5 Abi-Invented Plotting Methods to Try

In the true spirit of NaNo, I shall try to win you all over to the plotter side today!!! Just kidding, I'm really more of plantser, but I almost always end up using all five of these plotting methods per story. Only then am I confident enough to begin the first draft.

(These are in the order I usually do them, but it doesn't actually matter!)

Okay, so I have this adorable little notebook that I got from T J Maxx a while back (obviously, where else?). It was like $3 and I loved it. It's tan with rounded edges and says "Shakespeare never tweeted a sonnet" on the front. *heart eyes* It has become my official jot down place for new story ideas and developments. Whenever something brilliant comes to me about an undeveloped story idea, I create a new little entry. Nothing fancy, but I love having it in one little place.

So it's got Kansas research for Martin Hospitality and stories from my grandfather for the book I'd like to someday write on his ancestors. Name lists and random new plot twists corresponding with my many Pinterest boards.

Okay, so this isn't a real method, nor is it strictly mine haha xD But yes, Pinterest storyboards! They are the best. And no they are not girly. Even guys can do this. I suggest you make your storyboards public if you care a thing about followers, because that doubled my following pretty quickly. And who doesn't want to see what I will someday write about ... right? Don't be selfish and do this just for you; share the love ;)

Anyway, you should have a place for any serious story idea/WIP in you have so that as pins drift across your feed, you can save them to your boards! Some people go all aesthetic, but I'm a mix of character faces, sayings that fit the story, settings, and aesthetic images. :P And I'm enough of a maniac that when I first get a story idea ... I actually hunt for pins through a gazillion different searches to get me started. It's like having all your inspiration in one little place.

I'm not the only one who does this either, but I decided to do this all on my own! In short, I use a shortcut to personality type my main characters so that I understand them better. Do not use the actual test (it will take you hours to do this). I use this chart from Pinterest instead ;)

If you're anti-Myers-Briggs, move along. But if you want to know my entire process for this step, I wrote an article about it on Project Canvas that you can read here. :) #selfpromotion

This is a new thing for me! I've only done it with my WIP Matinee Regulars. 

It's all organized because I put some categories up in a blank Google Doc and go to town rambling about anything I've thought up that falls under that heading. The point is to have all my thoughts and ideas on paper, but under headers that categorize the themes and flow of the plot. Having all of that in the back of my head gives me stronger writing, and I often have to look back at it to remember what big point I had coming next.

(Sorry, I feel like this is really hard to explain without showing you one of my pages, but #spoilers.)

The first header I use is PLOT. I decide which type of plot I have using Step 2 of this pin and make their breakdown mine. Then I commence rambling under each so I can see the flow of events, but also throw out all the details in my head. This narrative arc pin is also helpful, but I have a hard time combining the two ... so I usually check to make sure the flow of this is woven in. I usually have an "other details" section, too just to make sure everything floating around in my head lands on paper.

CHARACTERS is my other main header. Using the same pin, I choose my hero type (Step 3) and make a list of which characters might fit which type listed in Step 4. Then I have a romantic relationship section where I pull the 5 steps from this pin. I go ahead and consider points for each step, although the pin is really designed to help you think about different options with relationships.

It's kind of hard to explain rambling in an orderly fashion, but ... there you go! Definitely take a look at those pins and see how you can use them to your own purposes. They're the best I've found!

If you are super anti-plot and don't care about anything I've said so far ... this is the method for you. It has saved me so many times! And it's super simple. Before you start drafting a chapter, make a quick bullet point list of things you think should happen in that chapter. This helps me keep threads going and gives me a general pattern to follow throughout the chapter. Sometimes I need to write more than that, and sometimes I don't get that far because ... pantsing :P

For Martin Hospitality my lists would have looked something like this:

• feed/mention the cat
• include Farris development
• mention apartment noises
• go to church (sermon on forgiveness)
• nursery with Clair
• lunch with Bradley
• have Hollie's car break down

The first three are things to weave in so the themes keep running through, and the others are actual plot points to keep the story going. A simple key to sanity. ;)

Okay, so are you a plotter (plot things), pantser (fly by the seat of your pants), or plantser (mix)? What methods do you use to plot? Which one of these appeals to you the most?