The search for plot

[C_M_Bangen]

I have characters and a setting; now I need a plot.

How do you generate a plot or conflict from these things?

I have some introductions ready, but trying to figure out how to make things conflicted is eluding me.

I know I can have characters with opposing motivations which can yield conflict. I'm familiar with the whole "human v. nature/ self/ other human/ society" as a distillation of conflict, but if I'm trying to write an extended story in a world, how the hell do I get something more interesting than "meet the neighbors?"

Heck, do the novel writers here start with setting, conflict, characters, what?

I also realize that I very well might need to start writing actual prose instead of story beats and see where it takes me, but that seems like an exercise in frustration at best.

 

[StillStunned]

There are books and websites with lists of story prompts. Perhaps you can start browsing, see if anything catches your fancy or triggers an idea?

For me personally, it usually begins with a single scene that I visualise, and from there the story grows in layers like an onion.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

1. Steal the plot. Fling your characters off on the same trajectory as in a story you know and love and put your own twist on it. Shakespeare is always worth stealing from, especially for smut. Folklore and fairytales too.
2. Ask what if? What if one of them is a spy? What if they’re stuck in a small cabin in a snowstorm? What if they discover they share a shameful fetish?
3. Center your story around a theme - loneliness, rich vs poor, love at first sight, friendship, trust and betrayal, etc…

 

[SimonDoom]

It's hard to answer the question without knowing more about your characters, category, and story concept.

With an erotic story, I usually start with the premise that the main character will be introduced to a new erotic experience. It could be anal sex, incestuous sex, public nudity, BDSM, whatever.

There is a barrier between the character and the experience, something that makes them reluctant to experience. It could be a taboo, a relative or friend, social rules, personal fear or anxiety, religious scruples, whatever.

The plot then gets constructed around the person wanting something but being reluctant to experience it for some reason, and overcoming the reluctance or barrier.

Let's say it's a public nudity story. The shy protagonist is dared to get nude in public by her bolder friend. She starts slowly but gradually takes on bolder dares until they get wild and crazy. You could construct a long story around that arc.

Another tip I would give is not to commit yourself to a really long story if you don't quite have the plot concept down. You can write a good short story with a plot in 10,000 words, or even fewer. With a short story you don't have to worry too much about the plotting. Just come up with one concept, write it through, and there's your story, of whatever length.

 

[Katie_Mae]

What do the characters want?

What's stopping them from getting that? Anything standing in their way is a source of conflict.

eg. from your "meet the neighbours" A new neighbour moves in.
He wants to go meet her, but she's landed gentry and he's just the village blacksmith.
So, how are you going to orchestrate for them to meet? What happens when they do?

Or play with "what-ifs" eg what if he's married? What if it's the year 2345 and his new neighbour is lightyears away? And an alien? A race his people are at war with? What if he's a time traveller and shifts time every time he cums? What if they don't speak the same language?

There are broad plot outlines you can look up. Eg "the hero's journey" or "save the cat"

______

For me I have plots, setting and characters all milling around in my mind and they come together in bits and pieces to form a story, or part of a story. When I want to write a story I'll choose one of them.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

I have characters and a setting; now I need a plot.

How do you generate a plot or conflict from these things?

The science fictional answer is to extrapolate the situation. "What happens if?" It doesn't have to be about technology.

"What if Jenny decides to take a job in Wisconsin, just a temporary one year assignment? How does that affect Ellen?"

"What if Bill's invention is so popular, he's as rich as Jeff Bezos? Will Rita still despise him, or will she realize she's now attracted to him? Is that OK with her? Will she come to despise herself, for being so money-driven, but be unable to fight the urge?"

And so on.

Depending on your setting, it could be much more scifi. "If this world requires every young adult to spend two years in the Reproductive Corps and have at least one child with an assigned partner, what effect does that have on family structures?"

-Rocco

 

[Katie_Mae]

The science fictional answer is to extrapolate the situation... "If this world requires every young adult to spend two years in the Reproductive Corps and have at least one child with an assigned partner, what effect does that have on family structures?"

