I am having trouble coming up with a plot for my story. Any writing tips?

Question

I have a great main character in mind, and I pretty much know everything about her. I also have all the other characters in the story planned out as well. However, I can't seem to write a plot that does the main character justice. Any writing tips?
I have had these characters in my head for about 8yrs. How do I take this one step further and come up with an orignial plot?

Answer 1

I could give you tons of ideas, but maybe if I show you how you can easily find ideas for yourself to expand on what you already know about your character, that might be better, I hope.

Stories tell us the meaning of life and say, "life is like that!". At least the best ones do.

So, to get you started, below is the process that will show you how a story begins from idea to germination. Then, once you grasp this you can learn how to turn a seedling into a rose bush.

Before you write, you must have something to say, though. There are three things that I believe are important and these three things are often confused with each other:

1) Premise
2) Setting
3) Theme

Let me illustrate the difference so you can easily find the theme and understand its difference from the setting and premise. By seeing how a writer creates stories, you can see it from his or her point of view and clearly find the theme, create a premise and setting and learn to do it yourself.

The controlling idea is the meaning of your story. It is another word for "theme". The premise is what happens. The setting is the place and time where it's set.

For example, when you ask someone who just watched or read "Lord of the Rings" what it's about, they'll probably say something like, "it's an epic story about a hobbit who is given a huge responsibility to take a magical ring into a mountain to destroy it and save the world and elves and men unite to....etc.." Or they may answer "It's about Middle Earth". These are not themes. The first is simply the premise. The latter is the setting. What the story is *really* about is: "Freedom is attained when we risk and sacrifice ourselves." That is the controlling idea (the theme) of the story. Of course, we can debate if that is the true controlling idea but I'm only giving you my interpretation.

Harry Potter's premise contains magic, and the setting is in a fantasy land, but the theme is not about magic nor fantasy. The theme of Harry Potter might be: "Happiness prevails when we are confident of our own gifts and individuality." Discuss. =)

Now you can apply this understanding as I'll explain below with a story to any story you read.

First, I'll explain the premise. This way you'll see the difference.

A writer finds a premise through research and asking "what if" for any situation. If you read the news, one can find many ideas if you simply ask yourself "what if" as you read through it.

For example, I randomly selected a news article on Yahoo News:
Survivors recall horror of flu pandemic

As I'm reading through each line, I'm thinking about story ideas and asking "what if". For example, I read this line:

>> The flu swept through the nation's capital, which had attracted thousands of soldiers and war workers.

Now I'm asking myself, 'what if someone built a virus and orchestrated a large event so they could infect everyone in it to inflict the most damage?'

That's a start, but sounds a bit cliche, but that's okay. Let your mind race and you'll then ask "what if" upon "what if". What if the person accidently released the virus and kept silent while everyone around them died? What if the event was organized by a force where people are called to gather in one location but everyone made excuses for going there without realizing they were being forced -- only a supernatural force could do that -- and the reason is the supernatural force wanted to end the human race? hehe...this gets into some horror or science-fiction if that's your bag. But you can see the magic "what if" at work.

Let's choose the supernatural 'what if' as the premise in this example. Now we're going to start thinking of the controlling idea. This is what is the heart of your story -- the story you need to tell and what the story is *truly* about.

The controlling idea is not a single word; it's not going to be about "viruses" nor "aliens" nor "Civil War". The Controlling Idea tells us, "life is like this!"

The controlling idea will be a sentence that tells us how and why life changes from one condition of existence to another (again, theme and controlling idea are the same -- I prefer to use controlling idea). This change will show up in the climax of the last act of your story. That's where you will find the controlling idea.

Concerning how I came up with Harry Potter's controlling idea, I looked at the last acts' endings of every Harry Potter story. What value changed? Harry went from being unconfident to confident and therefore was happy whereas each story opens with him in a situation and the world crumbling around him and constantly being challenged. Look at the last act's value change.

Fine writers filter everything they write through the controlling idea and then work up to the last climax -- look at the value that exists throughout the story because there will be themes that come and go. For example in Harry Potter he often seeks to befriend those who try to do him harm so we learn that "Trust is earned when we love our enemy" -- or because that didn't always work we could say, "Evil prevails when we try to love our enemies" but either of these is not the controlling idea of the entire story.

