Plot Development - Tumblr Posts
Writing Tips Master Post
Character writing/development:
Character Arcs
Making Character Profiles
Character Development
Comic Relief Arc
Internal Conflict
Character Voices
Creating Distinct Characters
Suicidal Urges/Martyr Complex
Creating Likeable Characters
Writing Strong Female Characters
Writing POC Characters
Building Tension
Plot devices/development:
Intrigue in Storytelling
Enemies to Lovers
Alternatives to Killing Characters
Worldbuilding
Misdirection
Consider Before Killing Characters
Foreshadowing
Narrative:
Emphasising the Stakes
Avoid Info-Dumping
Writing Without Dialogue
1st vs. 2nd vs. 3rd Perspective
Fight Scenes (+ More)
Transitions
Pacing
Writing Prologues
Dialogue Tips
Writing War
Writing Cheating
Worldbuilding:
Worldbuilding: Questions to Consider
Creating Laws/Rules in Fantasy Worlds
Book writing:
Connected vs. Stand-Alone Series
A & B Stories
Writer resources:
Writing YouTube Channels, Podcasts, & Blogs
Online Writing Resources
Outlining/Writing/Editing Software
Writer help:
Losing Passion/Burnout
Overcoming Writer's Block
Fantasy terms:
How To Name Fantasy Races (Step-by-Step)
Naming Elemental Races
Naming Fire-Related Races
How To Name Fantasy Places
Ask games:
Character Ask Game #1
Character Ask Game #2
Character Ask Game #3
Miscellaneous:
1000 Follower Post
2000 Follower Poll
Writing Fantasy
Linked to this post is a free google slides document I’ve designed for the purposes of character and plot development. You can use this in several ways, including:
Making a copy to your google drive and editing it digitally
Downloading as a Microsoft powerpoint document
Editing in google slides and then downloading as a printable PDF
This document includes technical instructions and guides to the planning models I integrated. The included pages are:
Character/arc design sheet
Secondary characters sheet
Three-act flow chart
Plot story map
[watermark is only present in these screenshots]
How to come up with a story based on vibes that (probably) doesn't suck aka how to come up with a plot
First, identify the vibes. Maybe you already know. If so, great! If not, well that's what I'm here for. What are books/movies/shows that have what you're trying to achieve? A song or an image? Come up with a list of as many things.
YAY now you know what vibes you want.
Then you are going to make a list about the things (or your favorites if you have too many). Look at themes, characters, genres, settings, style, etc. If you have no idea where to start, pull up their wikipedia pages and read them. Anything similar WRITE IT DOWN (you will forget, don’t lie).
Take that list and find your favorite/most common things. These will be what gives you your vibe.
Take this list and invent a little guy who lives in this list. YAY now you have a character. What does this guy want?
It wants to live.
Now look at me. No. Look at me in the eyes. Stare into my soul.
You’re gonna let him live.
Use your vibe list to create a little world. Do you mostly like horror/mystery? BAM this guy lives in a horror/mystery. Do you mostly like historical fiction? BAM this guy lives in the past. Do you like dystopian things? BAM this guy lives in a dystopian world. Do this with whatever genre you want.
Now what does this guy in this world want most?
And how are you going to do everything in your power to stop him?
Y'ALL I WATCHED ENCANTO AND I'M ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE
Man, I love writing and plotting and shipping my couples and stuff, but man, I'm so lazy when it comes to posting
Why am I like this?!
How to write a character-driven plot
The Character-Driven Plot Wheel
1. Emotions drive actions.
Make your hero act on their deepfelt emotions. This not only adds meaning to their actions, but also helps communicate to readers your hero’s core emotional struggle.
2. Actions trigger consequences.
When your hero acts, give their actions consequences that affect the plot, themselves, and/or the surrounding characters. For example, driven by curiosity, maybe your hero opens Pandora’s box; maybe they act recklessly and someone dies; or maybe they stand up for what they believe in, but at great personal cost. Consequences raise the stakes and empower your hero with agency.
