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Cute florist Au????
Ok I have this au??? I don't know if anyone else came up with this idea before me. But what ever. Ok so the idea is that person A is a florist and person B likes person A but is to shy to tell them there feelings. So person B instead of telling there feelings all they do is buy a bunch of flowers from them.
Gojo SMAU - The Art of Falling Fake
Masterlist!
Summary: The campus buzzes with life, but you feel like a shadow slipping through the cracks—unnoticed, unimportant. At home, it’s no better. Your parents dote on your step-sister, the star tennis player, while you’re the afterthought they barely acknowledge. She’s here too, her perfect reputation casting an even bigger shadow over your existence. College was supposed to be your escape, but living at home and walking the same halls as her makes it impossible. Then he shows up—Satoru Gojo, the rich, arrogant engineering major everyone seems to worship. His smug grin and effortless charm are the kind of things you can’t stand, but when a ridiculous twist of fate forces your lives together, you find yourself fake dating the most insufferable man you’ve ever met. It’s just a deal, temporary and harmless—or so you try to convince yourself.
Taglist OPEN!
taglist: @hanakotateyama @sleepykittyenergy @inthedarkshadows000 @codeseven @byakuya61085 @minzxec @ivydoesit23 @naughteehee @not-aya @bochichi @emlient @gojoprincesss @havingnonamesucks @n1vi @linny-bloggs
Introduction
Chapter 1 - Invisible in the Spotlight
Chapter 2 - The Art of Taking an L
Chapter 3 - Fake It Till You Make It
Chapter 4 - False Advertising
Chapter 5 - Tricks, Treats and Terrible Ideas
Chapter 6 - Terms and Conditons (Mostly Ignored)
Chapter 7 - The Art of Faking it Too Well
simply cannot ever resist what i call the little mermaid or the tin man or the pinnochio plot, the one about a character who is either inhuman or human but outside in some way, constantly searching for whatever it is that they consider to be the quintessential proof of humanity, preoccupied by it so deeply that they fail to realize the proof is in the act and fact of the search itself
One thing I like about Pixar films is how the happy ending isn’t always what you think it’ll be. The toys don’t go with Andy to college, Gusteau’s restaurant gets closed down, Mike and Sully get kicked out of university, Carl never gets Ellie to Paradise Falls. But they find out that what they wanted isn’t necessarily what they needed, and I really like the fact that kids get to learn that life doesn’t always turn out the way they dreamed and that’s okay.
ok but like when did self-sacrifice become synonymous with death? writers seem to have forgotten that people can make personal sacrifices for the greater good without giving their lives. plots about self-sacrifice and selflessness don’t always have to end in death. suffering doesn’t have to be mourning. you can create drama and emotional depth on your show without killing everyone. learn to explore the meaning of living rather than dying
OC HEAD CANONS TAHT IS REAL CANON + PLOT
Kather: if he needs to get rid of someone he will do it perfectly and hide the evidence like it was never there. He took a semester of criminology and phycology
Angel: they keep a pocket knife on them for protection and she often goes hunting she is pretty violent and was expelled from many schools
Sj: he carries a gun with him just in case if emergencies he was abused as a kid so he ran away and dropped out of high school
PLOT TIME
When Kather was 20 he kinda went to adopt a kid and said kid was angel who was 15 at the time and they became partners in crime they inseparable like brother and sister then the met a 18 year old Sj in a tree house he was getting abused so Kather and angel decided to take him in and they are just 1 killing big family they only decided to kill who they deemed needed to to like Kira (death note reference) they eventually got even with all who wronged them and Kather went on to become a hit man
The most accurate description I've ever seen
I don’t know if anyone has ever done this before but, here ya go… The Different Types of Fanfiction!
I probably left a few out, but these are the most common, compared to their base fiction’s canon plot. Enjoy! XD
This is what made me get back into reading Manga. Kaiju no. 8, Marriage Toxin, the poetry of Ran, all fantastic works that DON’T TAKE PLACE IN A DAMN HIGH SCHOOL!
I don’t know if it’s like a bunch of people thinking your life ends at adulthood, or just pandering to a easier to please demographic, but what I need is stories that mix shit up!
I want a 35 year old woman, in a childless marriage to become a magical girl against her will! every day her Husband comes home, says “God, I had the worst day with these damn newbies” to which she’s like “…I talk to raccoons now, and their diplomacy with the foxes failed. I’m supposed to be the guardian of coexistence, but I honestly just want to torch everything past that damn tree line” And now he’s sad because he knows that she just wants to go back to her job as a floor manager at the sporting goods store, but it shut down and even if local businesses did pick up new hires, he knows the ever-cave deemed her a part of the reborn council, and now she’s one of a limited few who can calm the souls residing in the sea of trees.
more characters should be 30+ years old
Writing Notes & References
Alchemy ⚜ Antidote to Anxiety ⚜ Attachment ⚜ Autopsy
Art: Elements ⚜ Principles ⚜ Photographs ⚜ Watercolour
Bruises ⚜ Caffeine ⚜ Color Blindness ⚜ Cruise Ships
Children ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ Childhood Bilingualism
Dangerousness ⚜ Drowning ⚜ Dystopia ⚜ Dystopian World
Culture ⚜ Culture Shock ⚜ Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism
Emotions: Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness
Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness) ⚜ Quirks
Facial Expressions ⚜ Laughter & Humour ⚜ Swearing & Taboo
Fantasy Creatures ⚜ Fantasy World Building
Generations ⚜ Literary & Character Tropes
Fight Scenes ⚜ Kill Adverbs
Food: Cooking Basics ⚜ Herbs & Spices ⚜ Sauces ⚜ Wine-tasting ⚜ Aphrodisiacs ⚜ List of Aphrodisiacs ⚜ Food History ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Literary & Hollywood Cocktails ⚜ Liqueurs
Genre: Crime ⚜ Horror ⚜ Fantasy ⚜ Speculative Biology
Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Kinds of Love ⚜ The Physiology of Love
How to Write: Food ⚜ Colours ⚜ Drunkenness
Jargon ⚜ Logical Fallacies ⚜ Memory ⚜ Memoir
Magic: Magic System ⚜ 10 Uncommon ⚜ How to Choose
Moon: Part 1 2 ⚜ Related Words
Mystical Items & Objects ⚜ Talisman ⚜ Relics ⚜ Poison
Pain ⚜ Pain & Violence ⚜ Poison Ivy & Poison Oak
Realistic Injuries 1 2 ⚜ Rejection ⚜ Structural Issues ⚜ Villains
Symbolism: Colors ⚜ Food ⚜ Numbers ⚜ Storms
Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions
Terms of Endearment ⚜ Ways of Saying "No" ⚜ Yoga
Compilations: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding ⚜ For Poets ⚜ Tips & Advice
all posts are queued. will update this every few weeks/months. send questions or requests here.
