Book Plotting: A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting an Unforgettable Story Arc

Why is Plotting necessary?

As everyone might've told you, plotting is like the base of a story. It's like the map telling you the direction your story should move in. If you have plotted your book, you can avoid plot holes, bland characters, and missing out on a conflict.  A plot also helps you maintain a proper pace throughout your story. Another advantage includes easier revisions and editing of your book. 

Think of plotting as building the skeleton before adding the flesh and skin. Without it, you will be awfully wobbly, in spite of how wonderful all your ideas are. Once you have a plot—into which you have thought through the characters and their goals—you will know where each character is going, why they are going there and how each scene fits into the bigger arc of the story. If you take the time to plot, you will never find yourself staring at a blank page wondering, "What do I do next?" And when you move to the editing phase, you can at least thank yourself for having a framework. It's much easier to revise a book that already has a shape, than to revise a book when you have jumbled scenes!

Now, let's move on to the method of plotting.

Step-by-step guide to plotting

Brainstorming: The very first step in plotting is brainstorming. Brainstorm any ideas that you can for your story and write them down freely. If you're stuck, look for inspiration, watch movies, or read a book to understand how it works. Make a mind map with everything that must be included in your story.

Do not filter your ideas at this stage, even wild or odd thoughts can lead to something worthwhile later. Some writers overhear bits of dialogue and choose them when they do their brainstorming. You can also use "what if" questions for inspiration, like, "What if my main character woke up with no memory?" or "What if the villain was actually the hero's sibling?" The goal is to generate quantity over quality and you can polish it up later.

Develop Your Concept: This step includes choosing your genre, setting the tone and mood, and the central message of your story. Decide what type of story it is going to be, what message it will convey and what themes it is going to explore.

Your concept is essentially your story's DNA and will dictate everything else. When you are developing your genre and tone, think about how you want your readers to feel when they finish your book: excited, devastated or inspired? The tone you choose is going to inform your word choices, pacing, and possibly character arcs. You should also ask yourself if your themes can be represented indirectly instead of overtly. If your theme is "freedom vs. control", you can show the theme through contrasting lifestyles of characters, rather than just in dialogue.

Create Characters: Now comes the part of creating characters. Note down the type of person they are, how they look, and their overall personality. Also, how are they related to each other, what type of relationships do they share, and how will they contribute to the overall story?

A well-written story revolves around believable characters. Don't stop at just features like "tall, brown hair, introvert", but also ask yourself – What are their fears? What do they desire? What secrets do they have? What flaws do they possess? Be sure to give them a past which connects their present decision-making. If you can, make a "character web" to show who the characters are in relation to other characters, so that you can strategically plan where alliances will form and where conflicts will arise. If you can make your characters more three-dimensional, it will be easier to decide how they will act in each plot event.

Outline: Divide your story into sections and write the events sequentially. What will happen when and how? Which characters will be involved in an event? Making a chapter-wise outline is one of the best methods to do so.

An outline is not about restricting your writing; it's simply a guide. Some writers prefer a longer, scene-by-scene breakdown, and others only note the main points of the plot. You can also use the beats of "three-act structure" or "Save the Cat" to chart your events. Always be mindful of cause and effect - one event should be either the direct result of what preceded it or set up something that happens later. This gives the story a sense of inevitability while also providing a surprise.

Plan the Rising Action: Introduce conflict by creating a challenge or a problem for your character, raise the stakes, and show how they overcome them. Use foreshadowing techniques to keep the readers hooked.

Rising action is the lifeblood of your story—it's what keeps readers interested in turning the pages. As you build the tension, ask yourself, "What is the worst that could happen to my character right now?" and then see if you can make it even worse! Foreshadowing can be as simple as a repeated image, an implied statement, or an occurrence that is puzzling initially and only makes sense later on. This adds tension, as well as an incentive for readers to really read!

The Climax: This should be the most memorable part of your story. Make it something unexpected that addresses the main conflict and is very interesting.

The climax is the moment of deepest emotional and dramatic intensity—it’s what your readers have been anticipating since the beginning of your book. For maximum effect, the climax should challenge your protagonist's fundamental belief or force them to make an impossible choice. Keep the pace tight here; short sentences and quick action can heighten drama. Ideally, also revisit the importance of earlier established themes and promises, so the resolution is as intensely gratifying.

Falling Action: This step should tie all the loose ends of your story and should give a satisfying conclusion to your story. Leave room for something if you want to write a sequel.

The falling action gives readers a little time to breathe, and to experience the ramifications of the climax. This is where their emotional closure occurs, whether that is through reconciliation, acceptance, or the bittersweet truth of loss. If your story is going to become a sequel, you can introduce questions or residual danger for the characters in the falling action. However, don't leave it so open-ended that your readers walk away annoyed that they didn't get a conclusion.

What to Avoid?

Avoid adding too many details, it'll hinder your creativity.

Don't think you can't change any plot point. It's your story and you can write it the way you want. However, you should avoid making changes to each and everything to avoid getting stuck in a loop.

• Writing very few details in the outline can also make you stuck and confuse you.

  
  

• Avoid easily predictable twists. It makes your story boring.

  
  

• Avoid info-dumping.

An overload of detail can stifle your writing; too little detail can get you lost. It's all about finding a middle ground that gives you enough information to be guided without being constrained. Also, you can deliver predictable twists during your narrative because you are using clichés; instead, try asking yourself, "What would my readers least expect right now?" and track that route. You want to avoid the info-dump and should focus on delivering the necessary information as part of the action and dialogue. Educational information is less impactful than allowing the reader to learn with the characters as opposed to plateaus of exposition.

Plotting shouldn't be overwhelming; rather, it helps you avoid writer's block in the middle of writing. 

Ready to turn your plot into a masterpiece?

At Rolling Authors, we help bring your ideas to life—step by step, scene by scene—until your story is impossible to put down.

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