6 Book Plotting Techniques for Newbie Writers!

If you’re thinking of writing a book of your very own, you should know how to get started first. That way you won’t have go about the book writing process without direction. And the best way to get started, is to plot out every aspect of your book. By plotting out your every aspect of your book, you will have a blueprint to follow throughout the writing process. By having an outline for your book, you will know how to get started.

Here are 5 Book plotting techniques for newbie writers.

1. Create a rough outline for your plot

Before you start the writing process, it is important that you create a rough outline for your plot. Think of it as the framework or skeleton of your story. It does not need to be overly long, or filled in. It is the very first form that every story takes. Your rough outline should contain your premise, your characters, the conflict and the conclusion. It does not have to be detailed. What’s important is that you have a general idea of how the story will pan out. That way you will be able to keep track of the storyline throughout the writing process.

2. Flesh out all your characters

Seeing as your characters are the main highlight of your story, it is also important that you flesh them out. Give them backstories and unique physical traits. This will make them stand out from one another. You should also give each of your characters set motivations. That way, you will know what your characters want to achieve in the story, and where you will place them in the overall story.

3. Your settings should have a significant effect on your story

Aside from your characters, it is important that you give your settings a unique description. Remember that your settings are the places where the events will occur. So make sure that you describe your settings in a detailed manner as possible. Make your settings an entity in itself. Make it affect your characters. Make your settings affect your overall plotline. Give each of your settings a significance to your story.

4. Conflict is key

When you write your plotline, you should remember that conflict is key. This is because the conflict is the turning point of your overall storyline. The story before the conflict is technically exposition and filler. The conflict is the twist. It is the changing point of the story. It is the spice, the chocolate center of the story. So make sure that the conflict is highlighted as much as possible. Lead up to the conflict. Create the conflict in a way, that it affects your overall storyline.

5. Fill out your plot outline

Once you finish writing the outline for your plot and gathered all the elements of your story, now is the time to fill it out. The rough draft was merely the framework. But once you fill out your plot outline, this is technically the very first step of the writing process. This is the time where you put all the of the plot elements together. This is the time you create additional aspects of the story such as dialogue.  Make sure that they all seamlessly fit together. Once you are finished filling out your plot outline, you will now have a detailed guide when you start writing your book.

 6. Take time to brainstorm ideas

Before you start writing your plot outline, it is important that you take the time to brainstorm ideas. This is the very first part of the plotting process. It is the phase where you will come up with various concepts to write about. Make a list of ideas that you could write about. They could come in the form of a short paragraph, or a writing prompt. When you come up with writing ideas, you should take your time with the whole process.

Conclusion

If there is one aspect of writing a book that you will need to pay attention to, it is the plotting aspect. If your plotting is lacking in any way, you will have a hard time keeping track of it. With these book plotting techniques, you will be able to plot out your book as effectively as possible.