Across the Spiderverse spoilers without context
Writing Notes & References
Alchemy ⚜ Antidote to Anxiety ⚜ Attachment ⚜ Autopsy
Art: Elements ⚜ Principles ⚜ Photographs ⚜ Watercolour
Bruises ⚜ Caffeine ⚜ Color Blindness ⚜ Cruise Ships
Children ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ Childhood Bilingualism
Dangerousness ⚜ Drowning ⚜ Dystopia ⚜ Dystopian World
Culture ⚜ Culture Shock ⚜ Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism
Emotions: Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness
Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness) ⚜ Quirks
Facial Expressions ⚜ Laughter & Humour ⚜ Swearing & Taboo
Fantasy Creatures ⚜ Fantasy World Building
Generations ⚜ Literary & Character Tropes
Fight Scenes ⚜ Kill Adverbs
Food: Cooking Basics ⚜ Herbs & Spices ⚜ Sauces ⚜ Wine-tasting ⚜ Aphrodisiacs ⚜ List of Aphrodisiacs ⚜ Food History ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Literary & Hollywood Cocktails ⚜ Liqueurs
Genre: Crime ⚜ Horror ⚜ Fantasy ⚜ Speculative Biology
Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Kinds of Love ⚜ The Physiology of Love
How to Write: Food ⚜ Colours ⚜ Drunkenness
Jargon ⚜ Logical Fallacies ⚜ Memory ⚜ Memoir
Magic: Magic System ⚜ 10 Uncommon ⚜ How to Choose
Moon: Part 1 2 ⚜ Related Words
Mystical Items & Objects ⚜ Talisman ⚜ Relics ⚜ Poison
Pain ⚜ Pain & Violence ⚜ Poison Ivy & Poison Oak
Realistic Injuries ⚜ Rejection ⚜ Structural Issues ⚜ Villains
Symbolism: Colors ⚜ Food ⚜ Numbers ⚜ Storms
Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions
Terms of Endearment ⚜ Ways of Saying "No" ⚜ Yoga
Compilations: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding ⚜ For Poets ⚜ Tips & Advice
all posts are queued. will update this every few weeks/months. send questions or requests here ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs
If I have one anime pet peeve, it's not the weird ass plots or the even weirder tropes it's when the anime adaptations say fuck the manga plot and make their own.
Animes like black butler where they go off the plot for seasons, causing people who don't know about the weird ass plot to be confused when drastic things happen to main characters that just get forgotten when the anime gets back on track.
Like I'm currently watching Blue Exorcist and I just started season 2 and thanks to whoever decided to say fuck the plot I spent a most of S2 Ep1 confused as a motherfucker trying to figure out what the hell happened to Yukio's Satan powers only to find out they aren't even manga canon!
I doubt any anime director's will see this but if any do, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T GO OFF THE MANGA FOR MAJOR PLOT POINTS THEN ACT LIKE IT DIDN'T HAPPEN😭 I have spent hours confused as to why characters act like major life changing events didn't happen just because you thought it'd be cool to throw the plot out the window for the last half of a season or two.
take me with you. : road trip plot where muse a and muse b are like college roommates/best friends x1000 like they practically spend every moment with each other and everything and stay up all night watching reruns of their favorite shows, sharing almost every meal bc they’re cheap like that and don’t mind, having shitty jobs with huge dreams and all that. muse a has a long distance high school sweetheart bf/gf who moved across country for school/job and when their relationship starts to strain, muse a reallllly feels strongly about driving across country to see them to try and fix things (they also might suspect the person is cheating on them). flying ain’t an option bc they’re intensely scared of being in the air & also they have no car. that’s where their partner in crime, muse b comes in. muse b has the car, soundtrack, and the navigational skills, muse a has the money, the lively company, and the snacks. they ditch classes for about a week or something and plan it out vaguely but end up just bullshitting the rest of the trip there.
attention: this is the MEAT of the plot!!!!! they go clubbing, visit lame museums, become extras in a movie, get kicked out of zoos/parks or some shit, stay in crappy motels, get stalked by someone who muse b is convinced a total psycho, attend festivals and act like total kids, are forced to take lots and lots and LOTS of detours, end up fixing the car once or twice, go camping in an abandoned barn/middle of nowhere/other shady place, crash random weddings, get arrested, almost start the apocalypse, and so much more.
of course tons of weird, sexual tension and maybe even some things happen on the trip that they don’t wanna speak about which kind of adds some tension there (hell tbh they might not even reach their destination and decide to turn around) BUT if they make it to where they need to go in a matter of what was supposed to be a week trip ( now probably 2 or 3), muse a goes looking for their long distance bae when they get there and then gets their heart broken while muse b is there to help pick up the pieces. and then muse b picks this time when they’re gong back home to confess how they’ve always loved muse a but the past week(s) they’ve started to really, really fall in love with them and they don’t wanna ruin what they have and blah blah. muse a is confused, vulnerable but can’t deny that they’ve always felt this stronger connection with muse b compared to everyone else in their lives. then the two of them start to figure out their lives from there and learn how to love and give and GROW and accept and celebrate and so many fluffy and angsty things. FUCK.
bonus points if:
it’s a f/f or m/m plot and they have to do a lot of coming out to each other and then to family and friends back home
muse a does not feel the same way when muse b confesses their love at first and they have a really big, emotional, enlightening blow-upppp
when/if they get back home, muse b’s ex comes back in their life and becomes an obstacle between them and muse a
like or reblog if you use this!
PREPPING YOUR NOVEL.
if you want to start your novel but you’re not sure where to start, i’ve collected a bunch of resources to help you along! this includes characterization, plotting, worldbuilding, etc. @made-of-sunlight-moonlight
CHARACTERS.
name generator: this one is pretty handy. it has a bunch of different generators based on language, gods, fantasy, medieval, archetypes, etc.
➥ reedsy name generator
personality types: this is just the standard mbti personality list. it lists the strengths and weaknesses of each type, as well as how they do in relationships, etc.
➥ mbti 16 personalities
enneagram: the enneagram personality types. this may help with characterization because it has “levels of development.” it also lists common fears, desires, and how each type interacts with one another.
➥ enneagram types
emotional wound: your character should have something they believe about themselves that isn’t true. (ex: i’m worthless, i’m powerless.) this should start with an “origin” scene from their past, where something happens to create the wound. then there are three “crossroads” scenes to brainstorm, where things could have gone right for your character, but didn’t due to the wound, and because of that strengthened their belief in the wound. this helps you figure out why your character acts like they do. this is a really important one!!!