-Rocco

Oh! This reminds me of something.

The other day I saw a young man complaining that men have to do national service, but women don't. How is this fair? he asked. His government's answer "woman are the ones who have to have the babies, so they suffer for the nation too." But women, the man complained, don't always have babies. And when they do they have some choice about when. And they don't get sent to jail for three years or fined for not having babies...

That could be a plot bunny right there.

The answer, always listen to complaining

 

[SimonDoom]

Since this is an erotic story site, ask yourself, what turns you on? Rather than start at the beginning, think of where you want to go that sounds interesting and erotic to you. Then you have a concept to work around. The first part of the plot explains how you get to the concept, and the second part explains how it resolves afterward. In some ways that's easier than starting at the beginning and wondering what you want the characters to do. Most of my stories are like this. They're concept driven.

 

[Cagivagurl]

I have characters and a setting; now I need a plot.

How do you generate a plot or conflict from these things?

I have some introductions ready, but trying to figure out how to make things conflicted is eluding me.

I know I can have characters with opposing motivations which can yield conflict. I'm familiar with the whole "human v. nature/ self/ other human/ society" as a distillation of conflict, but if I'm trying to write an extended story in a world, how the hell do I get something more interesting than "meet the neighbors?"

Heck, do the novel writers here start with setting, conflict, characters, what?

I also realize that I very well might need to start writing actual prose instead of story beats and see where it takes me, but that seems like an exercise in frustration at best.

There are many things that can generate ideas if you're open to them. An overheard conversation. Snippets of gossip. If you already have characters in your head. Put them in that conversation.
Segments from movies, or stories you've read. Let them carry you off.
Inspiration is all around us. Every day you see or hear things that would make good story plots.
Open your mind and embrace ideas.

Cagivagurl

 

[TheLobster]

I have characters and a setting; now I need a plot.

Gee, how do you get there?

For me, it's always the opposite. I get the idea for a plot, or at least a premise, and then have to come up with suitable characters for it. The have to either plausibly execute said plot, or -- more likely -- be capable of discovering what the plot should be, as I'm writing them by the seat of my pants.

Guess this is likely the reason why I mostly write one-offs.

 

[Bazzle]

I think some might argue that I have written 73 plot free stories...and counting.

 

[ronde]

I have characters and a setting; now I need a plot.

How do you generate a plot or conflict from these things?

I have some introductions ready, but trying to figure out how to make things conflicted is eluding me.

I know I can have characters with opposing motivations which can yield conflict. I'm familiar with the whole "human v. nature/ self/ other human/ society" as a distillation of conflict, but if I'm trying to write an extended story in a world, how the hell do I get something more interesting than "meet the neighbors?"

Heck, do the novel writers here start with setting, conflict, characters, what?

I also realize that I very well might need to start writing actual prose instead of story beats and see where it takes me, but that seems like an exercise in frustration at best.

To write a plot you have to have some idea of where you want your characters to end up at the finish line. Once you know how the story ends, the plot is just the situations you put your characters in and how they react.

There are many plots recognized by those who study literature. Check out Wikipedia for a description of them. You'll recognize most of them from books and movies because authors keep writing the same plot over and over. What varies is the personality of the characters, the situations they're in, and how those personalities cause them to react to those situations. A typical plot is found in many western movies. The ending is the strong guy gets the girl after killing all the bad guys and saving her from some dilemma. The plot is how they get into a situation where she needs to be saved and how he does it.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

<snip>
For me, it's always the opposite. I get the idea for a plot, or at least a premise, <snip>

Guess this is likely the reason why I mostly write one-offs.

Ditto!

I have way too many ideas for plots, but far too little time to develop them all, and, for those developed, to do it to the point I'm happy with the results. Between that and generally not breaking most stories up, my number of stories completed/submittals per year is relatively low as a result.

 

[NotWise]

My story development tends to be character-driven. For me, developing the antagonist is an important step in creating a more complex story. Plot and conflict tend to fall into place once I've pinned that character down. As a complex and oddly realistic twist, if one of your characters is internally conflicted (there are also other ways to do it) then they can serve as both protagonist and antagonist. YMMV.

