How do you plot out your stories?

I just write out my stories and see where it comes to but this time I want to plan it out better.

If working on a long story I usually write out my idea's in order that I want them to happen. Then cut it into chapters and acts. then move things around as I write the story.

Chapter One
Boy meets girl
Girl gives him a blowjob
facial

Chapter Two
they meet up again
he fucks her tits
Pearl Necklace

Chapter three
Fucks pussy
cum in pussy

Personally, what helps me is deciding on what the main theme of the story is. I'm one of those weird, old-fashioned writers in that I think every story should have a "moral", or at least a theme that is being discussed; furthermore, most of my stories come out of curiosity with a certain situation and its inherent pressures. What happens when two people, who aren't really ready to be married, are forced to wed because of parental intent to sunder them forever (The First Ninety Days)? What happens when two long-time best friends fall in love (More Than Friends)? How does a rape victim respond when her husband wants to make love to her--an act which to her is both deeply intimate and deeply dangerous (Against the Black Night)? When I write, I set down the theme or basic situation, and then build it from there. Your mileage may vary.

Another thing that helps is to pin down the main conflict the characters are going to have to overcome. I set at least one main issue for each main character to come to grips with, and go from there. These personal conflicts can interface with or even be part of the larger theme of the story; or you can do without them entirely.

Finally, what helps me is to outline. I've mentioned before that I once wrote a story with four main characters but eight plot lines strung out between them; that tale would have disintegrated without an outline. For me, the outline is basically the entire story: I draft all the scenes in my head, I write notes to myself reminding me of those ideas, those notes are the outline. Boom, the story's done--except for, you know, that whole part about how I haven't written it down yet. In some ways, the outline is more of a first draft than anything else. But that's just me. Again, your mileage may vary.

So, ask yourself a simple question: what's the story about? How do you want it to play out? Write those ideas down. Boom, you've planned it out. Even better, you can go back over your plans and make decisions as to whether such-and-such a development is actually the best idea; you also have a better grasp of what themes, characters and events need to be seeded or foreshadowed in the early chapters.

Just go for it. What have you to lose?

My stories so far don't have much of a plot,but if they did I would
improvise from point A to Point Z.
I've heard of successfull authors who never map anything out.
I guess whatever works best for you.

I've tried various bits and pieces of ideas...

a) post-it notes with arcs or scenes written on them, and placed in a rough order...
b) drawing out a flowchart...
c) list each chapter and put in what you want to happen.. which can be quite good for judging the weight or impact of each one..
d) I've even used MS Project to map out an entire novel once, more to see if it was any good, but it got too complicated for me.. the GANTT chart might work for a simples set up though..
e) just write and see what happens.. then swap stuff around in your 1st edit

My current favourite... MS Visio.. a flowcharting app that enables you to connect up all sorts of stuff...
I tend to use that at present, and move the boxes around, link them up, etc.. keeps me sane and makes sure I don't forget anything, and if I need to make structure changes... its just drag and drop.

Dunno if thats of any help for you, but its seemed to help me in the past.

Jammy.

I watch TV, play games, read other people's stuff and see if I get a mental boner. If an idea tickles me, I open up a Word Doc *Always has Word open* and I type a few sentences of my idea down *Usually in the form of X's and J's*, then I save it to my Documents folder were it will ferment. Later on, when I'm not working on something and it has had time to stew, I'll open up the document and begin considering it, mulling it around in my head until I think it's a good idea. After that, I begin working on it, and if given no distractions, I can make one in a few days.

i can never plot out anything. i'm not a story writer, merely a two bit poet. everything i do is free association. i seem to work best if there is someone willing to play off of what i write. i write some, then they write some. sometimes it works, sometimes not.
that is what "mourning" is about. a young lady and i played with words on each other.