3. Consequences compel change.
Use the consequences of your hero’s actions to create a crucible of growth — challenges and situations that force them to take the next step on their character journey. That step may be forward, or backward, and it may be large or small; but something inside them changes.
4. Change influences emotions.
When a character goes through a change, even a small one, allow it to affect them emotionally. Maybe they feel increasingly frustrated or guilty. Maybe they’re afraid, having just taken another step closer to abandoning their old way of seeing the world. Or maybe they finally feel peace.
Regardless of the form it takes, remember to reflect your hero’s change in their emotions. Then let their emotions drive action, to trigger consequences, which will compel further change.
Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
And there you have it! That’s how you write a character-driven plot.
So what do you say?
Give the wheel a spin.
— — —
Your stories are worth telling. For tips on how to craft meaning, build character-driven plots, and grow as a writer, follow my blog.
Hey, so like how do you portray your main protagonist turning into the villain? Like the antagonist in my story has like a valid reason for antagonising the word (kinda like the darkling from the grisha trilogy) And like Hero/protagonist is slowly becoming the villain but I don’t really know how to portray it?? Thanks xx
Life just gets harder. They grow up, see good intentions backfire, see good work undone, see more of the negative side of things than positive. Even if they have strong positive influences in their life those aren’t enough to combat the growing tide of anger the protagonist feels inside. The injustice around them becomes too much to bear and they start redefining what even counts as villainy and what counts as justice.
And there’s always the classic “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” MacBeth was a good guy until temptation led to crime which led to power which led to paranoia which led to abuse which became pure villainy. Give a human too many breaks, too much money, too much reverence, and they might become a selfish monster who expects the world to be handed to them by tomorrow.
Like the myths and religious texts of old, tempt your protagonist with vice. Like the corrupt authorities and celebrities of history, give your protagonist too much power and fame. Like the rebel leaders and antiheroes of mankind, give them too much desperation over the status quo and make them seek only vengeance.
Those key things can cause anybody to become a villain.
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Thank you to whoever made this cute thing, very helpful. Here’s some advice to anyone who wants it!
Easy Ways to Pick up the Sagging Middle of Your Novel
A lot of writers have trouble writing the middle of the novel. Either they don’t know how to structure it properly or they’ve just lost motivation (I’ve written endless posts on motivation, so try searching for them). I think we’ve all read books that have just lost all momentum in the middle, so here are a few ways to stop that from happening to your novel:
Try to lead to something important – The middle is a great time for a really exciting moment or the climax. There can be more than one, so don’t think you’re going to waste any momentum you have.
Throw in a twist – Blow your readers minds! Is there a moment you’ve been waiting to reveal to your audience? Do it in the middle of your novel and then deal with the aftermath.
Divide it into another three acts – Try to break down the middle of your novel into smaller pieces. Think of it as a beginning, middle, and end. Create a structure to follow.
Introduce some new blood – Focus on a new character. Introduce a new character. There should be a reason for them, so don’t go completely wild, but get excited about your new addition. Weave it into the plot.
Do something drastic – Do something unexpected to your hero. Throw a wrench in their plans. There should be ups and downs in your novel, so fit some in here.
Build an intense action sequence – Sometimes an intense scene breaks writers out of their doldrums. If it fits in your story, try it. Pump up the adrenaline.
Plan, plan, plan – For me, planning is the best way to figure out where my novel is going. Take a moment to think about what’s happening in your story and find a way to organize it.
Focus on tension – Build tension and put your readers on the edge of their seat. If there’s something exciting happening in your third act, now’s the time to build it up.
Think about the ending – If you’re unsure about the middle of your novel, take a look at the other parts. How are you going to get to your ending? Focus on that journey.
Make it less complicated – Sometimes middles are hard to write because they’re too complicated. Cut subplots that you can’t follow or just muddle up your story.
Obviously, trying all of these will make an absolute mess of your story, so pick and choose what might work for you. These are just suggestions and they won’t work for everyone’s story. Think of them as ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
And remember, the most important ideas to pursue are those that help drive the story forward or help reveal information about your characters!
-Kris Noel