Writing Tip — How to Structure Your Plot

As we investigate how to plot this month, here’s link to a wonderful post “What Kinds of Plot Types Exist Besides the Three-Act Structure?” on Jill Williamson’s site, Go Teen Writers. This post is chock full of links that lead you to explanations of other plot structure. The one I find the most intriguing is #9 “List Weaving”. Ms. Williamson says this one is especially helpful if you are writing an epic story with multiple viewpoints.

But I think it might help me when plotting my latest mystery novel. I know I need certain scenes to establish characters, reveal motives, plant clues, and more. Making a list of the scenes, who is in them, and the goal of that scene makes sure I don’t leave out something critical to the plot. It also helps me choose settings for scenes. I tend to to use the same settings, so listing my scenes shows me when I’m overworking one.

Do you like the three-act structure? What plot structure works for you?