➥ emotional wound explained
WORLDBUILDING.
worldbuilding template: this is a pretty good template / guide about how to build your world. it talks about geography, people, civilizations, magic, technology, economy, and politics. (you have to download this through email though.)
➥ reedsy worldbuilding template
world anvil: if you really really want to go in-depth — this website is for you. there is so much you can do with this; i can’t list it all. history, timelines, important objects, cities, species — you name it, it’s probably on there.
➥ world anvil website
worldbuilding bible: this is just a general list on things to think about when worldbuilding.
➥ ellen brock’s worldbuilding bible
world creator: this website generates an entire planet. you can play around with the amount of land, as well as climate, although i’m not sure since i haven’t used it too much. here is the link if needed, though!
➥ donjin fractal world generator
inkarnate: this is a really commonly used one. it’s free and makes good quality maps. you can lay out cities, landmarks, regions, and they even have little dragon drawings you can put on your map.
➥ inkarnate website
a tip: don’t over-worldbuild! you’ll end up spending a lot of time on things you won’t need. focus mainly on the things that you will use!
PLOT.
plot generator: this one’s kind of nice because you can lock elements of the plot that you like. that way you can get rid of the ones you don’t like while keeping the ones you do.
➥ reedsy plot generator
writing exercises: this one has a couple different generators, including one that gives you a situation, characters, and themes.
➥ writing exercises
plot cheat sheet: this lists a whole bunch of plotting methods and their basic steps. i would play around with them and see which one works best for your method.
➥ plot cheat sheet by ea deverell
plot formula: this is mentioned on the cheat sheet, but it lists a bunch of beats and scenes which you might want to consider for those beats. kind of fill-in-the-blank-ish sort of thing?
➥ plot formula by ea deverell
save the cat: a method of plotting also on the plot cheat sheet above, but i wanted to point it out. i have been using this recently by taking a giant piece of paper, laying it out onto the floor, and making a timeline. pivotal scenes go on the right (ex: catalyst), while the bulk of scenes go on the left (ex: fun and games). i didn’t really have a website on this, but here is one that explains the beats. (i might make a post about this later, though?)
➥ save the cat explained
ETC.
story planner: this basically has a lot of templates that cover everything up there. the problem is that you get a free trial for a little while where you get as many documents as you want, then you have to pay for it. (although you can get around this by copying and pasting into a doc...?)
➥ story planner website
describing / related words: these kind of go hand in hand. if you put a word intothese websites, they will give you either a list of related words or adjectives respectively.
➥ describing words website
➥ related words website
ea deverell: i've pulled a lot of stuff from this website to put in this post, but there's a lot more that can be used. Like a lot on basically anything — plot, character, world, outlining, writing itself.
➥ ea deverell website
reedsy: again, i've pulled a lot of stuff from them to put in this post, but there's much more. it's similar to the ea deverell one.
➥ reedsy website
canva: this is more for making aesthetics and covers. (this thing is really helpful —and free!) although if you use this, i'd suggest pulling pictures off a website like unsplash; that way the pictures are free to use.
➥ canva website
i hope you found this helpful!! :) happy writing!!
So, I heard that some of you were having issues with the download. Here’s my outlining guide just as is in photos. Same quality. Enjoy!
WriterofthePrompts Ultimate Ask Masterlist 2 (Updated)
Wow, first of all I just want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the support on the First Ask Masterlist! Obviously I had to make a second one with all the asks I’ve answered since then so here you go. You can also check out my list of Random Writing Tips. As last time, some of these posts have notes from lovely people who have added onto my answers with their advice and you can also help out fellow writers by adding your tips or ideas to the posts in the replies or by reblogging. Hope you enjoy! 😊
Writing Tips
Writing unnecessary scenes with your characters just for fun
Can’t think of what to write for a scene? Cut it.
The “organized chaos” form of outlining
Resources for writing a story synopsis
Can a comedy also have a good message?
Writing a fantasy fit for most ages (also under Fantasy)
When you’ve got an idea but don’t know how to expand it
Building on your story yourself
Will posting writing online hurt publishing chances?
Using a prompt for a series
Ways to give information to a character
Dialogue tips
Coming up with a title (expanded)
Making the real villain a plot twist
GRAMMAR CHEAT SHEET
Some resources for creating a language
Coming up with villains
How to decide if you want a good or sad ending (Also, how not to screw up an ending) (Also, why the GoT ending makes me sad)
Story Structure Tips
Travelling scenes: when to skip and how to make them impactful
Writing a sloooow carriage ride without being boring
Moving back and forth in time in the story
difference between inciting incident and plot point 1
Blending backstory with present to further the plot
Writing scenes with a lot of characters
Writing a story as a journal or video log style
Third or first person?
Writing a long series
Connecting your ideas
When to introduce major and minor conflicts
Motivation and Positivity
Worrying about “originality” with your writing
Staying focused on writing
Turning off the editor voice
starting to write and keeping motivation
quick tip on writing down inspiration in the moment
How do you know you are cut out to be a writer?
When you feel your plot isn’t exciting enough*
When you think your idea is stupid (it’s not)
Character Development
Tips for writing a fully-fledged peppy girl
Teen raised by twenty-year-old family member
Mentor/Mentee relationship
Describing nature the way a nature-lover would
Showing a dead family member’s impact on the MC
Writing about a character losing loved one
Ways to show a character’s disgust
Why a “good” character would switch to the bad side
Why the “White Saviour” thing is a cliche and sucks
Villains who do things like “killing the dog”
Good and bad reasons to kill off a character
Character exercise when you lose their voice
Resources for learning more for a Jewish character (in the notes)
A reason a character might feel cliche
Representations of Gluttony and Laziness as humans
Writing Types of Characters
Writing a good guy MC who turns out to be the villain
Bad guy turning good and making them sympathetic
Dr. Doof: how to write a great villain
A character raised by a computer
Bilingual character tip
Interracial couples
Some negative traits for someone in a zombie apocalypse
Flaws for a Gary Stu type
a character trying to learn the language on a new world (also under World Building)
Good guy vs bad guy stories aren’t a cliche
Writing a CIA/FBI/Military character (also under Thriller)
writing a drunk character with some heartfelt moments and humour
Why NOT having diversity in your story cast is odd
A character with diabetes
Fictional races where one is “superior” to the other
Writing a serial killer as your main character (also under Thriller/Crime)
Writing a good Strong Female Character™
World Building
Creating a creation myth
History research post
Making an acronym from an organization
Naming world building aspects
strange weather ideas
ideas for ridiculous rules to join an excuse club
Why someone would put on a massive tournament
a character trying to learn the language on a new world (also under Types of Characters)
Making a magical setting exciting (also under fantasy/paranormal)
When you have too much information for an expansive world
Weaving a complex magic system into your story (also under fantasy/paranormal)
Using words referring to our world in a fictional world
Fantasy/Paranormal
Why gods would abandon their world
Aphrodite, Hephaestus and Ares: the original love triangle
basing gods on multiple gods
Why someone would control dreams
Dark fantasy with a dream shop
Conflicts for someone with the power to share dreams with others
Ways to break the curse to get the Prince out of the tower
Prince/ss of one kingdom raised by another king
why a princess would run away
Prompts for a King or Queen getting assassinated
Why a villain would overthrow a royal family
Reasons two Kings would marry each other
which fairytales deserve retellings
Writing a fantasy fit for most ages (also under Writing Tips)
Vampire and human couple meeting
Angel and ex-demon hanging out together
demons that feed on love and joy?
mythical kids meeting humans
Sword fight resources
Using an axe as a weapon
Haunted house story from ghost’s perspective
A family moves in to a house that is alive
Does the afterlife have to include religious aspects?
