3 answers
Zoe
Student
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How do you come up with a good plot for your story?
say I was in the middle of writing a story, and I already had all of my characters and setting . How then would I come up with a plot line in which to use said characters?
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3 answers
Nathaniel Wander
anthropology/psychotherapy/writing
35
Answers
Portland, Oregon
Updated
Nathaniel’s Answer
There are many routes to and through a story. You can start at he beginning and proceed at a steady pace to the end. You can begin with the ending and tell what led up to it in flashback. You can jump right in and start with a crucial, even climatic scene--in media res is the fancy Latin term--then fill in as much back story as necessary via dialogue, exposition and/or flashback.
Similarly a story can be driven by its plot, by an idea the author wants somehow to present dramatically, or by its characters. If you already have well-developed characters but not a plot, you may be inclined to the last. So, what do your characters want from life and/or each other? How do they feel about each other? How do they act when they think about or cross paths with each other? Do they have intersecting pasts: unfinished business; would-of, should-of, could-of? Do they come from similar backgrounds: does that make it easier for them to understand each other; does that make them more judgmental about each other? Do they come from wildly dissimilar backgrounds; does that make them hauntingly attractive to each other; does that make them instantly dismissive of each other? Do they feel very differently about each other; is one attracted, the other indifferent; is one open to the other, the second repelled?
These are the kinds of questions I am interested in. Do they interest you? What do you want to know about people, about how they interact and why? Ask yourself enough questions and in answering them, your story will emerge.
Similarly a story can be driven by its plot, by an idea the author wants somehow to present dramatically, or by its characters. If you already have well-developed characters but not a plot, you may be inclined to the last. So, what do your characters want from life and/or each other? How do they feel about each other? How do they act when they think about or cross paths with each other? Do they have intersecting pasts: unfinished business; would-of, should-of, could-of? Do they come from similar backgrounds: does that make it easier for them to understand each other; does that make them more judgmental about each other? Do they come from wildly dissimilar backgrounds; does that make them hauntingly attractive to each other; does that make them instantly dismissive of each other? Do they feel very differently about each other; is one attracted, the other indifferent; is one open to the other, the second repelled?
These are the kinds of questions I am interested in. Do they interest you? What do you want to know about people, about how they interact and why? Ask yourself enough questions and in answering them, your story will emerge.
Thank you!
Zoe
Tina Winograd
Editor writer
9
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Tina’s Answer
A good plot line is one that keeps the reader's interest. A story where everything goes well for the character and the characters are always happy is usually going to be boring. So what is the opposite of that? A story where everything goes wrong and the characters are sad/happy/angry/scare/etc.
When things go wrong and when the characters aren't happy, it's called "conflict." Conflict usually means "fighting," but in writing it is just about anything that isn't positive. So the more conflict you can make between the characters, the more interesting the story will be.
So first, come up with a goal for your main character to achieve, for example trying to get home in a snowstorm. Next come up with things that keep him from getting home--like getting lost, his car breaking down, cell phone battery dying, snowing heavier, falls into a lake, fights a wild bear, lost his key to unlock the front door, all windows being frozen shut so he can't get one open. Then finally at the very end, he finds the back door is unlocked and he gets home. Goal accomplished. All of these are examples of outer conflict--stuff that happens that you can see. The other conflict is called "internal conflict" and this has to do with emotions and things going on inside the character's minds.
Inner conflict deals with things we can't see--like someone who has low self-confidence learning to become proud of themselves by the end of the story. Or someone who is afraid of driving a car on the freeway learning that it isn't that scary and can do it. Of someone who doesn't like their parents, but then finding out how much they love him and seeing parents are not bad at all. Notice how all those things deal with ideas and feelings. The character starts out thinking one thing that's negative and at the end, they become better.
So those are the very basic beginning of a plot. Find things that make the characters clash and show us the story of how they work thru it.
Good luck.
When things go wrong and when the characters aren't happy, it's called "conflict." Conflict usually means "fighting," but in writing it is just about anything that isn't positive. So the more conflict you can make between the characters, the more interesting the story will be.
So first, come up with a goal for your main character to achieve, for example trying to get home in a snowstorm. Next come up with things that keep him from getting home--like getting lost, his car breaking down, cell phone battery dying, snowing heavier, falls into a lake, fights a wild bear, lost his key to unlock the front door, all windows being frozen shut so he can't get one open. Then finally at the very end, he finds the back door is unlocked and he gets home. Goal accomplished. All of these are examples of outer conflict--stuff that happens that you can see. The other conflict is called "internal conflict" and this has to do with emotions and things going on inside the character's minds.
Inner conflict deals with things we can't see--like someone who has low self-confidence learning to become proud of themselves by the end of the story. Or someone who is afraid of driving a car on the freeway learning that it isn't that scary and can do it. Of someone who doesn't like their parents, but then finding out how much they love him and seeing parents are not bad at all. Notice how all those things deal with ideas and feelings. The character starts out thinking one thing that's negative and at the end, they become better.
So those are the very basic beginning of a plot. Find things that make the characters clash and show us the story of how they work thru it.
Good luck.
This was super helpful, thank you!
Zoe
Fernando Iriarte
Freelance Writer & Editor
153
Answers
Puerto Rico
Updated
Fernando’s Answer
Start first by analyzing the flaws of your characters. From their you can craft a story that plays to said flaws, thus creating a through line of what they have to overcome. That plot can be character driven, but it can also be driven by the stakes at play. Say the problem in the story is one that affects the region or world. This can help drive the plot forward and give you a good end point to strive towards, while also using it as a means of having your characters overcome their flaws.