Plotting Preview: An In-Depth Look at Plotting

By Karin Schroeder

Betty Kasischke has various manuscripts different stages of completion. But at some point, she just loses the story. Then it occurred to her, maybe there was no story to begin with.

As happens with so many of us, a dream would hit her-this was the magic story. She'd rush to the computer to get the glorious story down, then time passed and she was left feeling lost. It came to a point where she'd rather scrub her toilet than write that story.

Her plot problem? There wasn't one-a plot, that is.

According to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Plot is to make a plot, map, or plan of, to plan or contrive esp. secretly, a plot, or to invent or devise the plot of (a literary work.) "And here I thought literary books didn't have a plot," Betty joked.

Plotting takes careful foresight and planning. Some writers, such as Nora Roberts and Stephen King, claim they don't plot. Betty maintains that they do plot, they just don't have to do it like the rest of us mere mortals.

Betty has built up a huge collection of references to help her plot her stories, including books written by Dwight V. Swain, Jack Bickham, Evan Marshall. She's used worksheets and plotting boards; she buys them all, and although she hasn't read all of them she intends to. "This is the food and water that nourishes your muse," she said.

The one solid plotting rule however, is rather than relying on books, etc., is just to start writing. Don't analyze too much. Learn what you can, and integrate that into your writing.

There are few basics however, that you want to keep in mind when plotting and writing your story.

You must have a compelling, sympathetic protagonist, the main character of your book.
Your protagonist must have a goal-what does she or he want?
Your protagonist must have opposition, someone or something to keep him from attaining his or her goal.
Everyone in your story must have an agenda.
You as a writer must create a disaster, a supreme ordeal for your protagonist.
Then there's what Christopher Volger, in his book, The Writer's Journey, calls "The Resurrection," the final exam for your hero.
And lastly, the final ordeal, or as Dwight V. Swain says, "something unutterably bad."

You want to make each of these elements as concrete as possible, as black and white as possible. This is fiction, the starker the better.

Now, what do you need to know before you start a story? Betty recommends knowing something about their backstory and their goals. At the very least, know your characters, their goals, motivation, and conflict, and that "something unutterably bad."

And beware of illusionary trap that so many beginning writers fall into There's nothing easy about writing and plotting. But the experienced writer perseveres, studies her craft, and expands upon that.

Now, as Betty said so sagely, "So, go home and write wonderful books."

Karin, an active member in Outreach and SARA, is currently working on finishing her western historical romance, The Right Man, winner of the SARA Merritt Contest.

Betty Kasischke is a past president of EPIC. Writing as Anne Manning, her book, The Raven's Lady, is an EPPIE 2000 winner, and her book, Ripples, is a Frankfurt e-book award nominee.

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