How do you plot out your stories?

[VividDesires]

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.

I love the idea of post-it notes. I tend to have the attention span of a fruit fly, so the immediacy and flexibility of post-it note plot structure really appeals to me! ...I will be using this concept tonight. Thanks!

The techno nerd in me is intrigued by the idea of a flowchart app to chart the course of a novel. That may be a little too left-brained for me, but I'm sure I'll give it a go--for curiosity's sake if nothing more.

Vivid

 

[lmind]

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....

I just want to echo everything Shivan said. All the same is true for me - especially the bit about building a story around a desired scene. It's all about getting to that scene (or scenes) - building up to it to give it as much impact as possible. I always have a desired mental or emotional state in mind that I wish to evoke from my audience. The art arises from the fine balance between serving that state on a silver platter (i.e., simply describing how a character feels and hoping you've sufficiently hooked the audience so they feel it vicariously) or hiding the desired state in subtext (which can be especially effective because people do not resist ideas that come from within themselves).

As a practical matter, I almost always outline. This helps me build-in proper foreshadowing. It also helps with simple, practical matters, such as pre-describing the scenery, so you don't have to do so later, during the "action" scenes, where faster pace is important.

Art, however, is always a personal process, so others surely have different methods that work for them.

 

[poppy_cock]

I've done both. I tend to write novel length works and at various times I've written fairly extensive outlines, character descriptions and decided on pivotal scenes etc. But to date, I've only ever managed to complete one piece of work this way. Having it all planned out doesn't seem to work so well for me. I need to have some flexibility.

My 2 most successful pieces to date had no outlines whatsoever. With both, I started with just the opening scene in my mind, and whoosh, away they went. I ended up with a 10 chapter story for one (but when I started I figured I'd be done in maybe 4 or 5 chapters... ). So in the process, I discovered I loved writing by the seat of my pants. That's not to say I didn't know where they were going by the time I got halfway through--I did, things were continually falling into place in my head. But nothing got written down in the form of a plan. By not having anything too rigid, I think my mind was freer somehow, more open to different ideas.

But maybe it was because I had plotted out stories before that I could do that. One thing I do know, time spent on creating characters is time well spent. If you can come up with believable, multi-faceted characters (preferably with flawed personalities, LOL), they'll very often suggest the story to you. And then all you have to do is write it down.

Ha... If only it was that easy...

 

[sunandshadow]

Not an erotic story but, I'm contemplating doing nanowrimo and in an attempt to get a plot worked out for that I have spent last night and today playing with note cards (well, flowchart software but same ides) and Dramatica.

 

[past_perfect]

I keep some sort of character chart for longer or multi-part stories, to avoid breasts growing or shrinking unnecessarily, or hair colours changing for no apparent reason, also to avoid the choice of names that sound too much alike and might confuse the readers (my editor put me up to that, and that is very helpful).

However, the post-its for the plot are only in my mind, which has the advantage that I can twist and tweak as I go along, because sometimes a particular line I come up with triggers a development idea that puts the entire thing into a slightly different direction. Also, I'm a lazy bastard, spelling everything out beforehand would go against my nature.

 

[Lust_in_Words]

I have two different systems for stories; for short ones I just start writing and leave gaps for where I'll fill in the 'in-between' material.

When I'm working on a longer tale with more scenes, I use 4 x 6 cards with scene descriptions; I leave the right margin open for scene numbers and version dates. If I revise a story on October 10th I know to check the other cards so all the ones with dates earlier that are in compliance with the new version. This means I replace a lot of cards at first.

My reason for the cards is I don't have a personal mobile computer ( no way I'm writing this stuff on my company laptop! ) and besides, I'm in my late forties and am more used to the cards. I find a forty scene story takes me between three weeks to a month to put on cards and a week more to type. I have many professional society meetings to go to; its a wonder I have any free time at all!

Let me explain:

card 0: 9/16 Introduction, Celeste is a member of a secret society, her mission is to subvert a bank. This card also has the character descriptions.

card 1: 10/5 Celeste is ordered to seduce a banker, James, to get blackmail material on him.

card 2: 10/5 Celeste picks out her clothes and gets ready

card 3: 10/5 Celeste sets out to the bar James frequents to pick him up.

card 4: 10/5 Celeste behaves in a way so James thinks it's his idea to pick her up for a one night stand

card 5: 10/6 Celeste leads the way to her nearby 'apartment', equipped with every conceivable recording device.

card 6: 10/6 Celeste manipulates it so James seems to seduce her and they have Camera Friendly Sex.

card 7: 10/6 The next day James gets one heck of a private courier package... and a copy goes to his wife if he doesn't cooperate.

