So today, let’s discuss plot.

But only a little about plot because plot is a pretty big topic and there’s lots that can be said about it. While I’m sure you all like really long dissertations on writing elements, there’s only so much that my blog system allows me to say before it starts getting annoyed with me wandering off “optimal post lengths.”

What is plot?

Well, plot is the core of a story. It’s the sequential series of actions done by characters. It’s largely why you’re writing a story. It answers the basic question, “This is a story about…?” And since we discuss a lot of fantasy here, it’s the Dungeons and Dragons campaign that you played which inspired your burning desire to write a book. 

This sounds easy enough, right? Well, plot is also probably the thing that a writer will struggle with the most. It’s also a large part of the artistry of writing. There’s not really a singular piece of advice I can provide to help with the myriad of difficulties and pitfalls you’re face when trying to write one. For, truly, there’s really no single way to flesh out your plot.

Invariably, even if you are trying to just write out your D&D campaign, you’re going to run into some plotting issues. I dare say, no author sits down with a fully realised narrative when they begin to write. Not even the ones that outline religiously. We’re all held to the whims of inspiration and whimsy to some degree. There will be days when that inspiration hits like a truck and you know exactly where you’re going and what you’re doing. And then there will be the days that you’re lost.

I started this series by saying my biggest piece of advice is to just push through any writer’s block you face. Well, to add on to that, I think it’s important to find the most effective method for doing said pushing. 

There are, in broad strokes, two types of authors. There are the outliners and the pantsers. I got these categories from National Novel Writing Month, so I’m pretty certain they’re official. 

The outliners are those that want to leave as little of their writing to chance. They try to make notes ahead of time on how their narrative will progress. There are degrees here, of course. Some detail out all their chapters, breaking down important plot beats and details for each step so they have an outline whenever they sit down to write each scene. In this way, this allows the outlining author to jump around with their work. If they reach a section that’s just not speaking to them in the moment – say they need to write some inner character monologue but they really would rather just do the epic battle scene near the end instead – the outliner can jump around to whatever fancy strikes them that day. The greater the outline, the more nailed down the plot, the more freedom they have in their jumps. 

On the flip side are the pantsers. Their name derives, I presume, from the idea of writing “by the seat of your pants.” These authors have rudimentary, if any, outline. They might just have a general idea of a plot. Maybe they have a goal, a set of ideas and a loose concept for a setting. The pantser is on as much a journey of discovery with their writing as their reader is when reading it. On the one hand, this sequential method of writing helps to maintain focus and consistency throughout the work. You don’t have to remember key details of things that have yet to come because those details don’t exist. You also aren’t beholden to some plan. You’re more flexible in the directions the narrative can go – much like a D&D party wandering off the pre-established plot to pursue a more interesting tangent that really captures their imagination.

On the other hand, there’s zero flexibility in how you write. The pantser can’t jump around because there’s simply nowhere to jump. If the pantser just isn’t in the mood to write out that epic battle when their characters are ready to fight, they can’t pivot elsewhere unless they get really creative. In many ways, the pantser has to soldier on through low inspiration moments or the dreaded “writer’s block.”

It goes without saying that I don’t think any single author is truly an outliner or a pantser. For me, I lean more on the pants side of the spectrum but I often have waypoints or certain plot goals that I know I need to direct my characters towards. Also, as I write, the rest of the novel starts to come into focus the further I get into it. About halfway through a novel, I’ll have a bunch of notes on future plot developments that if I really need to, I could jump ahead and address them. Or I can skip a chapter knowing what needs to be covered in it, leaving behind enough of an outline to backfill it while I push on to write something more interesting in the meanwhile. 

What I want to highlight with these two plotting methods, however, is that there is no wrong way to do it. And you aren’t beholden to a method either. I know some authors who diligently write out detailed, chapter-by-chapter outlines but will often end up scrapping them and doing something a little more ad lib because the story just wasn’t working out how they initially envisioned it.

What is important, however, is to try and experiment with the different methods when you’re first starting out. Each of us has our own quirks and styles of writing. It’s important to discover yours. Because no matter how much or how little you plan, you’re going to run into roadblocks. Knowing yourself and how you can best overcome writing challenges will serve you well in the future when those obstacles arise. 

So when you’re starting to write your first stories, novels and shorts, ask yourself:

Have I tried outlining a story before and trying to write from that?

Have I tried going with no outline and just some ideas of characters and plot and writing from that?

Of these styles, which works best for me? And how can I tweak and adjust them to make myself more successful at pushing through low motivation days?