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Story And Chapter Planning

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Story and Chapter Planning

What is the best way to go about planning a chapter or story? The answer is: there isn’t one. Ask twenty different writers and the odds are that you’ll get twenty different answers – and every single one of those writers will swear by their method. What I want to do in this post is outline some of the methods that I’ve used and a few others that I’ve come across. I can’t say that these are going to work for everybody, but they have worked for me.

Alpha and Omega

For the most part, stories are journeys. These journeys can take several forms. For instance, a journey can be physical (e.g., getting from one place to another), it can be mental (e.g., changing from a cruel person into a kind one), or it can be objective based (e.g., learning how to do something). However, the key point is that a character usually starts in one place and ends up somewhere else.

When I’m writing a story, the first two things I ask myself are:
  1. Where are my characters starting?
  2. Where will my characters end up?
Once you can answer these two questions, writing the story becomes a matter of filling in everything in between. If your story involves a journey from one place to another, knowing where everything starts and where everything ends means that you have to focus on how the characters get from one place to another. For example, if your story is set in a fantasy world where the main characters have to journey from place to another, each chapter could reveal more of what makes that fantasy world unique and interesting. You could show the reader new locales and cultures, and introduce more of the things that define your world.

If a story is about a mental journey, then the focus is on how a character changes from one kind of person into another. Consider the archetypical Western in which a rugged, aloof stranger rides into town and slowly but surely warms up to the locals, turning from someone who could just as easily leave them to their fate into someone who is willing to fight for them. In these kinds of stories, each chapter might reveal more of how and why a character starts off as a particular kind of person before going on to show the experiences that transform them into another kind of person.

Finally, if a story is all about objectives then the chapters are going to be about how a character goes about achieving those objectives. For instance, if a character is in a race to stop some kind of horrible terrorist plot (a common plot line in thrillers), then each chapter could show the character learning more about what that plot is and how it might be possible to stop it.

Here is a sort of crib sheet that I often keep in my head when I’m thinking about these sorts of things:
  1. Am I writing a story involving a physical journey?
    • Where do my characters start and where will they end up?

    • What are some of the interesting people or places my characters encounter along the way?

    • What are some of the hardships (physical, mental and emotional) that my characters encounter throughout their journey?
  2. Am I writing a story involving a mental journey?
    • What sort of people are my characters at the start and what sort of people do they end up becoming?

    • What made them the people they are at the start?

    • What do they experience that changes them into the people they end up becoming?
  3. Am I writing a story involving objectives?
    • What do my characters need to achieve?

    • What are some of the intermediate goals they need to achieve along the way, and what are some of the difficulties involved?

    • What does achieving the goal give them and what might they have to give up along the way?
When writing a chapter, you need to ask yourself as honestly as possible: what does this chapter do? Does the chapter help characters go from one place to another, does it help them grow into a different person, or does it help them achieve their goals? The content of a good chapter will usually do one of these things becomes it help move the plot and characters forward. A poor chapter usually does none of these things. Indeed one way to check if a chapter is working is to see if the story would still make perfect sense without it. If it does, then perhaps the chapter isn’t really working as well as it could be.

When I think about a story, I usually try to have both the beginning and the end planned out. Once I’ve done that, I can then flesh out the characters and plot by asking myself some of the questions I’ve given above. I should also point out that many stories feature a combination of journeys (e.g., a physical journey coupled with a mental journey). In those kinds of stories, you can easily combine the questions I’ve given above.

Consider the stereotypical fantasy quest story where some poor fellow has to go fetch some kind of magical artefact in order to save their homeland. This kind of story blends all three types of journey, and so each chapter might work by not only introducing new elements of the fantasy world, but also by showing off the main character’s growth through their interaction with those elements (e.g., by having the main character demonstrate their wit or determination by overcoming difficult terrain or hostile forces).

Coffee Break

One of the hardest parts of writing a story is writing believable characters. Now, there are a lot of different methods that people use to flesh out their characters, but my person favourite is something I call the “coffee break” method. In essence, what I do is to try and imagine myself sitting down and having coffee with each of my characters. Why coffee? Imagine that you’ve invited one of your characters to have coffee with you. What do you notice?
  1. You’re sitting down at your table waiting for your character to come in through the doors of the coffee shop. The doors open.
    • What does your character look like? Appearances matter. If you’re having coffee with someone in real life then you’re going to notice what they look like and what clothes they’re wearing. Make sure you can do the same for your characters.

    • How does your character move? If you’re having coffee with a friend, then you’re going to pick up on things like their posture and how they walk. The next time you do meet up with your friends, watch them. They don’t all hold themselves the same way, and even little things like how they stand or walk can be quite different. Your character should have that same depth.

    • What sort of expression does your character have on their face? Everyone has what might be termed a “neutral face”, which is basically what their face looks like when it’s at rest. For some people this is a smile, for others it is a frown. How about your character?
  2. Your character sits down at the table opposite you and orders something to eat and drink.
    • What sort of food and drink does your character like? What we eat and drink can say a lot about us, so it’s important that you know what sort of things your character likes.