Witch sisters with unequal powers
Reasons a village would be afraid of a kind wizard
Making a magical setting exciting (also under world building)
Weaving a complex magic system into your story (also under world building)
Things a magic council would use money for
Prompts about cities that are always in night
Prompts about a changeling
Coming up with a good curse for your character
Reasons a magical world would need a saviour
mirroring strengths and weaknesses for magic manipulation
How an immortal could die under mysterious circumstances
How to get regular folk involved in a magical world
“Underused" fantasy settings
Thriller/Crime (aka I-swear-I’m-not-a-criminal-just-a-writer asks):
writing assassins
Clues that would make a character suspect another for murder
Writing a CIA/FBI/Military character (also under Types of Characters)
Serial/mass murder…causes?
Quick reasons why genocide doesn’t just happen overnight
tests to get into secret organization
Writing a serial killer as your main character (also under Writing Types of Characters)
Tips for writing a consistent murder mystery
Murder mystery party prompts (humorous)
Superheroes and Super Villains
Sidekick wanting to be a superhero
Super villain cause ideas
Sidekick and villain falling in love (also under Romance)
Superhero story originality
How a super villain can get notoriety
Woman unknowingly falls in love a super villain
World building ideas for superhero stories
Effects of the power of intangibility
Romance
How a princess and a pirate fall in love
two exes who end up working together
How two random kids could meet at school
Sidekick and villain falling in love (also under Superheroes)
Cliches in romance scene?
Original ways that a couple could break up
How to introduce a living girl and ghost love interests
Miscellaneous
Prompts about being abandoned
Character who has never danced in pressured into it
Futuristic space pirates
The best ask ever
MC and sister get kicked out of clan. What next?
Reasons characters would hate another (a concubine)
How to tell who is the clone and who is the original
Artifacts curious aliens would steal from Earth
A disturbing cultish 1950’s-esque town
VERY BASIC WRITING PLANNER
This is the template I start off with whenever I have a new idea.
Overall
Themes :
Aesthetics :
Protagonists :
Antagonists :
Premise :
Subplots :
Characters
Name :
Age :
Sexuality :
Race/Ethnicity :
Role :
Position :
Goal :
Motivation :
Greatest Fear :
Secret :
Physical Description :
Recognizable Physical Traits :
Important backstory (if any) :
Biggest flaws :
Important Relationships : (Love, sibling, mentor, enemies, close friends)
Plotting
Everything has a beginning, middle and end. Therefore, I divide my whole book into three acts, three acts into three blocks, and three blocks into three chapters. They can all vary of course- but having 27 points really helps. This method is not my own- I used Katytastic’s. Click here to learn more.
Basically everything has these three points-
Set up
Conflict
Resolution
World
Races :
Creatures :
Religions :
Magic System :
Technology :
( This is very basic but a good place to start imho)
This also follows something Brandon Sanderson said: a story is the intersection of characters, plot and world tied together by conflict.
I really hope this helped you! Reblog if it did :)
"But my Plot isn’t UNIQUE or BIG enough!”
One thing that I worry about is that my plot isn’t good enough. I know lots of other writers who have had this issue in the past as well, and it’s all about having confidence in yourself and your ability to tell a tale.
The plot doesn’t have to be groundbreaking, just think of how many people get fed up of Shyamalan twist-endings. They’re clever sometimes, yes, but they’re also not what everyone ever is looking for, and when they are forced into a piece of work it is painfully obvious to anyone who really values what you’ve written.
What matters is the telling of the story. Your plot can be exceptionally simple, and you might write one of the most compelling books of our era.
I found one thing that helped was to look at other works, and try and break them down into their very, very simplistic terms - the bare bones, the things the author would have decided up front perhaps. The things that… if told without the wonder of the story, might have been boring.
Like A Song of Ice and Fire, for example, which tells the stories of Political struggle against a backdrop of Ice creatures who can raise the dead and force them to attack you. It’s basically a Socio-Political zombie apocalypse, with dragons. That could have gone either way; as it was, it went amazingly. Because Martin is a master of making every character a person, and building such a rich, colourful world that we believe it.
So, what I’ve done is looked at a very popular work that spans multiple books. Harry Potter is widely known, so this should be useful to as many people as possible. It is also praised as one of the most in depth and atmospheric works for children, young people, adults, or just about anyone, having been translated, adapted and studied over and over.
HARRY POTTER BREAKDOWN
Bread and Butter
So, when I asked Google what the heck the plot of Harry Potter was, I got this;
This is what I’m going to call the BREAD AND BUTTER of the story. It’s what happens in the day-to-day of the story. It’s perhaps the introduction J. K. would have given when first sending in her manuscript. It’s also a hugely unoriginal idea.
The concept of a young Witch or Wizard attending a magical school where they can learn their abilities has been done before, a lot. It is basically the prmise of books like EarthSea and the Worst Witch.
So next time you think your premise is overdone or uninspired, remember that it doesn’t matter. It’s not the premise that counts, it’s what you do with it. What Rowling did with it was create an in-depth world, full of structures and rules, populated by characters we all loved, hated, felt sorry for or routed for. She also made sure to include a way for us to learn more about the world, so she made her protagonist just as unaware of the wonder and horror as all of us.
Tea
In this case, tea is gonna’ be the conflict of the story. The main arc. Because going to a Wizard School is freaking awesome and everything, but this story needs risk. Our characters need to be in danger, and they need something to overcome. Often writers get stuck here. They have a wonderful setting and they really want to write about their character doing this or that, but what’s the main goal? What is there to overcome?
Very simply, Rowling’s villain is a man who wishes to purify the progression of magic by weeding out those who’s blood he see’s as tainted. He is a Hitler-figure, who himself should be ‘tainted’ in his own view. That’s the villain’s GOAL. It’s clear, and simple.
