Tag: How to write a plot

Provide a Plot for This Conversation

Provide a plot for this conversation

My writing prompt of today is to provide a plot for this conversation, which is typed below. What’s the story behind this situation?

*****

“I don’t know why you’re putting up so much resistance.” I rested my elbow on the back of the bench. “It’ll work.”

Naomi stared at across the park as moms with preschoolers and babies played near the duck pond. “You have a lot more confidence in your plan than I have. So many things could go wrong.”

“I know.” I rubbed my forehead. “I have thought this through. I know the risks. It can work and work fantastically. All our problems will be solved.”

“If we pull it off.” She crossed her legs. “If we don’t …”

I closed my eyes. “I know that too. We don’t need to cover it again.”

“Maybe we should.” Naomi still didn’t look at me. “We should remind ourselves what failure means.”

“Not trying at all is worse.”

Her head swirled to me. “You really think–” She gasped, uncrossed her legs, and picked up her phone from where she’d set it on the bench. She said to the screen, “Noah just entered the park.”

My spine turned to ice, but without any hurry, I pivoted in my seat, removing my arm from the back of the bench. Shielding my eyes from the noon sun, I gazed to the duck pond, then snuck a quick peek to my right.

Noah and two other guys stood in the gate to the park.

*****

I can’t wait to read your inspiration for the plot behind this conversation!

For more prompts about writing plots, click here.

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Why is the Middle of Our Stories A Muddle?

Why is the middle of our stories a muddle?

It’s something of a cliche when writers talk about the troubles they encounter in the middle of a story. But, like most cliches, there’s a kernel of truth to it. So why is the middle of our stories a muddle? As we kick off this month’s theme of dealing with the middle of our stories, I want to uncover reasons for the muddle, which can be different for each writer.

Too Much Freedom

You’ve written a stunning hook and your beginning has set up the main character, the major characters, and the main problem. Now what?

If you haven’t thought beyond the beginning, your story could be suffering from too much freedom. Since you have no direction at this point, you have too many ways you can develop the story.

There are several ways you can fix that.

Develop Your Ending

This may sound like putting the cart before the horse, but knowing how your story ends gives purpose to your middle. If you’re going on vacation, you have an ultimate destination and that limits the routes you can take. That doesn’t mean you can’t explore side routes or take the longer, scenic route, but since you know your final goal, you know how far off the direct route you can go.

Develop Your Characters

Perhaps you’re stuck because you haven’t developed or don’t understand your characters well enough. Go back and review your notes and what you’ve written in your beginning. When I can’t move on in a scene, I ask myself what is the logical next step for a particular character to take. Often that means more complicated writing for me, but the logic for the character makes the story better.

But may your muddle in the middle is the opposite problem.

Too Little Freedom

If you’re a plotter and have your book outlined, you may reach your notes on the middle and find it isn’t working. Many times, once I begin writing, I throw out my notes because what seemed so good in the outline turns out lousy in the writing. Give yourself permission to make a new outline, based off what you’ve actually written in the beginning. Make several outlines, testing different approaches.

Writers, why do you think the middle of stories is a muddle?

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