all plotting styles are different, but i believe these are the most common.
1 ) that little idea
the little idea can come from literally anything. that's the beautiful thing about a creative mind. the idea is also usually very, very tiny at first. it's a character or a setting or a bare-bones plot or a prompt. but it's an idea!
2 ) a bigger idea
this is where you flesh out the little idea. i braindump (i.e. writing down every little idea i have pertaining to the story, including plot points) during this time. this is also a good place to figure out the central idea/question/themes, and important characters.
3 ) setting the stage
now is the time to flesh out worldbuilding, characters, arcs, and relationships
4 ) the worst puzzle known to man
now you've got to start arranging the plot points you have into a cohesive-ish order. i find this is also the time i get tired or bored of my story, so i've included my post about beating writer's block. because, as we know, it can happen well before you even start writing.
5 ) five seconds to launch
a working outline should be ready for you to work from now. you've ordered the plot points, filled in the gaps, your characters and their relationships are ready to go. while i have a "working title" from the get-go, this is when i settle on the final title.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