If you think your villains goal is too simple, just look at Voldemort’s goal. What makes it more complex are the many twists and turns he and Harry both have to adapt too. His many failures, as well.
Voldemort fits into many tropes, including the bad guy ‘selling his soul’ to achieve a vain goal, the bad guy murdering the heroes’ parents, the ‘more like you than you think’ trope, where a Villain and a hero are quite similar. I especailly like that last one, because J. K. played with it. Yes, she included it, and yes she gave a magical reason as to why.
That just shows that unique elements can be added on to overdone ideas, to make them wonderful.
Jam and Cream
This is where Rowling turns her simple ideas into something beautiful. Whether an idea is original or not, it will not matter if the depth is not there. Jam and Cream stands for all the little things.
The fact one of the most hated antagonists was only a prime player in one book but left such an impression, the fact Hermione was disliked by the main characters at first, the fact Neville was the cowardly laughing stock of the group for years. Let’s see… The fact Sybil was right about almost all of her predictions and no one believed her, thus linking her with the Mythological figure Cassandra.
The use of diversion and tension in The Prisoner of Azkaban, the fact that Harry’s own father was rather arrogant and mean at times, yet still a good person. The moral ambiguity of characters like Dumbledore or Snape.
And…
That isn’t even naming the things the books got wrong. Because every author makes mistakes. Yes! You’re allowed too! J. K. has Dumbledore play the ‘I’m going to withhold information from you for the sake of the plot,’ card. We are also supposed to believe Harry forgave everything Snape ever did and named his son after him because he rather fancied his mother. Many issues are left unaddressed, such as the disinterest/damn right rudeness towards Hagrid in the final years, or the silly quest over the fake Sword.
But in the end, if the story is told masterfully, no one is going to care.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is, if you plot is overdone, don’t worry about it. If your world feels familiar, do more to make it your own. If your villain feels like a trope, give them more twists and turns, and maybe a reason for the trope that fits your world alone. If your characters feel stale, give them more scenes that address their personality.
You’re doing fine, and your manuscript is totally fine. If you believe in it, there’s gonna’ be at least a hundred more people who would too.
The Strength of a Symmetrical Plot
One of my favorite studies of Harry Potter is that of the ring composition found both in the individual novels and overall composition. That very composition is what makes Harry Potter such a satisfying story. It’s a large part of the reason Harry Potter is destined to become a classic.
And it’s an integral part of the series many people are completely unaware of.
So what is ring composition?
It’s a well-worn, beautiful, and (frankly) very satisfying way of structuring a story. John Granger, known online as The Hogwarts Professor, has written extensively on it.
Ring Composition is also known as “chiastic structure.” Basically, it’s when writing is structured symmetrically, mirroring itself: ABBA or ABCBA.
Poems can be structured this way. Sentences can be structured this way. (Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.) Stories of any length and of any form can be structured this way.
In a novel, the basic structure depends on three key scenes: the catalyst, the crux, and the closing.
The catalyst sets the story into the motion.
The crux is the moment when everything changes. (It is not the climax).
The closing, is both the result of the crux and a return to the catalyst.
In Harry Potter, you might recognise this structure:
Voldemort casts a killing curse on Harry and doesn’t die.
Voldemort attempts to come back to power
Voldemort comes back to power.
Harry learns what it will take to remove Voldemort from power.
Voldemort casts a killing curse on Harry and dies.
But all stories should have this structure. A book’s ending should always reference its beginning. It should always be the result of some major turning point along the way. Otherwise, it simply wouldn’t be a very good story.
What’s most satisfying about chiastic structure is not the basic ABA structure, but the mirroring that happens in between these three major story points.
To illustrate what a more complicated ABCDEFGFEDCBA structure looks like, (but not as complicated as Harry Potter’s, which you can see here and here) Susan Raab has put together a fantastic visual of ring composition in Beauty and the Beast (1991), a movie which most agree is almost perfectly structured.
source: x
What’s so wonderful about ring composition in this story is that it so clearly illustrates how that one crucial decision of Beast changes everything in the world of the story. Everything from the first half of the story comes back in the second half, effected by Beast’s decision. This gives every plot point more weight because it ties them all to the larger story arc. What’s more, because it’s so self-referential, everything feels tidy and complete. Because everything has some level of importance, the world feels more fully realized and fleshed out. No small detail is left unexplored.
How great would Beauty and the Beast be if Gaston hadn’t proposed to Belle in the opening, but was introduced later on as a hunter who simply wanted to kill a big monster? Or if, after the magnificent opening song, the townspeople had nothing to do with the rest of the movie? Or if Maurice’s invention had never been mentioned again after he left the castle?
Humans are nostalgic beings. We love returning to old things. We don’t want the things we love to be forgotten.
This is true of readers, too.
We love seeing story elements return to us. We love to know that no matter how the story is progressing, those events that occurred as we were falling in love with it are still as important to the story itself as they are to us. There is something inside us all that delights in seeing Harry leave Privet Dr. the same way he got there–in the sidecar of Hagrid’s motorbike. There’s a power to it that would make any other exit from Privet Dr. lesser.
On a less poetic note, readers don’t like to feel as though they’ve wasted their time reading about something, investing in something, that doesn’t feel very important to the story. If Gaston proposed to Belle in Act 1 and did nothing in Act 3, readers might ask “Why was he even in the movie then? Why couldn’t we have spent more time talking about x instead?” Many people do ask similar questions of plot points and characters that are important in one half of a movie or book, but don’t feature in the rest of it.
Now, ring composition is odiously difficult to write, but even if you can’t make your story a perfect mirror of itself, don’t let story elements leave quietly. Let things echo where you can–small moments, big moments, decisions, characters, places, jokes.
It’s the simplest way of building a story structure that will satisfy its readers.
If there’s no place for something to echo, if an element drops out of the story half-way through, or appears in the last act, and you simply can’t see any other way around it, you may want to ask yourself if it’s truly important enough to earn its place in your story.
Further reading:
If you’d like to learn more about ring theory, I’d recommend listening to the Mugglenet Academia episode on it: x
You can also read more about symmetry in HP here: x
And more about ring structure in Lolita and Star Wars here: x and x
And about why story endings and beginnings should be linked here: x
Quick And Dirty Tips For Creating Subplots
– Not everyone should love the hero.
– The more antagonists you have the more conflicts you create.
– Real life should happen to the characters, even if they are saving the world they have jobs and responsibilities.
– Give the character interests and friends outside of work.
– Multiple point of views aren’t a bad thing if you know how to juggle them.
– It all needs to come together at the end.
– Not every antagonist needs to be vanquished at the end.
