying resolution.
Learning To Plot From Stephen King
I learned to plot by hanging out with a screenwriter and reading all the writing books he read, by writing two more novels that didn’t work, and by dissecting novels I loved.
Those novels included Stephen King’s The Dead Zone, my favorite of all his books. Interestingly, I heard him say later that it was the only book of his that he outlined in advance. So there you go–as a reader, I love a well-structured plot.
Between Plotting And Pantsing
The plotting method I’ve found works best threads the line between a detailed outline (known as being a “plotter” in the current writing world) and winging it (being a “pantser”).
Before I write anything, I figure out my main characters, their main conflict, and five major plot turns. That gives me a framework for my novel. It helps me write quickly without locking me into a minute-by-minute outline.
Last year I wrote about that method in Super Simple Story Structure: A Quick Guide To Plotting And Writing Your Novel. I made it available in both ebook and workbook editions.
Now for the first time you can buy it (or use an Audible credit to download it) in audiobook format.
If you’ve never listened to an audiobook before, you can download Super Simple Story Structure free as part of a trial membership.
This method is simple, and it can help you get started on a novel or figure out what’s working and not and how to fix it at the rewrite stage.
Let me know how it goes!
