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Plotting Chapter by Chapter

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Stormblessed:
Hi,  :D

I'm an amateur, but an addicted reader, and I got to the stage of wanting to start writing my own stories. I am a great worldbuilder, and am really good at character development and am even really good at editing, but I suck when it comes to plotting. I can sometimes work out really good story arcs, but when it comes to actually writing a story, chapter by chapter, my story falls apart after 10,000 words. I have a great beginning, and I know where the story is going to end. I even have some great scenes mid-way through the book and stuff, but I just have problems tying it all together.

Any tips from anyone out there? Ideas on how to overcome this frustrating problem>

fireflyz:
If you know where you want to start from and where you want to end up, then I would suggest spending some time considering *how* your character(s) could get there.  For instance, if your beginning is a pickpocket thief whose also very religious and thus conflicted about his actions and you want the novel to end with the pickpocket abandoning his religion and giving himself wholly into thievery then you would have to set that up.  In order for it to work, the pickpocket must struggle with this.  So you have to demonstrate how strong his beliefs are.  Through backstory, thoughts, actions, and dialogue.  Present him with dilemnas.  Have him teter back and forth...decide to forgo thieving.  Have his actions have devestating, unforseen consequences.  Slip back into thievery.  Revel in it...become disillusioned with religion. 

This isn't a particularly great example, but it should serve to convey my point.  Ideally a novel will have a significant character arc that may or may not coincide with a significant plot arc.  What you need to do is figure out where that arc lies and various points or *beacons* that light the way and then write from one beacon to the next. 

Finally, for a new author, don't expect to be amazing at first.  I suggest writing a few short stories.  Perhaps one where you focus on dialogue, another on setting, another on plot twists, another on character arcs.  With all of them strive to travel the arc from beginning to end.  THe reason why I suggest short stories is that its easier to focus and hone specific skills with 15k words rather than 100k.  Ultimately, there is no substitute for writing.  A lot.  100k words...500k...a million.  The more you write the better you'll get.

Also, listen to all the Writing Excuses podcast and pick up Stephen King's On Writing. 

Your welcome  :)

AndreaGS:
I know exactly what you mean!  My most difficult problem is the middle.  Beginning, easy.  End, got that when I thought of the beginning.  Middle...?

What helped the most for me was putting it in excel, chapter by chapter, with subplots titled.  Each chapter should have its own mini-arc.  Beginning, middle, end.  This is really important.  Every chapter beginning should have its own hook, and every chapter end should make the reader want to read the next chapter.  The titled subplots helped me see if it had been too long since a subplot had been touched.

Another technique would be to write down those planned scenes on index cards and then to arrange them by chronology.  Then try to connect those dots and fill in the blanks.

If you're good at character development, run with that.  A lot of times, characters' actions can help define a plot.

Ruthie:
Watch this. The link goes to the first of the five videos. It's an AWESOME presentation by Dan Wells on story structure that helped me immensely with a similar problem.

dhalagirl:
Thanks for the link Ruthie! 

I have this problem too.  I'll have all of the major events plotted out and a few minor ones too, but when I've finished the first draft I only have 150 pages or so.  Granted, part of my problem is that my writing is too direct.  I'm still learning how to be verbose.  But the rest of my problem is usually that the story arc is too simple.  I'm not challenging the characters enough -- they're taking the easy way out of conflicts instead of the difficult path that force them to grow and develop.  I also tend to neglect my villains.  They need just as much attention as the hero to give the story balance and depth.

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