My first advice is to just sit down and write the whole thing out without thinking. It doesn’t matter if it’s boring and predictable, in fact if you can recognize the places that make you wince then all the better.

In subsequent drafts, when you’ve a better idea what you want, you can sit back and take an objective look at it (Trust me, thinking too hard about genius twists too early will only give you a headache and make you want to burn the whole thing even more than you already do)

Then, rewrite.

I can’t remember where I read it, but I remember that it struck me as pretty fantastic, so I’ll pass this along – Disregard your first idea. Then your second, then your third. Your fourth idea will be the bolt out of the blue, and it’ll come so far from the left that it’ll leave you going, “Oh!” with a big dopey smile on your face. That’s the one you want to stick with, because – if it can make you feel like that – imagine what it’ll do to your readers.

That’s not to say be too outlandish and crazy (unless that’s the book you’re writing, in which case great!) Rather, allow yourself to be surprised by where your imagination can take you. Let your characters take the lead, and in turn push them past their limits. I remember a moment last year where I was wracking my brains trying to decide which torture to inflict on my MC, and then I thought ‘What if I do both?’ I realised I was afraid of pushing him past his limits because I didn’t know what would happen, but that’s the fun, isn’t it? The not knowing?

It’s easy to think we know everything about the worlds in our heads, but the twists and the surprises come when we accept that we don’t, and we open ourselves up to that :)

Good luck!

- Esme

You can check out our getting started and planning tags for more advice on how to gather your ideas. However, there’s no single right way or amount of time to spend on your planning. It’s all about what works for you and for the story, and it will likely vary and change as your grow as a writer, and with each story’s needs. 

Honestly, you plan as much as you need to, and sometimes that’s not much at all – you just start writing. Other times you could plan for a year or more, and everything in between. There’s nothing wrong with either approach AND there’s nothing wrong with diving in with an idea and writing until you get stuck and then going back to see what needs to be developed and planned so you can keep going. Everyone’s different, so try different approaches and see what works best for you. 

Hope this helps!

- O

Looking for some individualized plot help? Check out this blog!

Check out this article regarding plot to help with the basics of understanding plot and how to start looking at a story from a plot perspective.

Also, ask yourself a couple questions:

If you know your characters’ goals, what can you put in the way of achieving those goals?

What stories move you, personally, and how can you put your characters in that type of story?

What stories do your characters want to tell? What motivates them through life, and how did they get to having those motivations? Now… what can you do to alter/support/crush those motivations in the context of your setting and other characters?

Hope this helps!

- O

Let’s get one thing out of the way first - a subplot is not simply a minor plot. A subplot is the supporting character to your leading lady. These plots do not exist independently. They will intersect now and again, sometimes quite dramatically, and the actions of the subplot will help contribute to your overall plot. 

Here is an excerpt from Robert J. Ray’s The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel:

“Subplot is the secondary story running under the plot. You work the subplots to get at subtext, the unsaid, the not-said, the semivisible, very powerful secret stuff working under the text. Subtext is the repressed, drama-packed, unspoken thing - the anger, the desperation, the twisted lie, the secret that pops out when you need to create a plot twist. Secrets lurk in the subtext.”

Ray also discusses how a subplot may appear in Chapter One and then lurk under the surface before reappearing in Act II or III. Subplots are plots that continue to move forward while the main plot progresses - it just develops behind closed doors. Consider your minor characters, your antagonists, your characters that aren’t front and center in every scene. Create a secret for one of these characters. Then, decide how that secret will impact your main character and their goals. 

Subplots don’t have to be secrets, but it’s a good way to get you going if you’re stuck. 

-R

Well, first, let me just say - your settings and your characters can never go to waste. You can always reuse your characters and settings with new ideas. The only time that you can’t take it back is once it’s out there and published, and hopefully if you were to publish your idea, you wouldn’t consider it a waste. 

Coming up with plots is easier for some writers than others. You know what else comes easier to some writers than others? Dialogue, metaphors, character development, humor, foreshadowing. We all have areas we’re strong in and areas that we need to work a little harder at. Plotting may seem like a big one, but it’s not so big if you break it down a little. 

You’ve got characters and you’ve got a setting. Now imagine one of two scenarios. First scenario: Your characters leave the setting. Why would they leave? What are they looking for? What will they find? That right there is a plot. Second scenario: A new character arrives in your setting. Where did they come from? What’s their agenda? Do your existing characters support or reject this character’s agenda? That right there is a plot. 

When you have a foundation (setting and/or characters), just start asking questions to help formulate your plot. 

-R

Forget your story has a middle. Write your outline as if the “end” comes right after your “beginning.” Or if you feel up to, write the actual story this way. Write what you have planned for the first few chapters, and then write what you have planned for the last two chapters. 

What’ll you’ll likely notice is a giant leap forward in time, and your ending may not make sense because of that. Ask yourself - why doesn’t it make sense? Did I skip over some important plot points or reveals? Do my character’s motivations seem unjustified? Are there maybe even characters I hadn’t even introduced yet that have a big role in the ending? 

Essentially, ask yourself, “Why do I need a middle? Why can’t my story stay just like this?”

And it may be that it doesn’t need a middle. Maybe what you had in mind for your beginning and your ending is enough to create a cohesive story. But if if seems abrupt or confused or a bit lost, then make a list of specific things that make this ending confusing when it comes right after your beginning. Once you have a general list, think of how your plot can solve those confusions. Then, think about what scenes you can write.

Good luck!

-R

If you’re the type of writer that tends to write in a bubble, by which I mean you don’t share your work with anyone else (at least not until a draft is finished), then it can be extremely difficult to know whether or not your story is interesting. But ultimately, your story has to be interesting to you before it can be interesting to anybody else. 

So when do you put twists and turns into your plot? When you’re bored with it. When you get to a point where you’re close to jumping ship because it lacks excitement - that’s when it’s time to spice things up. On the flip side, if you stand back and it seems like nothing is happening, ask yourself: Am I still having fun? If the answer is yes, then don’t force yourself to add excitement to a story that is very much exciting in your eyes. You are the writer after all, and your opinion matters. 

Eventually, you will have to leave your bubble and get feedback (assuming you’d like to improve and/or get published someday), and it could be that this story that you had such passion for, where apparently nothing happened, is actually very interesting! It could be that the lack of plot twists and turns fits the type of story it is. It could be that your characters bring the story to life and your plot progresses unexpectedly enough that what you thought seemed boring was a thrilling read. 

A story doesn’t have to be written perfectly the first time. Most aren’t. So write what you want the first time. If you’re bored, change it up. If you’re having fun, then keep following your instincts. When your story is complete, seek out people you trust and see what they think. Gather lots of opinions. If the consensus is that more intrigue is needed, then get brainstorming. 

It always comes back to you. You’re the writer, and you need to love it. You’ll know when it’s static. Your interest will wane, you’ll begin writing less and less, and you’ll start considering other story ideas. When that happens,  it’s time to mix it up. Get soap opera on that story and do something crazy and out there if you’re unsure what to do. It might be just what you need. 

-R