– – Give us more than one character to love– (from Diantha)
— Make each and every character count — (from Diantha)
Stories need subplots. Make sure yours has one.
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.
Keep reading
how can i make a plot feel more like a plot rather than just things happening to characters ? i have a general idea for the plot but 1) i dont feel its strong enough 2) i dont know where to end my story (character travels to an unfamiliar place, learns about the place and then what ?)
Fleshing Out Plot Ideas
If you’re writing a short story, original or fan-fiction, you really just need a point or story goal to tie it all together. What are you trying to accomplish with this story? What are you trying to illustrate about the world or the character to the reader? When you figure out what that is, it’s easier to hammer a plot into something that accomplishes that goal.
If you’re writing longer fiction, such as a novella or novel, there are a few things that need to happen in order to take your idea from a “plot idea” to an actual plot:
1. Character Arc/Internal Goal - Your protagonist or their world (or both) needs to transform throughout the story. Most stories follow a positive change character arc, meaning that something negative about the protagonist transforms into something positive by the end of the story. For example: a character who is timid and afraid of the world learns to be bold and courageous. This thing that needs to change for the better represents their internal goal. Sometimes, with darker stories, the protagonist will go through a negative change arc, meaning that they start out with positive traits (ie: they’re confident and successful) which, through the course of the story, turn negative (ie: they become insecure and unsuccessful). In this case, they may have a lofty or undesirable internal goal which precipitates their downfall. Once in a while, you’ll see stories with static character arcs, meaning that the protagonist themselves doesn’t change, but they create change in their world or another character. In this case, their internal goal is represented by their need to help/change the other character or the world.
2. Inciting Incident/External Goal - Longer stories can’t just be a bunch of random events that happen to your character. These events need to help bring about whatever change you decided upon in #1. The best way to kick off this life changing chain of events is to turn your character’s world upside down. This is the inciting incident… the moment when something happens that changes your protagonist’s normal life forever. In The Hunger Games, it was Prim’s name being chosen at the Reaping, which caused Katniss to volunteer in her place. In Harry Potter, it was Harry getting his letter to Hogwarts. In Twilight, the inciting incident was multi-part, beginning with Bella’s move to Forks, meeting the Cullens, and ultimately figuring out Edward was a vampire. In response to this life disrupting incident, your protagonist needs to form a goal… willingly or because they have no other choice… and this goal is what’s going to carry the rest of the plot. This is called the “external goal” because this isn’t anything to do with what’s inside themselves, this is a real, tangible goal they want to accomplish. In Twilight, Bella’s external goal was to stay alive despite the nomads being after her. In The Hunger Games, Katniss, too, wanted to survive so she could go home and take care of her mom and sister. In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo needs to take the ring to Mount Doom so it can be destroyed.
3. Antagonist/Obstacles - Your story also needs to have an antagonist or antagonistic force. This can be a literal “bad guy” with “henchmen,” it could be a creature like a rampaging dragon or escaped dinosaurs, a natural disaster like a flood or asteroid, or it could even be your character themselves, wherein they’re their own worst enemy. Whoever or whatever your antagonist is, they or it will create obstacles that make it harder for your character to reach their goal. If the inciting incident was an alien invasion, and your protagonist’s external goal is to escape the occupied city to reach a huge safe zone the where the Earth military is amassing, the aliens (and any agents acting on behalf of the aliens) will be the source of problems or obstacles that your protagonist has to overcome on their way to achieving their goal. Sometimes they will be successful in overcoming these obstacles, sometimes they’ll fail and have to try again or find a workaround. But this struggle to overcome obstacles on the way to achieving the external goal is what creates the action of the story.
4. The Final Showdown - Somewhere in the last quarter of your story, your protagonist is going to have to confront the antagonist/antagonistic force in a big final showdown. If your antagonist is an evil wizard, this will be the big magic battle. If your antagonist is a fire-breathing dragon tormenting your protagonist’s village, this is the moment when your protagonist is going to unleash everything they’ve got to try and kill the dragon once and for all. If the antagonist is a bunch of zombies in a zombie apocalypse, this is the moment when your character leads all the zombies into a field and sets it ablaze. Whatever happens, this is also the moment for your character to demonstrate how they’ve changed. For example, if they were timid and afraid of the world at the beginning, this is the moment where they prove they’re bold and courageous.
5. The Denouement and Ending - In most stories, the protagonist is going to be successful in vanquishing or surviving the antagonist/antagonistic force, though in some stories the protagonist will fail. Either way, the denouement is where all the dust settles following the final showdown. Injuries are tended to, losses are mourned, a promise to rebuild is made. Then, the very last thing we should see is what your character’s life is like afterward. In the beginning of the story, before the inciting incident, we see the character in their normal world, before everything turns upside down. This is the opposite of that. Now you show what our character’s life is like after their world was turned upside down and they tried to right it again. In many stories, this will be a happy ending. I some stories, this will simply be a hopeful ending. In fewer stories, it may be an all out sad or tragic ending. If you take all of these things into account, they should guide you not only through the action of the story, but lead you to a natural ending as well. Good luck!
Writing Advice Posts: A Handy Reference Guide
(Updated 5/19/18) Hey all, I’ve got quite a few writing advice posts & answered Asks on my blog at this point, so I’m making this reference guide to make it easier to find what you’re looking for. Hope it helps!
General
8 Ways to Improve Your Writing
10 Best Books About Writing Fiction
How to Spot Bad Writing Advice: 6 Red Flags to Look For
“Show Don’t Tell”? Not Always. Here’s When to Use Summary
How to start a story
More about starting stories
The first sentence
The Writing Process, Writer’s Block, & Inspiration
How to Train Yourself to Write Faster
Just a friendly reminder that creativity is difficult to quantify.
Quick Writing Tip: Make a Note to Your Future Self in Your WIP
Quick Writing Tip: Take Notes!
Just a friendly reminder that writing is not always a linear process.
Quick Cure for Writer’s Block: Lower Your Expectations
Set Realistic Goals
Your Skills May Need Time to Catch Up to Your Vision
It’s Okay to Experiment and Be Weird As Fuck
Surround Yourself With Supporters
It’s okay to take a break.
Your First Draft is Raw Material
Getting into “The Zone”
Vomit Brain
Writing from Your Imagination vs. Reality
Dealing with Criticism
Getting Bored with Your Own Writing
Getting past a block
Doing research on topics you don’t have first-hand experience with
Journalling about your writing
Character Development
Creating Character Arcs with the DCAST Method
What Does Your Main Character Want?
