❝ ┊PLOTTING

I bet a bunch of you just grab your laptop, a nice comfy pillow, and start typing, no? There's nothing wrong with that, if you don't plan on going anywhere interesting with your story. I understand that, well sometimes you get lazy, and you just don't want to plan out every single detail! It's been that way for me too, I just wrote and wrote until there was nothing left. The difference is, that improvised story didn't get as much recognition as my other, planned out story. I created a little journal for my planned out story, detailing each plot event as it goes by, so that I'll know exactly what I'm writing about, and what time I'll sew it into the main plot. 

The difference is, if you're writing a oneshot. (I'll go into details about oneshots in a little bit). So what is a oneshot? It's a one chapter story, kind of like a really short story when you don't want to make it longer because the plot isn't developed enough. That's perfectly fine, having an under-developed plot. Sometimes, people are attracted to under-developed plots, and they read more of those types of stories. The problem is, doing it right. If you write random habba-babba nonsense on some story, your readers will think you're crazy and hit the back button faster than you can say, "but it's improv!" And I understand, there are some very good improv writers out there, so props to you for perservering in the harsh industry. But to those who struggle to develop their plot, this chapter is for you! I'll underline the steps in developing a plot, that's sound and safe and nothing can pierce it ;

First: you've got this brilliant story idea. I sure hope it isn't cliché, but then again, I can't really guarantee anything yet. So, it just randomly popped into your head, maybe when you were taking a shower, or talking to your friends, but it's still there. A tiny seed, sprouted into your brain and you're itching to write it down. So you do, you grab a piece of paper and scribble down this majestic idea before it could slip away. Wiping off the sweat, you think it's done; now it's time to write. Woah there horsey, slow down stallion! 

Second: you're super excited to write the story, and you jump into your comfy chair and tap your fingers on the keyboard, willing yourself to write a story that can land on the homepage as the 'most upvoted story'. But if you just begin writing a chapter story randomly, it'll have no direction. Some stories just talk about the character's life the entire story, with no interesting events strewn in, except for an occassional fight with their family or what not. In order to keep your readers coming back for more, you've gotta have the bait ready. Cliff-hangers are an author's best friend, as they say. If you leave them waiting, they'll check back everytime the 'new story update' notification turns on. The problem is, you can't have cliff-hangers forever. The trick is to use them in the beginning, and then slow down on using them, because hopefully your readers are already loyal enough to come check even if you gave them a nice ending. 

Third: okay, so now you've decided to plot. Good for you! How to start? Grab a journal, Microsoft Word, Notepad, or just about any other writing thing that's available to you easily! At the top, leave a space for the title, we'll go over titles in a few chapters after this. Next, the key is to write in bullet points so that your layout for a plot is like so: main plot event ; characters involved ; detail ; resolution. For each detail bullet point, you should have nice, complete sentences, so that when you come to look at your plot when you're writing, you'll have it all planned out in your head. 

Fourth: Finished plotting? Great! Now, make sure it's flawless. I'm not kidding when I say this, but it's better to proofread your plot and make sure there's no plot holes, than to find out later when you've already uploaded the chapter and one of your loyal readers points it out in a comment. It may be a severe blow to your ego, especially when you're confident your story will do well. Reality check; it probably won't, unless your storyline is absolutely and 110% original, and your design is pretty, and your characters are appreciated by the general audience. Deal with it, most people won't like your story, but I'll teach you why they are like that a few chapters later.

Fith: uh oh, writer's block? (if not you can skip this blurb) Simple solution, just chill. Don't wait specifically for it to come back, becuase that'll probably make the writer's block worse. Go listen to your favorite songs, or hang out with some friends. Stimulation eases the senses, and prepares yourself for a creative burst later on! If you still have writer's block, I suggest to go read classics or published books, because if you read stories on FFO or AFF or other places, you'd be criticized for stealing ideas of their's, or what not. In the end, it all comes down to how tense you are. The more stressed and pressured you are, the less chance for a creative burst. Maybe you just need a spa day with the girls, or maybe you just need to sleep next to your dog, it all depends on the person.

Sixth: "I think I've got it." Finally got that creative burst? Good job! Now keep it going, but don't pressure yourself to think that much. If that makes sense, of course. You shouldn't pressure yourself to be creative and think of the best and hardest words to use for the occassion. Instead, use whatever flows out of your brain first, and don't second doubt yourself. It's your story, you can always go back and edit later, or ask a friend of yours to edit it for you. Even though the saying "go with the flow" is extremely overused, it can't be helped that it's true in this situation. You actually do want to just write, and let the creativity flow from your fingertips, while keeping true to the plot at the same time.

And that, I'm afraid, is all for the plotting section as of right now! I'll probably add more later, whenever I think up of more. I hope that helped you all out there! Subscribe+upvote for more ; comments are nice, but no bashing please. I'm sorry that I'm a harsh person, but it's who I am, you can't change that about me. Besides, you came here for the tips and here I am, handing them to you.