I expose myself to various media and let ideas spark inside me. If one seems interesting, I run with it. I try to do something different every time while always keeping things intriguing for both myself and my readers. Usually I will think about an idea until it has fully taken shape, then with the advantages of a photographic memory sit down and write the story out. Once I have the buildup, action, and resolution done, I will let the story simmer for a few days while ruminating about what does and does not seem right in it. Frequently I find myself reading my work over and over again, making changes that occur to me. If I get an editor (which I do every now and then), I let them contribute ideas to the story and consider, and if it makes sense perhaps even impart, their advice. When I have the final product (usually a week or two after my first draft) I give it to my beta reader (if I'm using one, this is another sometimes thing). If she has issues that make sense to me, I go back and fix these. The story is done when it's done, then submitted, and Lit has the final word!

Two methods --

1) Just write by the seat of your pants.
2) Outline

Both of them have issues. Just writing can lead to ongoing stories that never end, have no real point, and bore me to death. Outlining can lead to boredom before I even begin to write it; it takes away some of the initial fun of discovering the story.

I do both at the same time.

I begin writing with a scene that inspired the story thought. If another scene occurs, I write that one, too. As I go, I begin to think about plot, jot down ideas that occur. Then, when I hit a wall, and I usually do, I stop and outline a bit, figure out the ending, the real issues that I want this story to address, and discover more about my characters and their backstories. Writing all that down, I then usually find a direction to go where before I'd just had this blank space.

No, I don't outline the entire thing at that point, either. Once again, I don't like irritating my muse. He's grouchy when I try to nail him into place with an outline. I do usually have to rewrite the first chapter or scene, starting at a different place than I did at first. Backstory usually turns into some kind of pertinant information that deserves a scene, or the problem actually begins before I've indicated.

I write longer works, so I have a lot of room to play while writing. Shorter stories are easier to think up in an entirety, so I don't believe they need more than a vague idea of the conflict and resolution to write them out in full on the first draft. Of course, then we discover more about the character, need to edit them until we hate the file they're written on...

Each time I hit a wall, or even begin to wonder if I've lost the forest for all the trees, I try to go back to an outline and simplify things. I write it out as I go, and it does help when I need to do a synopsis later. My outlines are never detailed, but tell only the main plot and only in plot points, where the plot will turn. The details are for my muse to figure out. It makes him happy, and I get more done that way.

Dee

I have a file that is for random concepts, thoughts that may be elements of a story, or perhaps a story in itself, eventually.

I have another file that is filled with words, phrases, quotes, things I want to use if the opportunity arises.

Still another is characters I'd like to investigate.

I think of these as my "spare parts" department.

Often I do not outline, but I have an idea of where I want my story to go. It rarely DOES go where I think it will, whether I have an outline or not. My favorite story ever stood alone as a short story for a long while, and then became a few chapters in a much longer book (which is at this moment unfinished). When I decided to expand it, then I needed an outline.

Since writing erotica is play for me, I generally don't bother to outline more than a scene in advance. I do outline when I am trying to write something more serious and plot-filled like a novel, a graphic novel, a screenplay, etc.

CWatson said:

Personally, what helps me is deciding on what the main theme of the story is. I'm one of those weird, old-fashioned writers in that I think every story should have a "moral", or at least a theme that is being discussed.

Click to expand...

When I was younger I thought in terms of converting readers to my moral and political value systems. Now that I am older I realize that I cannot do that. My stories express the way I feel about moral and political issues, but I try to be somewhat subliminal about that. I want someone who feels differently than I do about things to still like the story, or at least to conclude that it is well written, and that my protagonist and his or her friends are likable.

My stories come to me spontaneously. Before writing anything I know the entire story, and much of the dialogue.

In his Poetics Aristotle wrote that every scene should be the probable or necessary outcome of at least one preceding scene, and that the outcome should combine inevitability with surprise. He disliked the "deus ex machina" endings some Greek playwrights, including Euripides, sometimes gave to their plays. At the same time, Aristotle appreciated suspense. The ending should not be obvious, but it should be plausible.

Once I read a Barbara Cartland novel about an engaging rougue who was trying to recoup his fortunes through various illegal schemes. Because he was an incompetent criminal he kept failing. With several pages left in the novel he failed in his last endeavor, only to be saved by the death of a rich uncle, who bequeathed him his entire fortune in his will. Prior to that, the rich uncle was never mentioned. I was furious at Cartland. I thought that kind of ending had been laughed out of existence long ago.

