How to Plot A Novel

I've found that some people need to plot their novel before they actually write any of it; this helps them keep things steady and understandable. Then there are also people who can't plot anything before they write; it makes it boring and tedious for them since they already know what is going to happen.

I think that it's important to have a balance between these two views. What I like to do is just have a general idea of what's going to happen, who's going to be the characters, and where it's going to take place. Once I master these three things and know them from the back of my hand, then I can start writing. Of course, everything is also changeable and you can add things to the plot as you go along. That's the beauty of it!

Before you begin writing a novel, you should be able to answer these questions:

1. What is going to happen at the beginning?"
2. What is going to happen in the middle?
3. What is going to happen at the end?

You don't have to know every detail about these things, but it is best to have a general idea. Take three main scenes and use them to fit the questions. Let's say you think of something cool, have a weird dream you want to use, or just imagine an epic scene. Pull up a new Word Document and answer one of the three questions with a description of your scene. Later on, when you get another epic scene idea, you can fill in another of the questions. This can take five minutes or five years, it doesn't matter.

Here's an example of (very) general answers you might use:

1. A woman is going to work at an orphanage; she cares deeply for the children.
2. A building is burning down and a brave fire-fighter saves lots of kids.
3. The orphanage woman and the fire-fighter fall in love and adopt the surviving children.

All of the above are connected in some way, but they don't have to be! If you think of a good ending, use it for question three. If you think of a good beginning, but it seems totally different, you can still use it for question one. The plot-line throughout the middle will connect them.

An entirely different approach to plot-planning uses music. What you do is determine how long you want your novel to be, then how many chapters it is going to have (although this can always change.) And then you designate a song to each chapter. Yes, this means you'll listen to that song when you write the chapter! It's best to answer the three questions before you do this, so you have a little bit of an idea of what sort of songs you'll need, but it isn't necessary.

If you're one of those people who need more ideas and organization before you write, you can also answer these questions about your novel:

1. Who are the characters?
2. Where does it take place?
3. What is the conflict(s)?

I wouldn't go any farther than that, though. Don't plan out each little thing you'll be writing! Leave that for when the time comes. Just get a general idea of the questions, and start your novel with confidence.