Building Your Plot

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Characters MUST have a stage to play upon, otherwise they fall off the page. All dramatics aside, if you have terrific characters and a shoddy plot line, the book will never be read and you can be sure that no agent or editor will be giving you a call. All great novels have first-rate story plots, filled with suspense and seemingly never-ending ups and downs. Every best-selling novel writer concentrates on the structure of the plot. Although there isn’t a guaranteed formula to follow, there are some tried and true tested guidelines that can be used to create polished story plots.



1. Create a plot outline

As mentioned before, an outline will help in creating difficult obstacles to overcome for the protagonist and the ways to resolve it. In fact, that is the plot. The main character needs to have a goal, once a goal is set, the obstacles can be designed to hinder him from reaching the goal.

Keep in mind that making a plot outline does not put boundaries on creativity; it only guarantees that you’re on the right track.


2. Animate your plot

You can add dimension to the plot by creating interesting characters and having a great setting. Well thought out characters and detailed settings will engage the reader and hold their attention for longer periods of time.
Stories should always be based on progression and change. Without them, a reader will get bored. There should always be a turning point for each scene that you create. Every scene should be a step forward to the unfolding of the problem and the resolution.


3. Think of an overpowering resolution

Don’t let the reader down, especially if the story has been escalated to great heights. Most people don’t want to read a novel with a flat ending, an ending that was anticipated all along. Aside from tying up the loose ends, a surprise climax is always enjoyed.


4. Do not allow your story to drag

Once the climax has been reached, wrap up the story. Don’t give in to dragging the ending out, keep in mind that the story’s end will be the last thing in the readers’ mind.