Plot Doctoring: 9 Steps to Build a Strong Plot

Like the main event itself, NaNo Prep is always better with an incredible writing community around you. Luckily, our forums come with such a ready-made community. Inspired by the Plot Doctoring forum, we asked Derek Murphy, NaNoWriMo participant, to share his thoughts on plotting, and he outlined his 9-step plotting diagram:

Here’s a truth: you must write badly before you can write well. 

Everybody’s first draft is rubbish. It’s part of the process, so don’t worry about it. The writing can be polished and fixed and improved later, after NaNoWriMo, during the editing stages.

What most writers get out of NaNoWriMo is a collection of great scenes that don’t necessarily fit into a cohesive story—and that’s a problem if you want to produce something publishable.

Nearly all fiction follows some version of the classical hero’s journey: a character has an experience, learns something, and is consequently improved. There are turning points and scenes that need to be included in your story—if they are missing it won’t connect with readers in an emotionally powerful way. And it’s a thousand times easier to map them out before you write your book.

A little bit of plotting before you start to write will remove 95% of the hesitation and writer’s block that causes most people to give up on

NaNoWriMo

because their story “isn’t going anywhere” or they “don’t know what to write next.” 

Personally, I had dozens of aborted fiction projects but could never get through to the end of one until I took the time to map it all out, scene by scene. Getting my PhD in Literature helped a little, but it was ultimately the plotting worksheets, maps, and diagrams I downloaded that helped me the most. But they weren’t perfect for me, so I made one of my own.

1. We start with the ordinary world

Your First Act sets up your main character (MC) in their ordinary, mundane environment. You’ll introduce their friends and family members, their home, school, or workplace. 

But you also need to show what’s missing. You don’t want to start with a perfect, happy character who has everything (unless you’re going to take it all away, which is fine). You need to give them space to grow. Maybe they have unresolved emotional issues. They’re probably shy, awkward, clumsy or embarrassed, or unpopular. Maybe they hate their job or just got dumped. 

You need to show what they want, their secret desires. What are they working towards? They probably have daydreams about things they don’t think will ever happen.

2. Inciting incident—the call to adventure

In most books, the inciting incident should actually happen in chapter one or two. It’s an intrusion on the ordinary world. Something big changes. Maybe a stranger moves to town, or a family member dies, or there’s an earthquake. It might be an invitation, or a friend asking your MC to a party. It can’t be a huge crisis, but it will be annoying and noticeable, or exciting—it’s the beginning of your plot. That’s why you want to get the ball rolling pretty early, otherwise nothing will be happening. 

Avoid writing a lot of history or backstory. Start your book as near to the inciting incident as you can. But don’t think of it as just one scene or chapter. The “call to adventure” is usually followed by denial or refusal. The MC doesn’t trust it, or doesn’t want to make a decision. They’ll ignore it and continue focusing on their previous goals. They just want things to go back to normal.

3. First plot point—the point of no return

Things have been getting weirder and/or more intriguing for several chapters. Your MC tries to ignore the problems but they keep interfering with their normal agenda. They get roped in, and something happens that forces them into the action. Everything changes, and there’s no going back to the ordinary world. 

They might have met a teacher, or they might have seen something that changes their perspective: a revelation of supernatural abilities; a murder or death; an accident, or robbery, or attack, or disaster. Something pretty big, that shatters what they thought they understood of the world, and makes them feel vulnerable and exposed. 

This will be one of the major scenes in your book, so make it unforgettable. Also, this is the end of Act One, about 25% of your book—by now all the major characters should have already been introduced, or at least hinted at.

4. First pinch point—the first battle

After the first plot point, there will be several chapters where the protagonist is learning about the new world. They might be doing research, or discovering things in conversations. There needs to be conflict and tension, which builds up to the first Pinch Point. 

This doesn’t have to be a literal battle, but it is the first major interaction with the antagonist. The antagonist might not be visible yet, but they should be the one pulling the strings. The antagonist is after something, and that something is tied to the MC somehow. 

Maybe the antagonist wants something the MC has, or needs the MC to do something, or has a score to settle. The MC probably still has no idea what’s happening, but they find themselves at the center of some conflict. They probably don’t win, but they do survive. 

Now the stakes are clear. You should make them as dire as possible, almost inconceivable. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” Then ask, “How can I make it even worse for my protagonist?” 

The stakes should always seem life and death to the protagonist… they represent a complete change, the “death” of the former self. If your protagonist doesn’t have their self-identity shaken to its roots, you need to make this scene bigger.

