Novel Plotting Made Easy

How do you plot a novel? This is a question I am frequently asked. Here, in a nutshell, is the answer, based on the novel writing system presented in my The Marshall Plan® writing guides and more recently in The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software, which I coauthored with Martha Jewett.

You must first decide on your novel’s genre—mystery, romance, Western, etc. Usually the best genre to choose is the one you most enjoy reading.

Once you have decided on your novel’s genre, select a lead character appropriate to this genre:  man, woman, teen, child.

Devise a genre-appropriate crisis for your lead that will turn her life upside down and make her want to set her life right again by gaining possession of something or relief from something. This desire is your lead’s story goal.

Taking cues and clues from the type of lead you’ve chosen and the kind of crisis she faces, flesh out your lead and decide on other characters who would logically be part of your lead’s world. The most important characters to define are the opposition, the confidant, and if appropriate to your genre, the romantic involvement.

Set your lead in action, setting small goals toward achieving the larger story goal. Write in action sections, in which your lead tries to achieve a section goal, is hindered by another character or characters (or circumstances), and fails to achieve this section goal. This failure causes her to set a new goal, which will be the subject of the next action section.

If your lead experiences a major or especially upsetting failure—or needs time to analyze in depth what has just taken place—use a reaction section to show this reaction. In the reaction section, show your lead’s emotional, then rational reaction to the failure she’s just experienced; then have her set a goal for her next section. Otherwise simply go on to another action section.

In The Beginning

In your novel’s beginning (the first quarter of the manuscript), introduce all major characters and present all background information, as you string together your action and reaction sections. Introduce a second, subordinate goal for your lead, as well as story lines involving other characters. The only character whose action sections may end with success rather than failure is the opposition. If you’re new to plotting, try to keep your story lines separate–even the lead’s main story line from his/her subordinate story line.

At the end of your novel’s beginning, introduce an especially bad or shocking surprise (Surprise #1) that raises the stakes for your lead and/or sends the story in a new direction.

In your novel’s middle (which constitutes half the manuscript’s length), continue stringing together action and reaction sections. Alternate sections involving your lead with sections involving other characters’ story lines. To weave story lines, present an action section ending with one character’s failure, switch to another character’s action section ending with that character’s failure, and switch back to the previous (or another) character in either a new action section or, if appropriate, a reaction section.

Keep raising the stakes, ruling out options, making it look less and less likely your lead will achieve the story goal.

In the very center of your manuscript, end an action section for your lead with Surprise #2, another shocking revelation or development that spins the story off in a new direction or makes things much worse for your lead.  At the end of your novel’s middle (three-quarters of the way through your manuscript), use the same technique as above to insert Surprise #3.

Your novel’s end (the last quarter of your manuscript) is where your story heats up as your lead desperately tries to achieve the story goal with not much time and few options left. Tie off subordinate story lines and loose ends; all but the pursuit of the story goal—and the romantic story line, if you have one—should be resolved.

Now devise an action section called the Worst Failure, featuring your lead against the opposition. End this section with the worst failure yet for your lead. Follow with a reaction section called the Point of Hopelessness, in which your lead reacts to this failure that is so devastating that achieving the story goal now appears hopeless. Follow this with an action section called the Saving Act, in which your lead, drawing on some special talent or revelation, performs an act that reverses the entire situation and vanquishes the opposition. Story goal achieved!

Finish with a brief wrap-up showing life turned right side up again for your lead. Last of all, resolve the romantic story line, if you have included one.

Voilà! Novel plotted!