Let’s Talk: Plot

One of the most fun things that I get to do as an independent editor is work with authors on the plot of their novels. It is truly such a joy and privilege to work so closely with an in-development work, and today I wanted to share a few tips on plotting if you’re currently writing or hope to be writing someday soon! 

There are many, many ways to plot your novel, and none of them are any more right than any other. Find what works for you and go from there! If you don’t know where to even begin, here are some pointers:

🎢 Think of your story as a rollercoaster. You probably learned about this at some point in school, too. You will need to have a beginning, middle and end. What happens on the way up the rollercoaster is the exposition (set up) and rising action. Then you have the climax and falling action which bring you to the resolution/conclusion. Here is a helpful visual aid for this which was created by Reedsy.

🎬 Begin with scenes and go from there. This advice comes from Emily Henry, who discussed on Good Morning America that she will often write scenes first and then find the thread of the story from there. She knows what her characters are going to do first, and then uses that to build the plot. She mentions that she will often cut out bits that don’t work once the plot really emerges and that’s also great advice! Don’t get too attached to any one scene.

💃 Focus on your main character. What journey are they going on in the story you’re telling? Are they falling in love while unpacking significant trauma? Are they dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy and trying to move forward? Understand what you want to happen to this character and build the story around it. The decisions that they make should either support or set them back in your goals for them. 

🗣️ Talk to someone! If you’re stuck with your plot and don’t know how to get your characters from where they are to where they need to be, enlist the help of a trusted friend, a critique partner, or a professional. 

Until next time!
XOXO,

Sam