How to Activate Your Passive Characters, One Verb at a Time
How to Use Description to Show Character Development
How to Create a Non-Cliched First-Meeting Scene
The “It Depends” Post
Shifting internal goals
When to identify your character’s goal
Writing about normal people with normal problems
If you’re worried about your character being too similar to someone else’s character
Describing your characters without messing up your pacing
Story, Plot, & Pacing
Quick Plotting Tip: Write Your Story Backwards
Pause at the Threshold
Slowing Down the Pace of Your Story Without Boring Your Reader
Time Transitions
Creating Conflict
When & how to cut a scene
If you’re good at creating characters but awful at creating plot
When you’ve plotted your story but can’t get started
En Media Res
Writing to Your Ideal Reader
Deus Ex Machina
Foreshadowing
Finding an Ending
What to write between moments of conflict
Starting a story with waking-up scene
Description, Setting, & Worldbuilding
How to Make Your Descriptions Less Boring
How to Spot an “Info-dump”
Adding Descriptions to Intense Scenes Without Messing Up Your Story’s Flow
How to Use Description to Show Character Development
Worldbuilding: How much is too much?
Modeling your fantasy world from stuff in the real world
Internal Consistency
Point of View
How to Choose the Right Point of View for Your Story
A Beginner’s Guide to Multiple Point of View
6 Questions to Ask About Your Point of View
How to decide if you should use first person or third person
More point of view basics
Head hopping
Dialogue
How to Improve Your Dialogue
3 Ways to Make Your Dialogue More Interesting
Starting a story with dialogue
Are You Using Too Much Stage Direction?
Publishing & Sharing Your Work
7 Tips to Build an Audience for Your Writing
Pros and Cons of Self Publishing
Quick Publishing Tip: Don’t Bury Your Gold
How to Properly Format Your Manuscript for Publication
A warning about posting writing online that you intend to publish later
Advice for writers who are worried about people stealing their work or ideas
Getting feedback on your writing
Editing
Quick Revision Tip: Read Your Writing Out Loud
How to Keep Yourself From Editing As You Write
Cut the fidgeting
Are you suffering from -ing disease?
Are you Using Too Much Stage Direction?
What “Editing” Really Means
Quick Editing Tip: “That”
Quick Revision Tip: Read Faster
Editing Tip: Dialogue
Tips for Editing a Story
Free Resource Library Downloads
All of these PDFs are available to download in my Free Resource Library.
Creating Character Arcs Workbook
Point of View Cheatsheet
Dialogue Checklist
Setting Checklist
Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Editor Printable Checklist
Proper Manuscript Format Printable Checklist
Short Story & Novel Submission Templates
…if you find any broken links please let me know and I will fix them! xo
*I recently changed the name of my blog. All of these links should work, but if you come across a “Bucket Siler has moved!” page when clicking on a link inside an old post, there’s an easy way to find what you’re looking for: In the url, delete “bucketsiler,” write “theliteraryarchitect,” then hit return. Also, let me know about it & I will fix it :)
The Ten Genres
From Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
“Take the story from ‘What is it?’ to ‘What is it most like?’”
Monster in the House
A monster, a house, and people inside the house who really want to kill the monster
House = confined space
Monster = formed from a sin committed by a character
Jaws, The Exorcist, Alien
Golden Fleece
Quest myth
A hero goes on the road for one thing and ends up with themselves
The goal is internal growth
Milestones = people and incidents that cause change within the hero
Star Wars, Back to the Future, The Road Trip
Out of the Bottle
“I wish I had a _______” + “What if?”
An underdog who does not succeed for long
Has a moral
Alternative: comeuppance in which a character with that _______ has it taken away
Bruce Almighty, Love Potion #9
Person with a Problem
An ordinary person finds themselves in unordinary circumstances
Primal problems like love or survival
An average person must solve the Problem by finding it within themselves to be the hero
The bigger the enemy, the bigger the odds to overcome and the more heroics
Terminator
Rites of Passage
Life transitions and their external conflicts
“Monster” is vague, unseen, unnamable
Ex. teenage years, vices to overcome, midlife crisis, any crisis really, old age, break up, grieving
Everybody’s in on “the joke” except the hero
Only experience can offer a solution
Victory is accepting the Problem and surrendering to it
Ladybird, Call Me By Your Name
Buddy Love
Love story in disguise
Can include romantic love, usually platonic
hate/disagreement to realizing “we need each other”
“We need each other” causes more conflict because who can tolerate needing somebody?
All is lost moment = separation, fight, goodbye-good-riddance
Resolution = surrender egos to overcome Problem
One is changed, one is the changer
Don Quixote, Thelma & Louise
Whydunit
Why over who
Does not include hero changing
Audience discovers something about human nature
Walks on dark side
All about discovery
“Are we this evil?”
Citizen Kane, Mystic River
The Fool Triumphant
Underdog and the advantages of anonymity
Set underdog against an establishment
Usually includes accomplice that’s in on the joke and gets brunt of repercussions
Outsider thrill of victory
Forrest Gump
Institutionalized
Sacrificing goals of few for the many
Groups, institutions, “families”
Honors institution AND exposes problems of losing individuality to it
Breakout character’s role is to expose group goal as a fraud
Told from newcomer’s perspective who can ask “how does this work?” and eventually: “who’s crazier: them or me?”
Group dynamic is crazy and self-destructive
Pros and cons of community over self
Loyalty can blind common sense
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, August: Osage County
Superhero
Extraordinary person finds themselves in an ordinary world
Foster empathy through hero being misunderstood, their pitfalls and disadvantages, and human qualities
Zoolander, X-Men, Gladiator, Dracula
Hey! Do you have any tips for people who've reached a block in their writing? I've been trying to plan out a plot for my book, but I've reached a point where I can't think of anything else
What to Do If You Get Stuck While Outlining Your Plot
Hi! Thanks for writing. Getting blocked can happen at all stages: Before writing, during writing, during outlining, in the idea stage, etc. But since you specifically said you’re reaching a block in your plot planning, I’ll address that :)
#1 Make sure your character’s motivation & conflict are “big” enough
If your character doesn’t have a book-length problem, you can get stuck trying to fill in empty space in the plot. In order to find more events to flesh out your story, you may need to make adjustments. Is their desire strong enough to fuel a book? Is the conflict big enough? Is their problem difficult to solve? If not, how can you make their problem harder? Or take longer to resolve?
You might need a combination of a fiercer desire, a bigger problem, more problems, more obstacles, and/ or a more stubborn antagonist to reveal potential scenes and events. For help with your character’s motivation and conflict, check out the PDF “Creating Character Arcs” in my Free Resource Library.
#2 Plot your story backwards
This can help you make sure you have a strong enough ending and open up new possibilities you might not have noticed while plotting forward. I have a post about it here.