    • How does your character eat and drink? Think about the way people eat. Some people eat slowly and carefully while others eat more quickly and with very visible enjoyment. Having a character eat in a very careless manner can quite easily make them seem slovenly and somewhat distasteful. In contrast, having someone eat extremely demurely and daintily can make a character seem either quite cultured or overly posh depending on what food is being eaten (e.g., someone who eats a burger from McDonalds with a knife and fork would probably be considered a bit odd).
  3. You and your character start talking during the meal.
    • Can your character provide an introduction? Think about all the things you’ve learned about your friends and then ask yourself: do I know these things about my characters?

    • What sort of things does your character like talking about? Everyone has likes and dislikes. Make sure that your character has a few of their own. They don’t all have to make sense, and they don’t all have to relate to matters of great importance, but likes and dislikes help flesh a character out.

    • How does your character speak? No two people in the world have the exact same way of speaking. Not only do people vary in how they say things (e.g., quickness and loudness of speech), they can also vary in terms of what words they use. Some characters will speak in a very clipped, professional manner. Other characters will speak much more quickly in a verbose, extravagant way. We can learn a lot about a character from how they speak, so make sure that each of your characters has their own unique voice.

    • What are your character’s views on a range of different topics? Our opinions on things are a large part of what makes us who we are. Think about your friends. They all have different views on different things. Grant your character the same level of complexity and they will seem much more realistic. And don’t stop at just giving them opinions (e.g., your character might believe that an absolute monarchy is the best way for a country to be ruled), give them reasons for why they believe those things (e.g., their country was once ravaged by war until a strong king conquered the land and brought an age of peace). Think about all the different things you have an opinion on, and see if you can think of what opinions your character would have and why.
  4. The people at the next table over decide to pick a fight.
    • What does your character do? Is your character the sort of person who would rather talk things through, or are they the sort of person who would rather mix it up in a brawl?

    • If your character fights, how do they fight? The way someone fights can be every bit as unique as how someone talks. Some characters will brawl. Others might fight using a particular style or power. Make sure you know especially if there is going to be a lot of action in your story.
  5. You arrange a second meeting… only this time with more of your characters present.
    • How do they react to the other characters? Not everyone acts the same in front of different people. Indeed, very few people act in exactly the same way in front of their parents as they do in front of their friends, and there are countless people who act differently on the internet than they would face to face.

    • Who are their friends and enemies amongst the other characters? Not everyone will like everyone else. Who we like and why can be very informative, so make sure you know how your character would respond to other people.
If you can make it to the end of the coffee break scenario then you’re probably in a good place character wise. You know your character’s appearance, their history and how they would handle themselves socially and in a fight. You even know their views on a range of important topics. In short, you know them – they’re real, at least, as much as a fictional character can be real.

The Ripple Effect

One of my favourite ways of thinking about stories is in terms of the ripple effect. Imagine that your story is a pond full of water. Every character and every event is like a pebble thrown into that pond. Think of what happens when two characters meet. How do they affect one another, what sort of events are their meeting likely to inspire? Likewise, if something changes about a character or event (e.g., someone might become kinder or an event might be prevented), what impact does that have on the other characters and events? Perhaps others might treat them differently. Perhaps certain events won’t actually occur while others might occur more quickly.

Something that I like to do with stories is to imagine the whole world as it is as the start of the story. It’s like plugging a whole list of settings about the environment and characters into a computer simulation. Then I start the simulation and see how events play out based on what I know about the characters and the environment. If I don’t like what I see or if I think of something interesting (e.g., what would happen if a certain character chose to help the villain rather than the hero?) then I’ll plug in some different settings and run the simulation again to see what happens. Now, this isn’t going to work for everyone (some people hate doing this and will much prefer writing everything out in full detail and that’s fine – to each his or her own), but I’ve always found it to be useful. If you can’t simulate the entire story in your head, then try it on a few smaller scenes. For example, try simulating all the ways a fight scene might play out, or all of the ways an argument could go (we’ve all had arguments we wished we could do about differently, so use these to help you).

To Plan Or Not To Plan?

One of the most commonly asked questions about writing is: how much should I plan? Once again, every writer will have a unique answer. Some writers will not only develop an overarching plot line, they will also develop a detailed guide and summary for each individual chapter. Other writers will basically wing it, writing as they go and letting the story grow organically.

Personally, I don’t like to plan out every single detail. I find that I work best when I plan the overarching plot and major plot/character points, but still leave enough room for a story to grow organically. Sometimes, the best ideas are those that come to you in the middle of writing, and you should never be afraid to change direction if a much better idea shows itself. That said some level of planning is definitely a good thing. Make sure you know how things begin and how they end, and when you’re writing each chapter, have at least some idea of what that chapter does. Does each chapter help your characters get closer to their goal? Does each chapter reveal something new and interesting about your characters and the world they are in? Be honest and ask yourself what each of your chapters does. If you can’t give an answer, then take a long, hard look at the chapter in question and see if it really does anything, or if it’s just there to fluff out the word count.