I've written a How-To: How To Plot Flash Fiction

You will find many more ideas on how to do plots in the How-To category of stories.

Og

I start with a character. I come up with a really interesting person. Then I think about what I want to do to that person, what I want to happen to them. I usually stew on it for a while, think about it while I'm running in the evenings. After a couple or three weeks, I have enough to write out an outline. Then I get to work.

The thought occurs. If it festers, maybe I’ve got something worth considering. If I begin to recognize I’m not quite sure how this ‘encounter’ would end, or why it’s exciting? I might need to write it out.

Then I’ll start hearing dialogue. If I start hearing that? I get excited. If I sit down and write what I just heard? Chances are I want to write this story.

At that point I start jotting down things coming at me. It’s random whether there’s a continuity to the timeline or whether I’m hearing different occurrences within the same event. I’m just trying to retain whatever is bombarding me at that point by getting as much down as possible. And I’m looking at all of that while it’s coming at me. I start getting propelled by the energy.

And then I resist it. I harness it and begin to distribute it in a way that might be interesting for a reader. I step outside what’s been coming at me, I guess. (At this point all I want to do is hammer my hard-on, but I won’t allow that to happen.)

Then I build it.

If I was fortunate enough to get bombarded by a certain stage of the ‘occurrence’ then I frame it (pretty quickly) what I expect to take place in that moment. It’s just notes. I’m not worried about the actual phrasing at all yet (unless it’s dialogue. The dialogue sticks.)

Then it all begins to gather. The front, the back, the middle. I’m just about ready to decide if I have anything yet or not. When I start to reason the entire occurrence together, build it, feel the ascension… that decides if I’ve got anything worth saying. The only thing I need after that is a selfish reason to do it. And that’s usually the fact that I’m not sure how this feels. I’m not sure what the end will be… that’s what attracts me. The need to know.

In anything else I MUST know an absolute ending before I begin. If it’s erotica, it’s totally different. I want to not quite be sure of the result. I want to fuck it for the very first time, eh.

Anyway, once I’ve confirmed I’m interested in doing it – I’ll start filling in a general step-outline (what’s going to occur). I might include some specific lines there.

And then I walk away. Come back a day or so later. Look at what my deranged mind thought might be important, and validate whether it is or not. If I feel it is? I sit down and VERY slowly go line by line, page by page. I dissect the shit out of myself along the way. Not a barnstormer at that point at all. It’s all VERY intense and controlled. Constantly rewinding a slight bit to make sure I’m retaining a rhythm (which I think the most important thing from any author. Make music with it.)

When it’s done, it’s done.

I’m allowed to alter anything I previously prescribed as important. I will let the story take me where it wants to go (while maintaining an idea of where I thought I was going initially). I’m just wanting to tap into the reason I’m doing this. I want to feel the voices and all that shit. I don’t want to be me any more. Only me in the sense of responsibility to most effectively channel what I’m hearing. There are times in there where I feel like the most blessed person on earth, to be able to step into someone else like that… that’s most definitely rewarding.

I’ve only written one story from start to finish in one sitting (Learning to Swim).


In any case, I’ve discussed this enough with others to be absolutely certain – one person’s method does not make the rules. You’ll need to discover what works for you. Only consider another method if you find yourself overwhelmed, or unable to dictate your shit.

I’ve seen people rifle out beautiful shit with no foresight whatsoever. I truly wish I was one of those…


[Note: I've got oodles of unfished shit. Because I care way too much about the end result to let anything less than precisely as I want it to ever see an eye besides mine. And the only fuel I have to finish it is my own. That gets thin.]

I start with a basic premise--an idea of the starting situation and in general terms where I want the characters to end up. Additionally I will start with a general idea of the character personalities/attitudes and how they initially relate to each other.

Everything else happens as I write. I get so engrossed in the characters' perspectives and reactions that the story usually writes itself. I have a tendency to get carried away with this and sometimes have to step back and edit usually because I end up going to far to fast!

