Mag McAlister

Let's assume that you have an idea for a story. You're quite excited about it, and you feel in your bones that this will make a great novel.

Then you sit down to plot it in more detail...

... and suddenly, your wonderful idea seems to have lost some of its gloss. You know how it starts, and you know who the main character is going to be. You have some exciting plot twists hovering around in the background; all you need to do is fine-tune them. But then... one after another, problems start to pile up.

• You can't come up with a good reason for the main character to be at a certain place at a certain time.

• You know WHAT you want the main character to do - but you can't figure out WHY.

• You can get your characters into a desperate situation that will have your readers on the edge of their seats - but you can't work out how to get them OUT of it.

These are just a few of the problems that can arise to make a writer want to jump off the nearest cliff. Others include:

• Finding that a story based on real-life struggles doesn't lend itself to fiction as well as you thought it would

• Having difficulty coming up with a satisfying ending

• Knowing how to resolve all the plot twists at the right time

• Having difficulty in locating information on the technical/professional background of your characters

• Discovering that you don't have enough conflict to keep the story interesting

• Having difficulty filling up the middle of the story with enough interesting events

All writers hit a wall at some stage when they're writing a novel. No matter how exhaustively you've plotted your book before you begin, you'll find that some days at the computer are just hard slog. Even if you know what should happen next, the words just don't seem to come together - or you realise that what you had planned just isn't going to work.

If you know that this is going to happen, you'll find it a little easier to deal with. (Sometimes all you need to do is take a break from your writing for a while. Go back to it after a few days, or a week, and suddenly you'll see your way clearly - even if it involves going back and rewriting a few scenes.) However, the best way to ensure a smooth path through the actual writing is to iron out the plot wrinkles before you start.

Here are a few tips to help you through the plotting process.

1. Test Your Idea for Plot-Worthiness

An idea is not a plot: it is a starting point. When you get an idea for a story, spend some time examining it carefully to see whether it has the potential to be developed into a fully-fledged plot.

Ask yourself: Who will want to read about this? (Will your idea appeal to mystery-lovers? To those who enjoy curling up with a good romance? Is it an idea that will have general appeal to a wide audience?) This is a question that is ever-present in the minds of editors. If they don't think they can sell enough copies of the book to make it worth their while, they'll reject your manuscript.

Too many first-time authors want to write a novel based on their own lives. Usually, they have struggled in some way - to work out what they really want in life; to overcome a problem with drug or alcohol abuse; to survive an abusive relationship; to cope with a debilitating mental or physical condition; to find love.

Writing your story as a form of therapy is not the same as plotting a novel with publication in mind. Certainly, writing about your own struggles can be a good thing to do, and a wonderful way to work through the issues. Just don't expect that others will find it as all-absorbing as you do. Beware of justifying your desire to go ahead with it by saying "But I would have found it helpful to read about someone else's struggles with the same thing - my story might help others." Yes, it might - but probably not. Novels have a limited shelf-life anyway, so after a few months (apart from its being in a library) most people won't even see your novel.

By all means use your life experiences as writing fodder - but think twice before fictionalising your entire life story.

Magazines are full of inspirational stories about people who have overcome problems. Every day (on shows like Oprah or Dr. Phil) and every night on television you see more of the same. Usually these stories are accompanied by useful contact numbers and internet addresses to find out more, or viewers are invited to join the 'star' of the show in a chat room. With these 'instant' aids at hand, people don't need your novel as a resource.

Here are some more questions to ask:

• the main character have a definite goal to reach, or a specific problem to solve?

• Will most readers care about what the main character wants? Will they like your character enough to want to stay with him/her for an entire novel?

• Will the main character's goal or problem generate enough conflict to make the novel interesting?

• Can you come up with several obstacles that will test your character's initiative and strength?

• Can you visualise at least one satisfying ending to the story? (You can change the way the story ends once you start to write - but you should have some kind of resolution in mind before you start.)

• Can you give the main character believable motivation for the actions he/she takes? (Will your READERS see this as believable motivation too... or are you just trying to justify your character's actions to make life easier for yourself?)

• Will your characters grow and change as a result of what happens to them?

• Is your story episodic? (That is, does your story consist of a loosely-connected series of incidents without a goal that your character needs to work towards?)

• Do you have a good sense of how your characters relate to each other, and how their individual goals and needs fit in with the main plot?

2. Plot In A Way That Suits Your Personality

Some writers like to have every chapter plotted in detail before they start. Others feel too constrained by this method: they prefer a loose timeline and start with just a general idea of what is going to happen: beginning, middle, complications, ending.

Some writers like to plot by typing out the story's progression with neat headings for chapters and scenes, with a tight summary of what will happen in each part. Others can't 'see' a story unless they use a diagram: they like to scribble information in bubbles that are connected with arrows and lines.

One method of plotting isn't any better than another. The only thing that is important is that you work with your personality, not against it. You need to feel confident enough about your plot to facilitate that creative flow.

Here are some methods that have worked for other writers:

1. Sum up your novel in a paragraph, then do a chapter-by-chapter outline.

2. Jot down some rough ideas about what will happen in the beginning, middle and end of your story, then:
   • Write down ideas for scenes on sticky notes. Move these notes around on an opened manila folder to show your story's tructure. Arrange and rearrange the order of your scenes until it feels right.

   • Buy a box of file cards and use a different card for each scene. On each card write a sentence or two to indicate what happens in the scene, and how it will move the story forward. Also note which characters appear in the scene, and any research that needs to be done. Arrange and re-arrange the scenes as you wish, or insert new scenes where necesary.

   • Do a mind-map of your story using circles and connecting lines. (This is also known as the 'cluster' method.) Use large sheets of paper so you can attach them to the wall near your computer, if this works well for you. The idea is to be able to 'see' the whole story at a glance.

   • Put up a notice board near your computer. Buy a block of square notelets (you might find different colours useful) and jot down ideas, scenes, characters on these. Thumbtack them to the board.

   • Create a story timeline (from the time/date the story opens to the time/date it ends). Computer software is useful for this because you can simply keep scrolling left or right to see what you need. Alternatively, stick as many pages together as you need until you can fold out your timeline to view in its entirety.

These tips on plotting should get you started. If you find that plotting is your main stumbling block, and you need to work through it in more detail, spend some time online searching for additional tips. It's also a good idea to add one or two books on plotting to your professional writer's library. If you feel you need feedback, the Writing4Success e-course Spotlight on Plotting offers a five-week intensive program with weekly tasks to test your understanding and give you a chance to create your plot from scratch. (www.writing4success.com/spotlight_ecourses.htm) This course also includes a "One Hour Plot" to get you started fast.

Your goal for Week 6:

Think about the story you want to write, and jot down some ideas. Test your idea using the questions provided above to see if the story you want to write has potential for a fully-fledged plot. When you are creating your plot, work WITH, not AGAINST, your personality - decide whether a written outline or a cluster format will work best for you. Before you start writing, you should at least know who your main character is, what he/she wants, how he/she plans to get it, what obstacles he/she will encounter, how these obstacles will be overcome, and what will (probably) happen in the end.