Going back to my story, by following the writer's work and using the premise that people are being supernaturally led to gather in one location, we need to come up with a protagonist. I'm going to use a "what if" and ask 'what if the protagonist is also under this supernatural spell?' That will make it more interesting because it will provide deeper conflict. Not only will he have to try to save the world but also get out the spell himself perhaps.

Some more questions I will ask myself and we're going to come to the controlling idea of the story I created: What is this spell? What is so attractive to force these people to gather without them even knowing they're being forced? Now this is starting to get rich. We know a lot of people do things they don't want because they're manipulated. Cults are famous for doing this. Charismatic leaders and propaganda are also effective. People are manipulated in many ways that many fail to see they're being manipulated. And those who best manipulate do it without you knowing. Life is like that! Now I'm starting to find my controlling idea.

My controlling idea is a sentence, it's not simply "manipulation". So, I start with something -- it's better than nothing: "Evil prevails when we fail to examine our conscious and instead follow others" or "Compassion prevails in humans only when we follow our conscious". Whichever we choose, it must be clear in the last-climax of the last act of your story.

As a writer develops the story, they work to that last act. Many writers paste that controlling idea onto the computer monitor and filter everything they write through it. Your characters may go in different directions, but this controlling idea is the writer's guide.

Concerning the setting, you can place this story in a different dimension, in a different time, or on a different planet. That will change the dynamics of the story but it won't change the controlling idea and that is where the power of the story exists -- it gives it meaning.

For the setting let's place this premise 50 years into the future on Earth.

The character will have an object of desire. In the premise that I've created, the supernatural force is manipulating people to gather in one location so it can infect them with a virus. Because I think this force is intelligent and sly, it's not going to be identical for every peson and is going to feed on the weakness of every individual. I think the best object of desire for the protagonist is going to be his pursuit of power within his sphere of influence. So, let's say he's an oceanographer (I pulled that out of nowhere). He would become famous and influential if he made an important discovery -- perhaps a discovery that can save lives such as tsumani detection technology (but in 50 years in the future we could make a more futuristic device). This is what he wants -- power. The force provides him the opportunity to seek this object and eventually he's going to have to go to this one location where the force intends to infect him. Now we have a lot more what ifs' to ask. As you can see, we're starting a great outline of the story and fleshing it out.

But we need to get back to the controlling idea.

I like up-endings so I want him to become redeemed in the end. I think his pride is too great and his pursuit of power is evil. His idea of saving lives is a great idea, but his reasoning is not -- he's doing it to gain influence for himself, not to help people -- this makes him conflicted and provides excellent dimension to his character. This force is going to manipulate his desire. But I am also going to add a subconscious desire to this. I want it so that he really doesn't want power...he simply doesn't recognize that the work he does already helps to save lives by adding to the research of others who are trying to find effective tsunami detection devices. He'll end up realizing this in the end. And this matches my controlling idea: "Evil prevails when we fail to examine our conscious and instead follow others." His pursuit of power only leads him into trouble as he follows others in trying to please them. But we still have to deal with this supernatural force that is manipulating everyone. Do we make our protagonist one who defeats the force, or do we make him lose by it. Either way, we must know the controlling idea clearly at the end of the last climax no matter what he does.

Although I went off in a science-fiction direction, the controlling idea I discovered can exist in any genre and any setting whether this is based during the time of the Civil War, the present, or on Mars.

Although I wrote a lot, I hope leading you through the writer's process will help you to see clearer how stories are developed and make it easier to find the theme and your premise and then things will begin to fall into place.

Answer 2

Well, you've obviously done a lot of planning! As for an ORIGINAL idea, it wouldn't be original if you got help, but I'll try.

Maybe in the story, you could work in a realistic (but very interesting) situation. Examples: Kidnapping, Strange Death, etc. Then, as the story unravels, solve the mystery. Be sure to add a lot of drama to the situation, and suspense always spices up a story!

Maybe your main character has a secret that no one (not even the reader) knows until its dramatic revealing.

