How to Plot a Novel

It is no small task, learning how to plot a novel. Not only do you have a lot of events to dream up and flesh out into scenes and narrative passages, you also have to present them in such a way that the readers keep turning the pages.

Don't worry, though - so long as you go about plotting a novel logically and build it one small piece at a time, you'll be fine.

An Introduction to Plotting a Novel

Before getting down to the details of how to plot a novel, here are three articles to break you in gently to the subject...

• First, What Is a Plot? Yes, I know that sounds like a stupid question, but I've always been a great believer in beginning right at the grassroots - and the answer to this one might not be as simple as you think.

• Next, an article exploring the basics of plot: Overall Plot Structure. This looks at a plot in its broadest possible form and lays the groundwork for the detailed articles on how to plot a novel.

• And finally, How to Write a Story that Hooks. Hooking the reader, when you think about it, has to be the number one goal of any plot. This article will show you precisely how to do it.

A Detailed Guide to How to Plot a Novel

Now for the main event: a comprehensive guide to plotting fiction to a professional standard.

I have divided the process of plotting a novel into 3 Parts. Unsurprisingly, these are:

1. Plotting the Novel's Beginning
2. Plotting the Novel's Middle
3. Plotting the Novel's Ending

You will find everything you could possibly need to know about plotting novels in these three articles. Well, almost everything. Once you have read and understood them, there will still be a couple of "loose ends" to clear up, and I deal with them below:

• First, an article about Beginning a Novel "In Media Res". You may or may not have heard of that term, but don't be tempted to skip this one because it contains vital advice on how to hook readers during the crucial opening pages of your story.

• Second, a couple of pieces of advice on endings. One asks if Happy Endings are Important in Novel Plots. The other warns you to avoid a Deus ex Machina ending. (Yes, I know, more Latin! But it's really not as complicated as it sounds.)

Summary

There is a lot of information on how to plot a novel in the articles above, meaning you will probably want condensed versions of all the points raised for handy reference. I have actually written two summaries:

• First, Plotting a Novel in 10 Easy Steps.
• And for those of you who might prefer a visual plot summary, there is A Basic Plot Diagram.

And finally, Writing a Plot Your Own Way, which encourages you to take all the "rules" outlined above and bend them to suit your own purposes.

Don't get me wrong, rules are important. But if you truly want to succeed in novel writing, you should never become their slave.

Advanced Elements of Plot

Okay, I lied - the article on breaking the rules isn't the end of how to plot a novel.

Don't panic, though, because I promise that if you have taken on board everything I have said up to this point, you are 95% of the way there.

You will be perfectly capable of writing a watertight plot for your novel. It is now just a matter of adding a few bells and whistles to it. Like...

• Subplots
• Backstory
• Flashbacks

These things, and more, are dealt with in the Advanced Elements of Plot Section.