When talking erotic fiction it is usually about some fantasy I have played out in my mind several times.

However, if it is part of some larger story, like the piece I am currently writing, then I work character development first. I always try to get to know my characters personally, it's like hanging out with them. Once you know you're character then you know their motivation and how they will respond. That is what I write about, their response to a situation.

Highly detailed plotting just doesn't work for me. I try to have a start and an end and then I just follow the characters and write about what they do, think and especially feel as they go from point A to point B.

I by no means consider myself an exceptional writer....honestly i dont know if i am or not but i do know that i have a creative streak....i get ideas in my head and sometimes they stick with me and as someone mentioned before "fester" ....although i like to think of it more as an idea that likes to bounce around in my head for a while, and snowball, and take on a life of its own....

i write for myself, honestly i dont care what people think of what i write, well, i wont say that....i do care but i like to kid myself and say i dont lol....but primarily i do write for myself, i do it to create i do it so that i have an outlet for all this shit in my head....i dont care if it makes sense, i dont care if the outcome is booed by millions...i write because like i said, i have an idea that bounces around in my head and if i dont get it out somehow it will eventually cause an explosion of mass proportions.

I also enjoy building, and creating and seeing an idea come to life...or come to words....thats another reason i write. I start seeing certain things, seeing certain conversations...i start to see life through a character's eyes...i guess for a little while i walk in his shoes, get a feel for what he's doin what he's feeling, where he's been where he's headed. Thats how my creations come to be.

Sometimes with my fantasy stories, its like someone else said, its just a scene i've fantasized about, could be a small thing but ill build a whole world around it....

many times its also the result of an influence of some other sort of media, television, games, something i've seen or heard or read. Honestly i wouldnt be surprised if some day i step in a pile of dog shit and say hey, i have an idea .....for instance, i just HAD to write on here when i started reading all the posts....they all inspired me to say a little something about what was rattlin around in my cage...

I also find a very good source is dreams. I have some seriously fucked up dreams and it makes some of the best writing fodder i can think of.

But honestly the ways to get a good story going are endless....theres so much inspiration in the world in so many forms....

JammyJimmy said:

I've tried various bits and pieces of ideas...

a) post-it notes with arcs or scenes written on them, and placed in a rough order...
b) drawing out a flowchart...
c) list each chapter and put in what you want to happen.. which can be quite good for judging the weight or impact of each one..
d) I've even used MS Project to map out an entire novel once, more to see if it was any good, but it got too complicated for me.. the GANTT chart might work for a simples set up though..
e) just write and see what happens.. then swap stuff around in your 1st edit

My current favourite... MS Visio.. a flowcharting app that enables you to connect up all sorts of stuff...

Jammy.

Click to expand...

Dang! I contemplated using a Gnatt chart once, but I didn't bother. I've heard of MS Project, but I figured that it was moreso for construction, (project management/development/etc.) and I've worked with Visio before, but for business applications though, not creative writing. I'll have to check out these alternatives and let you know how they work out.

P.S. Where did you find a Gnatt chart?

When I write it's usually because something randomly has popped into my head and I need to get it out. I don't outline I never have. An old habit from school I hated when the teacher required you to turn in an outline. A lot of times those kinds of reports or stories would come out worse than fiction I would write as I went. I write what's going on then stop, wait a day then go back over it. I will *always* revise something when I do that. So I go along add or subtract things then do it all over again till I'm honestly happy with it. This applies to my fiction and the erotica things I write.

I got a PM asking where I got my influence for my story and it's hard to say. I usually pull from things that happen around me, people I know or things I've read. When I read is when I have more creative juice I've noticed. Sometimes I'll base it on things going on in my life too but twisted around a bit kind of like a mental therapy when things get icky.

I'm not a plot-driven writer. I don't hold readers by the tension of what's going to happen next, but by the way I tell a simple story. My strength is observation and description. I'm a descriptive writer.

So I usually start with some scene or situation in mind -- a tattoo artist gets erotically involved with the woman he's tattooing, a man wins another man's wife for a night in a poker game, a woman's offered a huge amount of money to take off her clothes in front of a stranger -- and then I start writing my way toward that situation. Along the way I pick up characters and they add their own opinions about what should happen and pretty soon I have my own little world going on and I can sit back and watch what develops.

