Hot answers tagged plot
25
Everything has been done before. Seriously. I've taken two Ancient Literature courses and it's amazing how many plots are basically recycled versions of older plots. Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Twilight, Harry Potter - their plots all model older books and plays from hundreds of years ago. Even parts of the Bible are found in manuscripts that predate ...
18
If it's original to you, it's original enough. Even if someone else coincidentally made something similar, you will still have your own twist on it enough that it will be yours entirely.
This is different from inventions, where the first person to conceive it is the person who gets credit for it. In writing, so long as you're not out-and-out copying from ...
15
Two things:
I prefer to read stories where there are no overt themes being highlighted by the author (or else they're so subtle I can't tell, or not noticeable because the characters and what's going on are too interesting). Choosing themes first then constructing a story to illustrate them will probably end up sounding contrived.
I find when I focus on ...
14
There are two main ways to structure a series: each book is essentially a stand-alone with a continuing story as part of the plot (Harry Potter), or each book is a critical part of the whole and they are difficult to read out of sequence or without the other books (Lord of the Rings). Either is fine; they just accomplish different things.
Stand-alone books ...
14
What has worked for me in the past is to simply concentrate on telling the story. I'm assuming you are on your first draft and have yet to complete even that. In that case, you need to spend less time analyzing and more time telling your story. If you spend too much time reviewing as you write, you'll end up with a case of paralysis by analysis.
Sometimes ...
13
A few strategies:
Until you have a great plot, try writing "good-enough" plots. Better to be writing something with a cliche plot, than not to be writing at all. (Edited to add: Also, sometimes once you've got an initial "good-enough" plot in place and fleshed out, that gives you enough substance to twist and warp into something new and exciting.)
Plot is ...
13
If the beginning is blocking you, start writing something else.
You have an outline, right? You know roughly what's going to happen when. So pick some point which is easier, and start there. My suggestion is to start near the beginning (If your intro is I. in your outline, start with II., for example), but start with whatever part makes you excited to be ...
12
The Tennessee Screenwriting association lists all 20 plots. That's all there are. If you find a story, it will use one (or several of them) but for many centuries, this list hasn't changed.
For example, the nanobot story mentioned by Claudiu has the same basic plot as Golem (16th century) or Frankenstein's monster (1818) or Icarus (ancient greeks). There ...
12
I'm a visual person. I have a large whiteboard which I used to draw graphs, flowcharts, etc... If you're limited on room, like I am, take a picture of your drawing before you erase it and keep it as a digital file.
You could also try the technique displayed in a lot of police investigation shows: note cards and/or pictures taped to a wall with colored ...
12
We have to distinguish two different layers of coincidences:
Coincidence in the beginning of the story vs. coincidence at the end of the story (Deus ex machina problem)
Conflict decreasing coincidence vs. conflict increasing coincidence
The reader forgives (and sometimes want) coincidences that happen at the beginning of the story and conflict increasing ...
11
It isn't just you.
Storytelling is an old art. (Anyone with a need to look that up could let us know just how old.) When you worry that your newest mind-blowing twist has been seen before, it's probably not for nothing. The same goes for themes and character traits. Even Grendel's mother can't be credited as the first character ever to lose her life in ...
11
Rather than focusing on a single point as if you are writing an essay, you may want to focus on an ethos you want to create.
View your story as world-building (this is something you will find Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game reference frequently). The world you are building will reward certain behaviors by your characters and punish others. The ...
11
Every part of your work needs to have its own logical arc and structure. In a novel, this can be a chapter or a scene and in a trilogy or series this a book. Each piece should have a beginning, middle, and end. The parts don't live in isolation, though, and each one should leave give the reader enough to enjoy what they are reading but hold back enough to ...
11
I say set it aside and forget about it. I wouldn't recommend throwing it out, but definitely set it aside. Move on to something else and let yourself get focused on something new. Somewhere down the road you may decide that you've found the missing piece and decide to go back to it. Even if you don't, you might find some elements that you can reuse later in ...
11
There are some different diagnoses that might be appropriate here.
The Xander
You've clearly established how the character came to be involved, but now that he is, he doesn't seem to actually be very helpful. He's kinda there all the time, and occasionally he just happens to have precisely the right skill for saving the day - but most of the time, he's ...
