Himani

I would love to have some advice on this problem I have when trying to think of a new story idea. I usually end up with just a few scattered scenes that are loosely connected (usually by the same characters involved in all scenes). However, coming up with a plot is much harder.

The best I usually do is the beginning of the plot - mostly how the character gets into the situation he/she is in, then I get stuck. Anyone have any advice on how to brainstorm plot development?

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Nickie

Well, I don't think I can actually be of much help, but I can tell you how I do it.

I use to 'brainstorm' months (even years) before I start writing out a story. First of all I decide in which period I'm going to set this story (I write historical fiction) and then I usually come up with the main characters. I start out with a main event (like in my recent book, I wanted the herione to be kidnapped by Aztec warriors and become their Daughter of the Sun). The rest of the story evolves mostly round this central idea, and as I'm writing I usually come up with lots of sub-plots and sidelines. Even invent more characters.
For me, a story gets a life of its own. Once you're in it, you just have to note down what's happening!

Hope this helps a bit?


Nickie

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zaoshang

What genre do you write, Himani?

Plot relies strongly on conflict. Your main character needs a problem, a tension to deal with. Once you have that, think of a solution and a (difficult) path for your character to follow to reaching that solution. Think of unexpected and difficult obstacles along that path. This is the plot: a chain of events that can be reduced to the basic scheme "unexpected obstacle" + "overcoming the obstacle". The final obstacle needs to be the most difficult. The moment before its resolution is the climax.

Some people find it difficult to build strong plot structures because they care too much about their characters. It's normal to love our characters, but we still have to give them a hard time if we want their story to be interesting.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

lar_1

I agree that your character needs obstacles to let's say...jump over, keeping the story moving along. She/He needs problems to strengthen them, making them more interesting. This way you can bring out different elements of your characters behavour, how they react to these obsticles(makes for interesting reading) . I also find once you have accomplished this...well at least for me, the story seems to flow very nicely.

sammisan

I understand your pain Himani. Sometimes I have the same problem. Mostly I end up with random beginnings and endings to stories but no middle to go in between. What I usually do is just write the scenes I know and then fill in the bits and pieces along the way. I once had a writing teacher tell me that if writers waited until they knew the every little piece of the story to write, nothing would ever be written. My advice, just write down those random scenes you get and then flesh out the characters and plot from there. You may find that in simply writing the scenes down you come across other aspects of the characters and events that can lead to a full fledged plot.

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Avarice

The empathy is strong in this one. I constantly have that trouble, i wish my head would at least add more characters, I find a way to try and combat it is to tell it to my friends, act it out or even say the scenes out loud one by one until i can flesh them out and hope my mind will add more characters. Did i help?
Davey

Avarice

Ah yes and now from reading what the others wrote, it looks like i copied them, i really should read the others responses first, my bad.

Talia_Brie

Not only do I have scenes with no plot, I have characters to no scenes

I tend to look at it this way. The scene (or character) is in my head for a reason. Eventually it'll tie up with something else, and I'll be able to make something of it.

Otherwise I'll just forget it eventually. If that happens I generally feel it wasn't a strong enough suggestion to go on with anyway. If it can't live by itself, why am I whacking in on the chest and screaming "Clear!"

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clearbluesky

I actually have a file where I keep all the random-ness that I write. Something intresting pops into my head and I write it down. I almost never use them, but I figure that they are great practice. And you can always look back at old ones to prove that you are indeed improving, whoever doubtful that may seem at the moment.

Destany

I usually start at the end and work my way backwards. Or take a general concept and "brainstorm" what could have caused that? How could this have come about? Working my way backwards, creating the steps that lead to the usual beginning event which starts everything in motion. I'll then go back and work in more details and stages to my steps, spin off sideplots will effect the outcome of the story.
Basically, I do a series of cause and effect and domino effect mental exersizes, just thinking up what would/could get the person from point A to point B. Of course, as with anyone, I often get sidetracked or write up little twists/characters as I'm going without having initially planned to. And often, my plot takes on a life of it's own and I end up with a completely different ending than I had intended.

TimK

I'd like to echo and expand upon zaoshang's and lar_1's advice. Give your protagonist some conflict to overcome. The conflict doesn't have to be itself an obstacle. Almost any dissonance will do, whether between what is and what you want, or between what two characters want. Or whatever. The possibilities are almost endless.

To find conflicts, think of the worst things that have happened in your life. What made you feel most sad? Most frightened? Most angry? These are the things that turn into great stories.

(You should also be developing the reader's sympathy for your protagonist. But that's a different thread.)

After you have the conflict set up, think of the easiest way for him to solve the conflict. Take that solution, consider it. Then throw it out. There's some reason why your protagonist can't do what makes sense. Maybe it's a character flaw. Maybe it's lack of vision. Maybe there's some other factor that makes that solution untenable. Whatever it is, have your protagonist respond to the conflict in a way that makes the problem even worse.

Do this twice, then on the third attempt, resolve the conflict, whether favorably or unfavorably. Either the protagonist gets what he wants, or he loses, or everyone wins, or no one wins. There are many other variations. Sometimes, all that's necessary is that the protagonist come to terms with the situation. In any case, whatever dissonance yet exists, have it resolve to a new consonance.

That's the general form, anyhow.

-TimK

lisajane

See if you've got any theme or conflicts connected in the scenes you've got, and see if you can extend those. By extending them, you can create a plot.

If there's nothing but the characters that are connecting the scenes, try thinking of the plot first and write new scenes for that, and keep the scenes you've currently got for future short stories.

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Saponification

Anyone else have this problem? Sure, Matthew Reilly does. And he's a best selling author.

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TimK

So these are two conflicts that push the plot along. Plot is not just activity. Plot is activity toward a satisfying conclusion. To make a plot really work, however, you need to thicken the plot. That is, you need things to get worse before they get better. By the time your character knows his way around, he's discovered that the bad guy has his girl locked up in a dungeon surrounded by impenetrable walls, guarded by a fire-breathing dragon, hidden by an invisibility spell... And now he's out to get you, too.

-TimK

suzakugaiden

I don't get the whole "Two attempts that make it worse and a third attempt that resolves it" formula. In some instances it just won't work (One-time only conflicts that resolve irregardless of resolution conditions) or in other instances there's no reason for the character NOT to take the easy way out. Catch-22, for instance. Moving the bombing line? Easy solution. Faking a radio malfunction? Easy solution. If you always go for the worst possible scenario, you're going to look rather fake. Or, worse, like you're intentionally fudging responses to lengthen the plot arc.

That, and the above doesn't really behave the same way when you bring in more abstract conflicts. While man v. man, man v. self, man v. nature, man v. society etc would work fine with it, there ARE conflicts that don't fit as easily into the big five.