Sometimes the story won't work out. The story will work itself into a blind corner from which there's no exit. But usually I find the secret of the story is buried in the original problem. It's buried in the reason that it fascinated me in the first place, and my characters are actually working out some pretty interesting problems if I let them have their leads.

I did one very highly-plotted novel, but I did it all in my head. I can't outline to save my soul. I did it by taking a lot of long walks and writing it in my head. Walking helps, and so does riding in buses and trains.

I made it basically a chase story. I believe that all stories are basically chase stories. Either they're chasing a bad guy or they're chasing love or they're chasing success or they're chasing the truth, but all stories are chase stories. If you think of your story that way, it's a lot easier to plot.

I'm usually set off by something--an image or a spoken line, for instance. Then I decide in my mind that I want to do something with that sometime and toss it to the back of my mind with just a few vague requirements to work with--that it be something a little different from what I've been writing and that it have a surprise to it (even if the surprise is that its an obvious storyline that the reader will do his/her damndest to make into something not obvious while they are reading it).

My mind mulls it and spits out a general writing plan, with a lot of plot holes in it. And when I have time to sit down to write it out, I just let it play with itself and it's almost always a full-blown story when I reach the end with twists and turns and and minor hooks I hadn't even planned to have.

I often have to do a little research before I actually sit down to write--the type of yacht I'm using, a sexual technique, the red light district in a certain city, for instance. Then it's tap, tap lickety split to the end. Two hours and I can have a 6,000-word story draft that's more or less ready to go after I've reviewed it and I've had someone else do a second read.

For me, I let an idea sit in my mind for quite a while before trying to actuall write anything. Once I have something which I think is good, I sketch out a vary brief outline, with specific elements I want to include spelled out and other parts razor thin.

Not that I really consider myself a "writer" yet, but hopefully someday I will be.

My stories are born of a topic/situation of personal interest. This "story" is then fleshed out in my imagination (usually over the course of several sleepless nights). Obviously, I've never done a long or complex story!

Based on some limited past training and some very good constructive criticism here from true authors, I then try to "discover" the theme (or moral) of the story. What is it I'm trying to say here about the human condition? If I can't really find a good theme - it is just a short fantasy and not worth the effort to write. But usually I can find something in the "plot" which is worth developing in order to say something about the human condition (e.g. jealousy, loneliness, deception, submissiveness/dominance, true love between same gender, etc...). I'll usually write the intended "theme" down on the outline so I don't stray too far from developing it.

By this point I have a good idea where this story is going and then I briefly outline the overall plot that I've already built up in my imagination (keeping in mind the plot is simply a means to "proving" my theme while hopefully being an interesting tale - e.g. there are a million different plot details that could "prove" the same theme, etc.). I just jot down the general sequence of the plot and why I want to add that scene (e.g. it develops a character's personality, establishes the setting, or makes my intended point about the theme, etc...)

I try to determine the voice I plan to write in (first person or third) - it's good to do this early on because it dictates how the whole thing will be developed and written (and it's too hard to change after it's written).

I then sit down and write - I usually write quite steadily after this and the outline is often ignored for "inspiration". Sometimes I do any research needed before hand (especially if the "theme" deals with something I'm not really familiar with), but sometimes I just leave a blank space to fill in later (like details about setting and stuff). From time to time I'll double check the "outline" to make sure I've not omitted something that would truly help the story - then try to fit it into the work where it should best go. Sometimes, I'll just leave something in the outline out all together. But at some point the "outline" falls by the wayside and the story goes where it will go.

Then comes the work - proof reading, editing and more proof reading. (Thankfully my wife is a great help and finds many things that made perfect sense to me but were poorly developed because she didn't get it. She also corrects my bad habit of using some words too many times.)

I like the outline because I don't always have time to write a story that has come to me. But I now have several in outline form just waiting. If I don't do the initial outline these "stories" are usually lost to a fading memory.