Erotic stories don't always require antagonists, and conflict can be inherent in the eroticism.

 

[C_M_Bangen]

I think some might argue that I have written 73 plot free stories...and counting.

I believe I wandered into that thread while seeing if it had been brought up here before!

 

[pink_silk_glove]

I know I can have characters with opposing motivations which can yield conflict. I'm familiar with the whole "human v. nature/ self/ other human/ society" as a distillation of conflict, but if I'm trying to write an extended story in a world, how the hell do I get something more interesting than "meet the neighbors?"

Sounds like you already have the answer. The only thing missing from the equation is a little effort. Use your imagination. Imagine your characters with their motives interacting. What would happen? Daydream it. Next thing you know, you'll have a scene. Write the scene out and see where it leads. It's fun!

 

[Bazzle]

I suppose by "having characters and a setting" you mean an attractive couple lounging on a hotel bed?

The plot is to answer the why?

Why did these two athletic specimen of humans end up in that bed?

With whatever scene you concoct plot can literally be the why and how? If doesn't need to be any more complex than that?

Especially if the mobile ringing on the side has "Wifey" on the screen.

 

[TheWritingGroup]

Thinking about my own previous answer here: a situation is not a plot.

You say you have a situation and characters. Now, what disturbs that situation?

Say the setting in your head is a neighborhood. What disturbs it? Say, does a handsome couple move in, and the sexhounds in the area are all competing to bed the new neighbors? That could be a plot. Is one of the neighbors a Russian sleeper agent? Is one of them a vampire? Does one of them run up stupid debt, and now they need money, and they'll do anything to get it?

Stuff like that.

-Rocco

 

[TarnishedPenny]

There are books and websites with lists of story prompts. Perhaps you can start browsing, see if anything catches your fancy or triggers an idea?

For me personally, it usually begins with a single scene that I visualise, and from there the story grows in layers like an onion.

Like this, but I generally have a number of scenes in mind. I work on each one and they expand like ink blots until they collide and form a coherent story.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

 

[StillStunned]

I suppose by "having characters and a setting" you mean an attractive couple lounging on a hotel bed?

Do you have any particular reason for this less than constructive input? Or is it just disdain of Lit writers in general?

 

[StillStunned]

Do you think trying to answer the unanswerable is constructive, or is it just part of a self-appointed moral inspector's duties?

Not sure what the "unanswerable" is, given how many answers have been given in this thread. You know, constructive answers that could help the OP forward, rather than a baseless sneer.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Plots are ideas. You can't explain how imagination works, just as you can't explain how dreams appear, fade, or why only a few resonate with us. Offering a hard but helpful truth to someone clearly in the wrong place can save them valuable time and, in that sense, be constructive. Sometimes, a sneer is well-grounded.

I believe in cold hard truth more than anyone but I don't see any in your remarks to the OP's characters and setting, only a baseless assumption. What is so clearly wrong about the OP's place?

Do you think trying to answer the unanswerable is constructive, or is it just part of a self-appointed moral inspector's duties?

You'd know all about that.

 

[StillStunned]

Plots are ideas. You can't explain how imagination works, just as you can't explain how dreams appear, fade, or why only a few resonate with us. Offering a hard but helpful truth to someone clearly in the wrong place can save them valuable time and, in that sense, be constructive. Sometimes, a sneer is well-grounded.

For a start, no-one was asking how imagination works. The OP asked for suggestions on how to conceive a plot. Other posters replied, because we all have our ways and are willing to share what works for us. If any of those suggestions works for the OP, or even helps them get a step closer to finding what works for them, then we've been helpful and the OP is in a better place.

Second, you didn't offer "a hard but helpful truth": you made an assumption about the OP's ideas without knowing any details, and mocked them based on that assumption.

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

Plots are ideas the series of events that form the story of a novel, play, film, etc.

Fixed that for ya

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

But responding with a straight face to "I have characters and a setting; now I need a plot" takes self-denial to a new level.

Incorrect.