Plot is a planned storyline for a work of literary art. For a plotter, this can mean pages and pages of outlines and sketches, and possibly hours of planning the book before the actual writing takes place. For the pantser, this can mean having a vague notion of where you’re heading and writing toward it. For the in-betweener, this can mean having the vague notion, doing a little planning, and then start the book.
Plot (as it relates to writing): the plan or pattern of events or the main story of a novel, play, short story, or poem, comprising the gradual unfolding of a causally connected series of motivated incidents. [Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary]
Whether you’re a plotter, a pantser, or an in-betweener asking yourself a few questions can help you develop you’re your story. Who? Why? What? Where? When? How? If I can answer all of these, then I know that I’m ready to move on to my Plot Sketch.
Plot Sketch
Central Idea, plot, or theme: This is the catalyst of the story. This is the reason all the characters are there. The reason why the story is being told. The reason the readers open the book, starts reading, and keeps reading. All other threads and characters are created to achieve the story goal.
Romance plot/subplot: This is optional and depends on the type of book you are writing. If it’s a romance, this thread should be woven through the book along with the central idea. If there is a romance in your story, but it’s not a romance, then there should be a beginning, middle, and end.
Subplots: This secondary plot s can run parallel with your main plot or in contrast to it. The exist to add emotion, action, tone, conflict, or change of scene
Plot Tension: The build up to the main event. There can be moments of almost attain their goal only to have the goal snatched from their hands.
Romantic/sexual tension: This is optional. It is the build up to the main romantic or sexual event.
Release: A resolution to one aspect of the plot or romance.
Reflection or downtime: Another release that happens during a time of incredible tension. This is the middle of your story where the main characters step back from the action and ponder contemplate their happily ever after if not for all the obstacles in their way, or a temporary respite from intense tension. This is the moment that the character realizes they must act and find a new way to resolve the resolution.
Black Moment or Climax: This follows closely on the heels of the character’s reflection and it is the first part of the end of the book. This is the moment in your book where the worst has happened or is happening. Everyone is convinced there will not be satisfactory resolution to the plot, whether evil might overcome good. In a romance there are two black moments, one for the story goal and another for the romance.
Conclusion or Resolution of the central idea, plot, or theme: The main plot has been resolved and it’s time to tie-up loose ends to the subplots. It doesn’t have to be a happily ever after, but the resolution needs to be satisfactory so the subplots aren’t left dangling or the readers cheated.
Aftereffects of Resolution: This is optional. It is the emotional resolution to the main plot or subplots, or an event that carries the story past the conclusion. Think of movies, where they leave it open for the action to continue into the next movie.
Sometime I fill this out the sketch before I start the book, other times I fill it out as I write the book, and there is the occasion that I only partially fill it out and add to it as I write. The benefits of filling it out at all is that it allows me to look forward and know where I’m headed, or look back and know where I’ve been.
It’s easier reading back through the Plot Sketch then it is to read back through the story. Like a reminder of what I’ve written so far. It’s not set in stone and can be changed fill the needs of the story as you’re writing. I don’t always fill it out in detail and sometimes I’ll write notes on it as I go along.
What are some ways you plot your story?
Note: I know some people use the three act play method. This never made sense to me so I can’t write about it with any authority. If there is anyone who would like to do a guest post on the three act play of plotting a story, please contact me at stephanniebeman@aol.com or comment below and I’ll contact you. 
Hi Stephanie,
I like the term pantser. It conjures up an image of someone at their desk writing and going through a ride like on a helter skelter or one of those types of rides. I wrote a book How To Write Children’s Short Stories (for the middle reader) and in it I include a chapter on plot and scene structure. There’s a section in the chapter (of just under 2,000 words) that explains the 3 act play structure. It’s more or less what people do, anyway, in their writing. I use a tug-of-war analogy to help the reader see it simply. I can send it to you if you like.
I like the term too.
Having differing opinions and ways of doing things is always good. We have submission guidelines at http://selfpubauthors.com/spal-guidelines/guest-blog-post-submission-guidelines/ if you would like me to post it in on SPAL.
My mind isn’t clear enough to do this. I barely make it through a book. The first book of the series took forever. I had to have set up for the rest of the series and so on.
I came to the conclusion years ago and it still holds true, that I’m not much of a writer.
The words don’t flow, I use the dictionary and sometimes ponder if that sentence has the right word to convey the meaning.
If someone talks about plot structure, I get bored.
I just think about what the two characters are like at their age and what are they doing.
The series starts when the two girls meet at four years old.
They are eight and I’m on notes for nine.
At eight, they were telling each other these awful jokes and laughing themselves silly.
That’s how I write, too
Hi Stephanie,
I am a panster. Rarely do I know exactly where my story is going or how I’m getting there. Usually I have a vague idea, but my plotting comes from what I want my characters to overcome. I wrote an article on Right and Left Brained thinking and how it affects your writing. I am more right brained than left, but it was interesting to see how people plot depending on what side of the brain they use most. I’ve pasted the blog article if your interested. Great article!
http://www.lahilden.com/index.php?categoryid=6&p2_articleid=65
I’ve done it all 3 ways and I find I overwrite when I’m using he pantster and “pivitoal scene approach.” I now use sticky notes of different colors and make a visual storyline for the whole book on the wall. I find it allows a lot more layering because I know where I’m going.
I wish I had a wall space big enough to do that. Seems so much easier then trying to use sticky notes on the computer screen. Which is what I started out doing before I found a different way.
I would say I had two climaxes of sorts in my book- one that really came across as a black moment in which a horrendous event occured and things spun badly out of control, and then the final acts of the book serves as another climax.
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