As for tips, I'd recommend what has been told to me a million times. Keep a journal. Go out and observe your world. This is where the most original plots come from. I usually find a book with such an interesting plot, I think, "Man, I would've never thought of that in a million years." The thing is, you will think of something different. That's what makes your ideas original.

I wish you luck on your story! From one writer to another!

Answer 3

There are some fun exercises for writing that may help you. Try this one: Make a list of all the characters you have so far. Then, write a short story about each one telling what they did the day before your main story begins, and make each one from that character's point of view. Remember, the bad guys usually don't think of themselves as bad. I am starting work on my second novel. I will not write even one scene until I get the characters defined. So far, I have created a timeline going back to when my main character's grandparents were born. This shows how his family developed; where his culture and attitudes came from; what emotional baggage he's got; what relationships are in his past; etc. It also shows these things for a lot of others who are in the story, like his parents and sisters, in-laws, enemies, etc. I also wrote a character description of his father, and next I will do one for his mother, sisters, and for him, complete with backstory to show who they are and how they got that way. By the time I start the actual manuscript, I won't get stuck wondering "Hm....what would they do or say at this point?" because I will know the characters so well, I will already know what they would do. When I wrote my first novel I found that with lots of preparation: backstory, timelines, character profiles, maps, etc. the story almost writes itself....it's as if all of the ideas were quietly brewing in my subconscious while doing the research. Besides, it's part of the fun of creating a fictional world. You don't have to include all (or any) of your backstory in your book, it's just to help you know who you're writing about before you begin. Best wishes, James

Answer 4

I am aware it's trite, but write about what you know about. Anything else will suck. The simplest form of plot is the "Journey" Put 'em on a slow boat to China a stage coach a train. Start a war, a disease on board, a spy, anything. Start this way and the plot will come and change as you go and by the time you are done it won't look anything like how you thought it would when you began. Just don't use run-on sentences like I just did. lol

Answer 5

Take any one of Syd Field' screen writing books. Your problem will be solved. Or just read Stephen King's book 'On Writing'.
Hope, this will do for you.

As far as I know, plot creation is more easier than character development. 8 years is a very long period to spend on that. Take a pen and pad... go on writing plot after plot. You will struck up at a good plot idea.

Good luck! And Happy New Year...

Answer 6

your woman just found out that she has been accepted as one of three signature designers for a small company on the rise in the fashion world. She has been only a minor figure in the one she works for now and so must decided what to do..... stay with the big house or go with the bigger bite of a small one. She has also started steadily seeing a coworker who is going thru a divorce and she sees the parallel between jumping ship for something else in her professional life and the relationship that she has with this guy where she is "the something else" and she wonders if he will jump again. the story revolves around her "little dreams" as she calls them short plays in her head shown as flashbacks and flash forwards of how things might be if she does this or that and in the end she decides to ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,after all it is your story good luck and yes........ i got a millions of 'em as a certain comedian used to say

Answer 7

Sit down and start writing. I have to make myself take the time to write. I have had a story idea in my head for years and didn't know where to take it. I sat down one day and began to write and the story basically wrote it's self. It's not quite done yet but it should be soon. You can always change things you don't like and get trusted friends to read it.

Good luck.

Answer 8

I have had the same problem for about 3 years. I often have to lock myself in my room for about a hour at a time and write down all of my ideas. (This is how I get in trouble at school lol)
Try taking all of your ideas and combining them. It does take a bit to come up with a few ideas but its totally worth it if you can come up with ideas. Try it!
Also, write down any ideas you have. Its better to write them all down so maybe you can use them sometime later, or you can forget.

Answer 9

If this is your first real attempt at writing and you have a main gal I would bet this is you to a great extent and also your dreams.

Study your own life and use it as the base. I bet that would work for you better than anything else.

Answer 10

try writing down all the idea you have. Even if you dont use them you can put them in a drawer and pull them out in a month and maybe they'll give you a fresh idea.

Answer 11

go online and read some japanese manga/anime stories--if you don't see any already---heck, do that anyways!!!they all have very different plots. many times --looking at other cultures for help helps.