❝ SIX ➜ THE PLOT ❞
⤷ Requested by @ViolenceandSorrow

Plotting and outlining your story can be hard, especially when you're a person that tends to get off track with with you're supposed to do (like me). There are many ways you can outline your story, and sometimes it's just up to you. But here are some tips that you can start with, and maybe modify to make them perfect for you!

001. The classic strategy is to write the plot down on a piece of paper, chapter by chapter. You may also want to write other details, such as the characters, the title of the story, the theme of the story, and other things that may be necessary.

002. Another idea, for people like me who can't stick to one idea for a plot, use cards to write down ideas for each chapter. Cards make it easier because depending on how big the cards are, you can add things to the card and annotate them as needed.

003. A plot map or diagram is also helpful. Some people may have used something similar in school and such. The map is a wave sort of shape, starting with the exposition at the bottom, and the resolution at the end of the wave. Here is an image of a plot map for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about!

Now that you have some ideas for your plotting/outlining, what do you put in your outline, and what do you think about when planning your story?

001. Main character, side characters, and antagonists. (There can be more than one main character if you do wish to have multiple perspectives.) What is the MC's name? Their personality? What is their purpose in the story? This is the same for your side characters (background characters), and antagonists (bad guys/villains).

002. Main idea/theme/message. What message, theme, or lesson do you want to convey through your story? It's okay if you don't know; you might come up with one while you are writing!

003. Significant scenes/things you want to include in your story. (You might want to add these things into the explanations of the chapters you wish to add the event to!) What events affect the storyline dramatically? Which scenes do you want to emphasize or highlight to your readers?

004. The plot by chapter. Sometimes you might come up with other ideas before getting to a certain chapter, so you might just want to either leave a chapter blank for now, or just write down a few ideas you have.

005. The resolution/ending. What happens at the end of the story? Is the end a happy ending, or a sad one, or one with a cliffhanger that leaves readers wondering what happens next? What are the characters like by the end of the story? How have the characters been affected by the events throughout the story?

006. (Optional) Lore/background info. What happens before your story that affects the current circumstances? Two very common (and well-liked) lore topics are wars or viruses that wiped out a population or divided the world. But as always, you can come up with a different, creative topic!