10
Finish them anyway. You get good by writing; plotting alone isn't enough. And yeah, your first novel or two will probably be unpublishable. That's fine - those will be your practice novels. If you never write anything because they'll be less than perfect, I'm afraid you're likely not to write anything at all. Not only will finishing your imperfectly-plotted ...
10
A story without an "antagonistic theme" is a story with "no conflict." Conflict drives plot. Without plot, you have a character study. Without conflict, the character has no reason to change, grow, or develop, so there's not much to study.
What in heaven's name (pun intended) could you write about without any conflict occurring?
10
If everything you write is sounding like overused tropes and clichés, it may be that you're simply showing your influences. And when you see your writing, all you're seeing are those influences. Hence, it feels less substantial to you.
What, exactly is "bland, generic fantasy" to you? I suggest you define what it is you're trying to avoid. Make a list if ...
9
Layered, nuanced characters and depth of story will help you avoid cliches.
Look, we're all writing a lot of the same stuff. Good guys, bad guys, boy meets girl, she gets kidnapped, blah blah blah.
Cliche's arise when:
1) the characters behave in a certain way without the proper background.
2) They only behave this certain way
Hank, the grizzled ...
9
Yes, a book can work without an antagonist. For example, in "end of the world" disasters, the source of friction often comes from the disaster, and not an antagonist. (To use an example, while not a book but a film, think "Armageddon" as exhibit A.) Romance novels often don't have antagonists, either. The conflict could also come from inner conflict, such as ...
9
If your plot is no longer interesting to you, let it go. It's the most extreme version of Kill Your Darlings.
You haven't wasted the time you've spent. Consider it an exercise in plotting and development. Think of how much faster and more organized you'll be with the next one.
Mourn the story, kiss it goodbye, bury it. Move on. You hereby have ...
9
Romance itself is a cliche, really (and this is coming from a Romance author), so I wouldn't worry too much about fighting for originality. Find a way to write the cliche in an interesting way, and get going.
That said, Romance is also all about characters and characterization, and you can't afford to violate that in the service of plot. If it isn't ...
9
Here are some pointers from what I have learned from experience and from what more experienced writers have told me:
If you're a beginner, it is better to stick with linear time. Attempt flashbacks, parallel story arcs and such once you get a good handle of story telling. In your case, consider starting just before the very first life changing / ...
8
There are no new plots. You can't be original. You wouldn't want to be. True originality, if it existed, would be nearly unbearable.
The thing is to take an old story that's been told a million times, and tell it again. But tell it so brilliantly that it seems like an entirely new story that no one has ever heard before.
In your case, don't just make your ...
8
After short brainstorming and small talk with myself, here is what I got:
1) You are inventing the next part of arc while working on current.
While writing I frequently experienced a feeling that told me: "Yes, I'm going to use this in the further scene\book". If you feel so, you already should have a next-things list, and put all resembling feelings ...
8
When a story becomes timeless, I think it is because it tells some universal "truth". The story is just an example of this truth, while the underlying morale can be applied to almost any time in history. And what was present on the earth 2000 years ago, and still is today? People. Human beings. Characters.
If you look at the example of 9/11, what mechanisms ...
8
Cliche characters lack depth. Come up with strong motivations, fears, desires, etc... and think about the implications to the character's behavior due to these factors. Don't write the perfect "good guy" or the purely evil "bad guy." Make them interesting. Give the character an unusual trait/history, and make it important to the story.
Cliche themes ...
8
Technically you cannot copyright a plot. However, you can copyright a particular instance of that plot as long as it is not based on an older work in the public domain.
In your Harry Potter example if every chapter had exactly the same incidents and more or less the same dialogue with slightly altered character names you would probably lose in court trying ...
8
It's totally possible. Even in a book with only one main plot line, there's no need to write the scenes in order. This is one of the chief benefits of writing a good outline before you start writing - you know from the start what the scenes are and how they fit together, so if you want to write the funny scenes when you're in a good mood and the sad scenes ...
8
Hell no! You do not have to do it and there is no need to do it. And I am writing a fantasy trilogy ;)
There are a lot of fantasy series which are longer than just three books. If you have a series in mind, plot it, write your first book and see how it sells. If you don't, don't.
The advantage for the reader is, that he knows how many book will come when ...
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