Writing a plot – tips for developing your book idea!
Once you have developed a theme and ideas for your book, the next step is to write a plot. This will help you crystallise certain events, storylines and characters right from the start of the writing process and give you a roadmap to follow as you write your book. 📚
In this blog post, you will learn how to easily write a plot for your book.
Why is plotting so important for a book idea?
Many authors write a plot before they write the actual story. Plotting is highly recommended, especially for novice writers and first-time authors. Writing a plot for a book project is part of the craft of literary writing and should therefore be learned if you want to develop (further) as an author.
A plot reflects the course of action in a story. This plot is the result of all the events that are caused by the characters in the story or that arise independently of the characters. What distinguishes a good plot is causality. This means that all events and actions in a plot are connected. It’s like a game of dominoes. In a story, one event always triggers another event. 🙂
A plot serves as an initial structure. Writing a plot provides clarity while the basic idea of the story is developed and refined. The plot structure is like a common thread that runs through the entire story, a plan that you can refer back to regularly if you get stuck at any point in the writing process.
These components are part of it
All conceivable aspects and content of a story are part of a plot. If you want to write a plot, you should also have developed rough ideas about the characters in advance. A plot for a novel could include the following, for example. Of course, a plot, just like the story, should also be created individually. For this reason, your novel plot could look completely different.
The cast of characters
Who is your main character, who are the supporting characters and antagonists or antagonistic forces? What goals do the characters pursue? What fears, characteristics, thoughts and feelings do they have? What do they look like and how do they relate to each other?
The narrative pattern
- What pattern should the plot follow?
- Would you like to write a hero’s journey, a drama, or perhaps a comedy?
- In storytelling, there are several basic narrative patterns that can be applied individually.
The genre
- Book plots differ in structure depending on the genre.
- Which genre does your story belong to?
Triggering event, tension and climax
- Which scene or plot point is the triggering event of your story and immediately grabs the reader’s interest?
- Where in the story do you want to create suspense?
- What is the climax of the story?
Setting, space and time
- When should the story take place?
- Where do the characters act?
- What atmosphere do you want to create with words?
A plot changes during the writing process
Once you have written a plot for your story, keep it in mind throughout the entire writing process.
This is because a plot can change, sometimes several times over. When I turned my book idea into a plot, it was only during the writing process of the individual chapters that I realised that the original idea had changed, and with it the first draft of the plot. And that is perfectly fine, even with your plot!
Writing stories or books does not mean that you only write. It is like an iceberg. The finished work is only the tip, and everything around it is underwater and invisible to outsiders.
Plotting is one part of the overall process that you pursue as an author. Processes and methods are always changeable. You can always adapt them to your needs.
If you notice that your story is suddenly going in a different direction than you had previously planned or plotted, consider whether you want to continue in this direction and rewrite your plot. Or whether you want to rigidly adapt the story to your original plot. Anything is possible and nothing is mandatory. You can decide for yourself what will become of your story!
By the way: In addition to authors who enjoy plotting all their ideas, there are also writers who never plot their stories thoroughly in advance, but simply start writing and then develop a plot as they go along, or even don’t write a plot at all. Everyone has their own individual approach that leads to the goal of holding a finished book in their hands with their own ideas and their own story.
Template for writing a plot
There is no universal template that every writer uses for plotting. Plotting is always very individual, and the plot structures for novels and stories can also vary. Below, I have created a possible structure that you are welcome to use for practice, entering the respective plot events of your story there.
(Photo: © Rike Niemann)
Writing the plot – tips
Do you have an idea, for example for a novel, but don’t know how to start plotting? No problem! These tips will make it easier for you to implement this method and get started with plot writing. You can also integrate this process into your schedule and time management in the best possible way.
Tip #1: Grab some paper and coloured pens!
It’s easier to write a plot when it’s visualised. The easiest and quickest way to do this is with paper and pens. 🖋
On each sheet of paper or index card, write down your rough ideas for plots or scenes that should appear in the story of the novel. Also think about who the main and secondary characters are, what distinguishes them and what their goals are. In addition, write down your initial ideas and thoughts about the setting, i.e. the time, the scope and the atmosphere, on separate pieces of paper.
Tip #2: Organise and build structure
Once you have recorded all your ideas, organise all the notes according to the sequence of events. What should be the triggering event at the beginning of the novel? Which scene is the end of the story? What happens in the middle? What are the points of tension and climax?
Use the index cards or pieces of paper to build an initial structure and develop your basic idea further. Your first plot is taking shape! Yeah, keep it up!
Tip #3: Reflect and delve deeper into the subject matter
Take a coffee break and then reflect on the plot structure you have created so far. How satisfied are you with it? Have you thought of any other actions, events, characters and goals? If so, write these down on separate pieces of paper!
Now delve deeper into the subject of plotting by dividing the plot into a beginning, middle and end and deciding where you want to incorporate points of tension. Where is the climax in the plot, where could turning points occur?
Keep an eye on the plot you have created as you write and regularly adapt it to the course of your novel’s story. Other creative techniques and methods can also be helpful in the writing process and in writing a novel. No author is born a master, and the more you try your hand at plotting, the better you will become.