Now I have an idea for a change:

card 2.5: 10/8 Celeste's fellow conspirator and lover Ingrid has new information on James.


What I need to check is the events are consistent with card 2.5, maybe Celeste fine tunes her outfit, almost certainly the new info will be in her thoughts in cards three and later. This will set up tension beween Celeste and Ingrid, Celeste enjoys toying with men and Ingrid resents this. The new scene points this out in a way that won't seem contrived to the reader.

A refinement I've found is cards with a colored border to set apart chapters, each chapter card lists who's in it and a synopsis. These cards get replaced almost as often as the scene cards!

I got the thousand pack of lined cards, that keeps me busy for a while.

When I get the cards the way I like, I start typing in Word 'till I'm done. This shortens the time spent on the computer so I produce more stories in the same amount of computer time compared with just typing away.

 

[Kikori]

Most often, I have someone make a request for a story. I know the person who requests it, so I know their fetishes. So, step one, decide what the climax is.

Step two, get the characters and how they actually get into it in order. Step two is deciding on the rising actions, or at least a loose frame for them.

I struggle with the beginning for a bit, flow through a usually quick set of rising actions, and hit the climax that I know the people will love. I continue with it, keeping it up as long as both my head can imagine it and I know it's good before slowly letting the story drop to the ending.

So, basically, I start by thinking up the climax, then the events leading to it. Write into it, get the best part going as long as possible, and ease out of it.

 

[Monazwx]

Not an erotic story but, I'm contemplating doing nanowrimo and in an attempt to get a plot worked out for that I have spent last night and today playing with note cards (well, flowchart software but same ides) and Dramatica.

I'm glad someone brought this up, i.e the use of writing software. I downloaded Writer's cafe, and I'm falling in love with it, but I'm also looking for plot and character-development software. I'm hearing that Dramatica should fit the bill. How are you finding it?

(Anyone who uses this software, or any other plot/characterization software, are welcome to jump right in.)

To answer the original question, I find that the Writer's Cafe's product called "Storylines" does a fairly decent job outlining your work on storyboards (w/o the images) that one can move around at your leisure.

 

[AoNoDoY]

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

You should submit this as a poem.

 

[JackLuis]

Methods You've got methods?

I have tried the Hero's journey, a Proff in an on-line class taught it, but I couldn't get it to come out. The characters kept pulling the story off in different directions.

I have been just letting it flow and have a hard time re-structuring ot rewriting a story. My "Spreading Seeds" story was an attempt to use first person and it became a "Shagging Dog" that was fun to write and all but after 50 chapters never came close to being plotted with an ending in sight. Poor Josh, my protag, just keeps trying to save the world and is having fun but the story gets more danglening segments and I guess it is a lot like life.

Lately I've been trying to outline and hope this works in closing up the Shagging Dog story I have been working on.

I keep a word Doc open as a way of making notes of new ideas and partial stories that come to mind as I read or write. It allows me to save these bits and pieces and maybe I'll go back and add to one or another.

I tried Dramatica, but I found that trying to use it was more distraction than help. It keeps telling me I have to fillin the blanks and I can't because I don't know what it wants? Too furstrating!

I have found that in the past couple of months, after signing on to Literotica I'm getting better and have written two stories that actually have an ending that seem coherient, so thank you all for the inspiration.

 

[AoNoDoY]

plotting for non-erotic stories

I've found that it's important to decide at some point whether the piece is going to be a comedy or a tragedy. Is it going to end well for the main character or is it going to end poorly? Then I hammer it out, revise it, stroke it. Try a few different approaches. I trust that the process of experimentation will lead to something satisfying. After a roughly satisfying ending is in place, I go back and revisit each plot element to make sure it serves the ending, almost as if I've thought of the punchline of a joke and I'm now creating the build up that will make the punch line work. Unnecessary details make for bad jokes and less-than-good stories. I try to remove any details or plot elements that don't serve the ending or the emotional impact.

 

[Erich_Norden]

I rely solely on mental notes. The story I'm working on presently, which is maybe one-third finished at about 5000 words, started in my mind as a situation: A girl has an encounter with a mischievous pair of goblins. From there I considered how the situation would come about, mentally wrote in the plot details to the point where I had a natural beginning, and then started using the keyboard. As I went along, the story just started putting itself together for the most part, and the original situation became just part of the larger story.

 

[silvastormcloud]

I love it how everyone's minds seem to work differently and we all develop our on way of coming to grips with planning.