#3 Use the but/therefore method
The but/therefore method is a great way to fill holes. It tests the cause-effect connections between your plot and character and almost always reveals gaps that need to be addressed with new or stronger scenes. Use this template for each scene or chapter:
Main character wants ______, but _______, therefore ______.
What comes after “wants” is the motivation for that chapter or scene. After “but” goes the conflict or obstacle. After “therefore” is the result or action the character takes, which leads into the next goal, and so on, and so on.
Chapter-by-chapter it might look something like this:
Chapter 1: Julian wants to ask Matt to the dance, but he’s scared of being rejected, therefore he slips a cryptic note into Matt’s locker.
Chapter 2: Matt doesn’t see the note. Now Julian wants to get into his locker and retrieve it, but the principal sees him trying to jimmy open the lock, therefore Julian is given detention for a week.
You can also do this scene-by-scene. My suggestion would be to start with the chapter outline, see what it reveals, then move into the scenes if you still feel stuck.
#4 Ask questions
Classic un-sticking questions start with “what if” or “why”? Asking questions can unlock new story directions you might not have noticed were there before.
What if the main character’s ex-boyfriend came back to town? What if they didn’t achieve that small goal back in chapter 4? What if they were hiding something? etc.
Why are they avoiding their sister? Why is it so difficult for them to apologize? Why haven’t they quit their job if they hate it so much? etc.
#5 Consider creating a subplot (or two or three)
A book-length story usually needs a few side stories to flesh out the main one. Look for areas of your story that could be expanded, characters that might take the story down a related tangent, and conflicts that seem small but could be bigger with some digging.
#6 Take a break
Sometimes, you just need to give it a rest. Walk away from your outline for at least a week. When you come back, you may see things you didn’t see before and be able to breathe new life into it. In the meantime, let your mind wander. It’s amazing what creative solutions writers can come up with when they aren’t “trying.”
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The Literary Architect is a writing advice blog run by me, Bucket Siler. For more writing help, check out my Free Resource Library, peruse my post guide, or hire me to edit your novel or short story. xoxo
I’m wondering, how do I come up with good ideas to write a sub-plot that actually fits into the story and won’t make the reader lose the connection with the main plot?
How to Write A Sub Plot
If you look back on every single bestselling book ever printed, the chances are that most, if not all of them, contain sub-plots.
A sub-plot is part of a book that develops separately from the main story, and it can serve as a tool that extends the word count and adds interest and depth into the narrative.
Sub-plots are key to making your novel a success, and, although they aren’t necessary for shorter works, are an essential aspect of story writing in general.
However, sub-plots can be difficult to weave into the main plot, so here are a few tips on how to incorporate sub-plots into your writing.
1. Know Your Kinds of Sub-Plots and Figure Out Which is Best For Your Story
Sub-plots are more common than you think, and not all of them extend for many chapters at a time.
A sub-plot doesn’t have to be one of the side characters completely venturing off from the main group to struggle with their own demons or a side quest that takes up a quarter of the book. Small things can make a big difference, and there are many of these small things that exist in literature that we completely skip over when it comes to searching for sub-plots.
Character Arcs
Character arcs are the most common sub-plot.
They show a change in a dynamic character’s physical, mental, emotional, social, or spiritual outlook, and this evolution is a subtle thing that should definitely be incorporated so that the readers can watch their favorite characters grow and develop as people.
For example, let’s say that this guy named Bob doesn’t like his partner Jerry, but the two of them had to team up to defeat the big bad.
While the main plot involves the two of them brainstorming and executing their plans to take the big bad down, the sub-plot could involve the two getting to know each other and becoming friends, perhaps even something more than that.
This brings me to the second most common sub-plot:
Romance
Romance can bolster the reader’s interest; not only do they want to know if the hero beats the big bad guy, they also want to know if she ends up with her love interest in the end or if the warfare and strife will keep them apart.
How to Write Falling in Love
How to Write a Healthy Relationship
How to Write a Romance
Like character arcs, romance occurs simultaneously with the main plot and sometimes even influences it.
Side-Quests
There are two types of side-quest sub-plots, the hurtles and the detours.
Hurdle Sub-Plots
Hurdle sub-plots are usually complex and can take a few chapters to resolve. Their main purpose is to put a barrier, or hurdle, between the hero and the resolution of the main plot. They boost word count, so be careful when using hurdle sub-plots in excess.
Think of it like a video game.
You have to get into the tower of a fortress to defeat the boss monster.
However, there’s no direct way to get there; the main door is locked and needs to have three power sources to open it, so you have to travel through a monster-infested maze and complete all of these puzzles to get each power source and unlock the main door.
Only, when you open the main door, you realize that the bridge is up and you have to find a way to lower it down and so forth.
Detour Sub-Plot
Detour sub-plots are a complete break away from the main plot. They involve characters steering away from their main goal to do something else, and they, too, boost word count, so be careful not too use these too much.
Taking the video game example again.
You have to get to that previously mentioned fortress and are on your way when you realize there is an old woman who has lost her cattle and doesn’t know what to do.
Deciding the fortress can wait, you spend harrowing hours rounding up all of the cows and steering them back into their pen for the woman.
Overjoyed, the woman reveals herself to be a witch and gives you a magical potion that will help you win the fight against the big bad later.
**ONLY USE DETOUR SUB-PLOTS IF THE OUTCOME HELPS AID THE PROTAGONISTS IN THE MAIN PLOT**
If they’d just herded all of the cows for no reason and nothing in return, sure it would be nice of them but it would be a complete waste of their and the readers’ time!
2. Make Sure Not to Introduce or Resolve Your Sub-Plots Too Abruptly
This goes for all sub-plots. Just like main plots, they can’t be introduced and resolved with a snap of your fingers; they’re a tool that can easily be misused if placed into inexperienced hands.
Each sub-plot needs their own arc and should be outlined just like how you outlined your main plot.
How to Outline Your Plot
You could use my methods suggested in the linked post, or you could use the classic witch’s hat model if you feel that’s easier for something that’s less important than your main storyline.
3. Don’t Push It
If you don’t think your story needs a sub-plot, don’t add a sub-plot! Unneeded sub-plots can clutter up your narrative and make it unnecessarily winding and long.
You don’t have to take what I’m saying to heart ever!
It’s your story, you write it how you think it should be written, and no one can tell you otherwise!
Hope this Helped!
A Flash
[Default Woke up]
... What.... happened?...
The Zoroark looked around for a moment
Default: That was just a Dream... Isn’t It?.
It seems like I didn’t forget about it after all...
It seems like Default is lost in thought about something...
[Are you curious?]
???: it’s a pretty interesting topic y'know
[??? is avaible for asks]
Mod!: Yellow hellow! yeah, i’m already here FINALLY now i can officially start doing things here, also, meet the new muse! it's kinda odd isn’t it?~
