Writing Tips & Guidance

Story: Notes, Outline, & Basic Plot Structure

There is a thing I do for all of my writings, which most writers call "notes" but I call my "hash." Like, I'm hashing things out for my story. Generally, this is where you'll put down your first sequence of ideas, likely based on a prompt or sudden inspiration. You'll want to ramble as much as possible. Think about the possibilities, adding and removing sections based on your choices unless several have potential. Work on characters, plot ideas, world ideas, scenes that stick out vividly, things you want to see in writing, and what makes a story you'd want to read. Just talk to the page about what you want to write. You can make another, more direct set of notes once your story takes a proper shape. Of course, at that point, you would want an outline, character bible, and maybe even a world bible depending on the genre.

Speaking of outlines, I cannot stress enough how important it is to hammer out an outline for your writing. Everyone does it a little differently, but it is basically required to create good writing. There is one foundational form of outline that most others are based on:

The Three Act Structure

Most people would argue that if your story doesn't fit within the three-act structure, your story doesn't work. I wouldn't go that far, but I would suggest you use it as a guideline. Even if you have your own method, make sure you have at least the basic parts covered.

NOTE: The climax would usually go at the top-most at of the diagram, though turning point is placed there instead. Your twist also doesn't necessarily need to be at the midpoint. It can be around the disaster & crisis or where the climax is incorrectly placed on this diagram. You could theoretically have turning points at every major point, but it might be a little dizzying at that point.

One of the best professors I had liked to say "Point of No Return" instead of something like "Second Thoughts," and liked to say "Dark Night of the Soul" instead of something like "Disaster & Crisis." He was a bit dramatic, but he had an acting history so it was at least sensical. Your story won't fit perfectly, and certainly not proportionally onto the line. It makes for a great guideline though.

Sometimes stories will open with the inciting incident, or in the middle of an obstacle. These are completely fine methods, and actually quite interesting. It could open with a massive obstacle, the combat of a large-scale war. It could open with the climax, as something terrible happens to a person. They then must spend the story in a descending action of coping with that pain/grief/change. Even after starting in those odd places, you'll find that your story can still work on the diagram if you want.

In practice, this is also called the Skeletal Outline. For some reason, I cannot find an example online. You would outline the main points of the three-act structure, then indent for points included there, then indent again for specifics on those. If you've done an outline for an essay, it should visually look like that, except a lot more fun to put together and fewer rules.

Dungeon Master Notes

This is a really specific type of outline that wouldn't likely work for everyone. There are  DMs who will build whole worlds and layers of stories around a D&D campaign. If you are a DM, consider repurposing your notes. I've stumbled upon story material in my character's backstory, having essentially worked a story backward. These are quirky ways to find inspiration but you likely won't be able to create it inorganically. Focus on the game and the character, then decide if you've got something to work with.

So, for the four of you who function both as writers and dungeon masters, consider your notes a valuable tool for both passions. If a normal outline form doesn't seem to be working for you, it might be worth a shot.

To be honest, those are the only methods I've ever used or seen used, so that is the extent of my personal knowledge. Many online resources list "other" methods, but they seem to just be glorified notes/hash or a dumbed-down version of the three-act structure. If you know of another way or have a way that works, let me know and I'll discuss it as well.

Some outlines can be made fairly effectively by following a basic plot, and adding on a layer of commonly functional formulas. You can then detail parts of your story between those major points. A ton of stories follow The Hero's Journey plotline. We'll talk about specific plots next, and at length about The Hero's Journey in particular.