For me i love to use a big white board i have in the garage but i have learnt a lot from reading this thread

 

[dr_mabeuse]

I rely solely on mental notes. The story I'm working on presently, which is maybe one-third finished at about 5000 words, started in my mind as a situation: A girl has an encounter with a mischievous pair of goblins. From there I considered how the situation would come about, mentally wrote in the plot details to the point where I had a natural beginning, and then started using the keyboard. As I went along, the story just started putting itself together for the most part, and the original situation became just part of the larger story.

I agree. If you need an outline for a short story, you've either still working out your story (which you can probably do in your head), or you've got ADD or you're just procrastinating. A short story is by definition a single event, so it just isn't that damn complicated.

If you have a good plot for a novel, you probably don't need an outline for the main story arc. It'll stay in your head. You do need an outline for the book itself, with all the subplots and sidechains.

I try to outline, but I never know what's really going to happen until I get there in the writing, because basically, I'm creating while I'm telling the story. I try to plan it out, but my characters always surprise me, or new subtleties pop up that I hadn't considered while I was outlining.

The one exception is the murder mystery, which you have to outline, and you have to write backwards, knowing the murderer before you start. I'm ashamed to say it took me years to figure that one out.

I've written entire novels and started subplots and introduced characters flying completely blind, having no idea of what the subplots meant or who the characters were, going on the assumption that if you throw characters together, they'll eventually generate their own plot, and it actually works surprisingly well most of the time. It does take a lot of nerve though, and it's not something I particularly enjoy. Kind of like giving a party for a bunch of strangers and hoping it gets off the ground.

 

[BadPup]

Whatever works

I think extensive outlining would only become important in a long multi-chapter story. Mainly because it would suck to be completely snookered plotwise in chapter 8 because of something you threw into the story in chapter 2.
For shorter works I think it depends on the writer's style. If you like being organized and having everything in it's proper place then outline to your heart's content. If you're more of a free spirit and just like to write by the seat of your pants, I think as long as you have a general idea of where the story is going to end up, a theme you find interesting (translation why anyone should care what's happening in the story), and a good mental picture of who your characters are then you'll end up with a good story this way as well.
Because writing is a creative process, everyone is going to do it a little bit different then everyone else, and indivual writers may use different processes from story to story. As long as you feel you've put your best work on the page and you get to type "the end", how you do it doesn't really matter.

 

[_Lynn_]

I agree. If you need an outline for a short story, you've either still working out your story (which you can probably do in your head), or you've got ADD or you're just procrastinating. A short story is by definition a single event, so it just isn't that damn complicated.

If you have a good plot for a novel, you probably don't need an outline for the main story arc. It'll stay in your head. You do need an outline for the book itself, with all the subplots and sidechains.

I try to outline, but I never know what's really going to happen until I get there in the writing, because basically, I'm creating while I'm telling the story. I try to plan it out, but my characters always surprise me, or new subtleties pop up that I hadn't considered while I was outlining.

The one exception is the murder mystery, which you have to outline, and you have to write backwards, knowing the murderer before you start. I'm ashamed to say it took me years to figure that one out.

I've written entire novels and started subplots and introduced characters flying completely blind, having no idea of what the subplots meant or who the characters were, going on the assumption that if you throw characters together, they'll eventually generate their own plot, and it actually works surprisingly well most of the time. It does take a lot of nerve though, and it's not something I particularly enjoy. Kind of like giving a party for a bunch of strangers and hoping it gets off the ground.

Same here. It doesn't matter where I think a story will go when I begin, it changes somewhere. Then the outline is useless anyway. I find it 'clutters' my mind.

It's rare that I even keep any notes for a story. I might jot down a few things in the beginning, but almost everything is in my head. The characters evolve as I write and I never quite know what they'll do for sure.

The exception is NaNo. I keep more details written down for that. Yet they really don't help me with much more than the basics. It's rare that I follow much that I planned for it. What looks good on paper falls flat once I start to type and I go with what feels right instead.

I just keep it all on the index cards in my brain. For now, that works for me.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

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!

That's pretty much what I do. An idea occurs to me and then I see how it works out. I've got a novel that's in stasis because I haven't figured out how to get from the scene I'm in to the next one. On the other hand, I've got a short that seems to be writing itself. Go figure.

 

[manyeyedhydra]

I've got a novel that's in stasis because I haven't figured out how to get from the scene I'm in to the next one.

Yeah I hate it when that happens. Often I picture a series of set pieces and events, but then get stuck in the nitty-gritty of getting from A to B. I find that happens a lot when writing out conversations between characters. I'll think of a good line i want to include, but the characters and conversation stubbornly won't go in that direction.