When I start writing, I usually start off with an idea. From there, the first thing I do is to try and nail the beginning and the end of the story down. Then, when I sit down to write each chapter, I begin with a statement of what I want to have happen in that chapter. Sometimes these statements are very brief (a sentence or two) and sometimes they are quite long (several paragraphs). But in each case, I want to have a good idea of what the chapter is doing and why. If I can get that jotted down, I know that the chapter will probably turn out well. The chapters where I’m most uncertain are those where I just start writing with no idea of what will happen. Sometimes that works (I tend to write a lot of fight scenes this way, and a lot of my more emotional scenes tend to rely on some level of spontaneity), but sometimes it doesn’t, and when it doesn’t it’s usually because the chapter is nothing more than fluff with me prattling on pointlessly for thousands of words.

What I would recommend to any writer is to look at all the methods out there and to give them a try. There is something out there for everybody, and it’s simply a matter of trying things until you find it. Do not be scared if what you’re doing is different from what someone else is doing – everyone has their own method. What matters most is that the method you pick actually works. If your method isn’t working then change it and find a better one.

How To Deal With Writer’s Block?

Writer’s block is the bane of any writer’s existence. It can come upon you as quickly and silently as a ninja and leave you in a similar state of distress and agony. There is no sure fire method of beating writer’s block (and if there was, whoever discovered it would be a millionaire) but here are a few things that have helped me:
  1. Don’t be afraid to work on multiple things. I’m not advocating working on twenty things at once, but working on a few can help with writer’s block. If you’re stuck with one piece of fiction, working on another can prevent you from getting totally frustrated and burned out. I’ve also found that inspiration often appears when you least expect it, and working on one piece can help inspire you out of a dead end in another.
  2. Take a walk. When you’re stuck, sometimes, rather than bashing your head on a problem over and over again, it helps to take a break. For me, this means taking a walk or going for a jog. In the past, a lot of my ideas have come to me in the middle of exercise. When you’re exercising, it’s not like you’ve forgotten about your problem – your mind keeps working on it in the background – but since you’re not focusing on it so much, you can pick up on things you’ve missed, or would otherwise not even consider. Indeed, I’ve found that my mind is often as its clearest when I’m in the middle of collapsing after a hard jog (although it could have something to do with my lungs struggling to provide me with enough oxygen).
  3. Read a book, watch a movie or play a video game. When you’re struck, the world can seem like a horrible place full of dead ends and words just staring back at you in derision from the computer screen. Grab a piece of fiction and remind yourself about all of the awesome things that people have imagined or experienced in the past. It’s a bit like pushing a car to get it started after it’s broken down – reading a good book, watching a good movie, or playing a good video game can help get your mind ticking over again, and that’s the first step to snapping out of your funk.
  4. Talk to other people. Don’t be afraid to talk about your writing problems with other people (fellow writers are great for this since we’ve all experienced this kind of thing before). The process of explaining what you’ve done and what the problem is can help you come up with a solution (as someone who’s lectured at university, this is something students often find tremendously helpful when they’re struck in the middle of an assignment or project). At the very least, you will be able to bounce ideas and suggestions off other people and get some emotional support. You may even find that whomever you talk to has an answer to the plot/character point that has you stuck. And remember, you don’t have to talk to people face to face for this. If you’re nervous about talking to someone face to face, there are places where writers gather online. From my experience, the vast majority of writers are nice people who are only too eager to talk about the craft of writing. If you do run into one of the bad ones (and I’m not so naïve as to think there aren’t some nasty people out there), then don’t be discouraged. Try again and the odds are good you will meet someone nicer.
  5. Throw stuff at the problem until something works. This is something I’ve tried on a few occasions where I’ve gotten stuck. In short, you basically throw different scenarios and solutions at the problem until one of them sticks. It’s not exactly efficient, but it can work, and even when it doesn’t, you’ll often have quite a few interesting ideas you can use elsewhere.
Summing Up

Writing is often an intensely personal experience. No two writers write in the same way using the same techniques. Yet at the same time, writing is a profoundly public experience, since once you publish your work (either professionally or as an amateur), it’s up there for anyone to read. This can be a frightening thing and justifiably so. People may judge you and some of them can be very cruel. But at the same time, writing is something that you can only get better at with more practice. Who cares if someone thinks your writing is bad – no one started great. What’s important is that you learn and continue to grow.

I’m also a firm believer in the idea that writers should support and help each other whenever possible. I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the years when it comes to my writing, and if I can, I’d like to help others avoid some of those mistakes. I hope that at least a little of what I’ve written here helps. Sure, most of it is based on what I do, but with any luck, you might find some of it useful too.
A few (or not so few) words on story and chapter planning, along with a few tips on how to deal with writer's block.
© 2013 - 2024 RazielTwelve
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Flock5's avatar
This is so useful! Thanks so much for posting this! I love your stories and I was always curious as to how you wrote them :)