5. Midpoint—the shift from victim to warrior

After the first pinch point, the protagonist continues to face new challenges, but they are in a defensive role. They might be making some plans, but mostly they’re waiting for something to happen and reacting to events or circumstances beyond their control. If they try to solve any issue, they end up being thwarted or making things even worse.  They might accidentally hurt someone, or their friends and family might start to lose trust in them. They begin questioning their identity and world view, which leads to a personality crisis, which leads to a shift in perspective. 

This is about half way through the novel, and marks the point where the protagonist decides to take action. They decide to stop being a victim and reacting to events, and vow to do whatever it takes to win. They’ll probably form a new goal, and even if they aren’t sure how to achieve it yet, they’ll feel a deep conviction towards it. This might be based in rage or anger towards the antagonist, a newfound perspective, or increased self-confidence.

6. Second pinch point—the second battle

This leads to a second confrontation with the antagonist. It still may not be the main villain; it could just be henchmen that represent the main villain’s interests. It could be an attack, or it could be the result of the MC taking action, such as setting a trap for the antagonist. 

The protagonist is determined to see this through, and feels personally responsible, even though the chances of success are slim. The conflict erupts into an open battle, with escalating consequences. This confrontation makes the protagonist realize that everything is much worse than they thought, and they realize they’ve underestimated the antagonist’s power. They rally with new determination, and might even score a seeming victory.

Alternatively, the second pinch point can be elevated conflict, followed by MC reaction. Maybe the antagonist has stolen something or kidnapped an ally. Your MC rallies the troops, and tries to fix things, but things keep getting worse and worse, leading to a total, devastating loss. Usually this process happens over several chapters.

7. Second plot point—the dark night of the soul

The plan failed. The secret weapon backfired. The hero’s team was slaughtered, or they lost their one advantage, or the antagonist’s evil plan succeeded. The worst has happened. The antagonist has won. 

At the second plot point, everything the MC feared could happen, has happened. They are destroyed. They cannot win. They give up. There’s no hope. They lose the battle, with serious consequences. Someone the protagonist cares about got hurt, and they feel guilty. Usually the failure is due to their character flaw or a lack of knowledge. 

This marks a period of depression, prompting a change in mindset—the MC has to give up what they want. They realize that the thing they’ve been holding on to is completely gone. There is no chance for victory. The only way forward is through. They are forced to change and go in a new direction. 

This is tied to the MC’s flaw/lack of knowledge. When they figure out what they’ve been holding onto, what’s been holding them back or limiting them, and when they’re prepared to sacrifice what they want for the greater good, they finally become the hero they need to be to defeat the villain.

8. Final battle—the triumph

Usually the MC needs a pep talk from a close friend, to “gird the loins.” They need a reason to fight, even if it’s hopeless. Even if they don’t see how to defeat the enemy. There’s no choice but to confront the antagonist. 

But now they are prepared—they might have gained a valuable piece of knowledge or information. They might have been given a new weapon or power, or learned the villain’s weakness.

The final battle scene often includes a “hero at the mercy of the villain” scene, where the hero is caught, so the villain can gloat. Anyway it’s not a clear, easy victory. They fail at first, all is lost, the hero is captured, the enemy gloats… then the hero perseveres. With resolve and tenacity, the hero escapes and overpowers the villain. 

Often the final battle scene also includes a “death of the hero” scene, where the hero, or an ally/romantic interest, sacrifices themselves, and appears to die… but then is brought back to life in joy and celebration. (Or if you want to keep it dark, just have them die, so the victory will be achieved but remain tragic). 

This doesn’t have to be a literal “battle.” It’s just the last, final straw, the most dramatic part of your story. It’s what forces the MC to make a realization, change or grow. And it’s the place where the MC has a victory.

9. Return to ordinary world

The hero returns home, changed. They’ve won, though it’s probably temporary (this villain was defeated, but he or someone new will return). The safety is short-lived and bittersweet.

The hero once again faces the small challenges or bullies at the beginning of the story, but they seem trivial now. The hero is no longer lacking; they’ve grown in confidence, and now have a group of new friends, and a new hope for the future.

Derek Murphy is a book designer with a PhD in Literature that now writes young adult fantasy novels and lives in castles. He publishes tips, tutorials and case-studies to help authors publish better-looking books and build author platforms that support a profitable writing career.

See Derek’s full Plot Dot plotting outline here. His plotting outline is inspired by three books: Plot Perfect, Story Grid, and Story Fix.