I think that's a danger of over-plotting. You end up with a series of points that won't join up.

 

[fastandsloppy]

A few years ago I went to a charity event at Radio City Music Hall in N.Y.C. where Stephen King, John Irving and J.K.Rowling did readings from their works, talked about the art of writing and took a few questions (and Jon Steward presented the authors, I was in dork heaven).

The most interesting thing about the event was when King and Irving discussed this very question. King said he gets an idea on how to start a story and just starts writing it, letting himself be led by the story as he discovers it on the page. Irving said he was 180 degrees opposite. He plots out every detail ahead of time before he begins and then lays down the prose along the pre-determined path. So, obviously there isn't a right answer. Or perhaps there is, determined by how you feel about the the works of King and Irving (I prefer Irving).

Personally I think up a few things I want to have happen and a set-up that can reasonably kick it all off. Then I enjoy the process of thinking out interesting ways to get from point A to points B, C and D. However, frequently the story takes over as I'm writing and I end up somewhere far afield of where I meant to go.

I guess that makes me a Kirving... or perhaps an Iing.

 

[Jedikool]

I have touchstone scenes that I know I want to include. But as for the other scenes which connect them I just sort of write as I go. Sometimes I do short term planning where I will plan out the next three or so scenes and then write.

 

[JammyJimmy]

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?

MS Project creates them for you as you put your tasks in and link them into sequence, but I've also doodled them up by hand. (used to work as a project manager)
You can also get them in visio.
MS Project is ok if you have a strong structure, and want to work on your story in isolated sections, writing out of sequence, etc.
MS Visio is really fluid and good for editing too - just put all your scenes into order and then you can have a detached look at your story as a whole. Something that's difficult to do inside your head.

ps apologies for the delay in answering!

 

[christabelll]

Years ago when I first started writing stories I tried to plot out every possible avenue that could be taken. Full Character summaries, Location Maps, Time period descriptors etc., etc. While I managed to be very prolific with it - I couldn't always get it to join up at latter points in the writing process. And I found that all the energy put into the summaries and plotlines was better served if I had simply started writing the story first!

Now - mainly it starts with a sentence. Pun not intended but appropriate.
Not just any sentence. Its a whole scene in its self it seems - If I can latch onto that sentence I can ride the stream of it for pages and pages.

This is the seed as it were. This one sentence or first few sentences often set the tone for the entire story. Word Streams - I think thats what they call them.

Or I have a broad idea - I can see A and maybe MNO but definitely Z - this usually takes a few days of mulling: of examining said idea in my head. Until that "first sentence" forms. Once it forms - I'm off and running - Sometimes it surprises me what comes out and others its almost like that "person" has been living inside my head - and now that they are on paper - I can like them or hate them but always they surprise me once I have translated their "ghost" out of my thoughts.

Most often - I do not think about what I am writing until well after I have written it. ITs like a dam bursting - writing till the flood has stopped. Then waiting - for the debris to clear - and rereading what came out. Thats what's the most fun - these little surprises - because I really don't know what has transpired until I read it.


Personally - knowing the basic mechanic's of a story - beginning middle end - with all its subsidiary parts - character interaction, action, etc. is enough for me to write towards.

Since this is such a personal thing I do believe it will vary and vary widely from person to person - and shouldn't be held up as a tool of measuring a writers "skills". However you create - either with schematics or by the seat of your pants - thats good enough for me hehehe 'side schematics are just to freaking linear for me!

 

[davion2308]

For me

I write on paper with generalizations of what I expect to happen. I type much faster then I write freehand, so I don't spend time with specifics on a pad of lined paper. I do outline, front to back, the entire general story. Specifics and changes happen in Word. If I discover something new and the entire story shifts, I'll go with it and later come back to see what happened and how I can use it.

 

[Jedikool]

I think this also asks an interesting question of what draws you to a story first; the plot, setting, characters, and theme? This is probably different for most people and even for most people different for each story.

 

[JammyJimmy]

I think this also asks an interesting question of what draws you to a story first; the plot, setting, characters, and theme? This is probably different for most people and even for most people different for each story.

Absolutely agree that its different for each story.
I assume some writers have their formula that they use, and if it works for them then it's all good. Others are bound to be a bit more free in their approach, just 'blurting' the words onto the page as they think them, and others are bound to use a mixture.

I've often thought of it as (too admit my inner geek, and quote some D&D stuff!) the balance between lawful and chaotic behaviour.
Lawful is stiff, controlled and planned.
Chaotic is open, wild and uncontrolled.

I try to walk the line between the two... doesn't always work though!