plotting

How to Clearly Outline Characters’ Motivations and Goals

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How to Clearly Outline Characters' Motivations and Goals

When contrasting plot-driven and character-driven stories, I talk a lot about characters’ goals and motivations, and for good reason.

Goals are the focus of a plot-driven story. The reader wants to know how the characters get from point A to their ultimate goal, point Z. While the plot may wind through some twists and turns, the characters’ motivations tend to stay constant throughout.

Character-driven stories place a much greater emphasis on motivations. The what of a character’s actions is less important than the why, because in this kind of story plans often change as new information is revealed. As characters grow as individuals and adapt, their motivations often change as well.

There is a common misconception that goals and motivations are one and the same. After all, in daily life, we tend to use these words interchangeably.

They are not interchangeable in fiction writing.

As you plot your next work, it is important to know your characters’ motivations, goals, and the difference between them. That’s what will bring your characters, and ultimately your story, to life.

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Why Outlining Subplots is Key to Drafting Your Novel

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Why Outlining Subplots is Key to Drafting Your Novel

Have you ever heard a little kid tell a story? Did you pay attention to the way they told it? It was probably not a tale crafted to perfection. Maybe they went off on too many tangents and never got to the point. Maybe they only gave you the bare bones of the tale, revealing nothing exciting.

As a general rule, don’t write the way a child would speak.

When you write, you should give your readers more than the bare bones, but don’t abandon your plot altogether either. It can be tricky to find the middle ground, the happy medium—that’s what subplots are for.

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How to Use Internal Conflict to Your Advantage When Writing a Character-Driven Story

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How to Use Internal Conflict to Your Advantage When Writing a Character-Driven Story

Earlier, we tackled the definition of a plot-driven novel and covered how to approach writing a plot-driven story of your own. If you missed it, don’t worry; you can find that post right here.

While plot-driven stories call for a lot of work on the front end—plotting, after all, is in the very name—character-driven stories require some work up front, too. Luckily for you pantsers, it’s easier to get away with minimal outlining when it comes to this type of novel.

It’s important to understand the basic elements of plot- and character-driven stories as a writer. Understanding these definitions will change how you approach your outlining and drafting process. This will cut down on the amount of revising you have to do and improve your writing in the long run.

In short, learning this stuff teaches you how to write faster and better, and that’s what’s really going to make your writing soar. 

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The Easiest Way to Start Writing Your Plot-Driven Story

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The Easiest Way to Start Writing Your Plot-Driven Story

In general, there are two main types of writers: plotters and pantsers.

I’m definitely an advocate for plotting your novel. If you do the legwork on the front end, you’ll be more organized later—you essentially give yourself a road map when you’re drafting. I’ve already written about balancing action and reaction scenes within your story, but today we’re going to look at the big picture: the overall narrative arc of your book.

When it comes to plot-driven novels, there is very little leeway; you need to know where your story is headed. You need to know how to put this kind of story together so you can build your story arc from the ground up. That’s where this guide comes in.

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47 Creative Questions to Drive Your Fictional Character Design

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47 Creative Questions to Drive Your Fictional Character Design

We writers know that creating entire people inside your brain can be hard sometimes. Really freaking hard. 

If you’re like me, plotting methods like Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method can help you out, but figuring out what a character does and discovering who he is are two completely different things. There are so many things you need to learn about your character—things that often don’t make it into the story proper—to enhance your writing and truly bring him to life. Here, I’ve listed 47 sample questions you can ask yourself about each of your characters in order to bring your writing to the next level.

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The 5 Questions You Need to Create Magic in Fantasy

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The 5 Questions You Need to Create Magic in Fantasy

Every fantasy book I’ve ever read has some element of magic to it. Whether it’s the existence of dragons, the power of witches, or the sentience of trees, magic—an impossible reality—is the cornerstone of the genre. 

Given this, I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on the creation of a magic system. When starting their novels, too many aspiring authors tend to under-develop their ideas. This creates plot holes to patch up (or completely rewrite) later. I’ve fallen victim to under-writing magic myself, so I’ve compiled a list of facets to consider in hopes that you might benefit from my mistakes. By asking yourself a few important questions, you can (almost magically!) stop plot holes in their tracks before they even exist.

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How to Make Sure Your Novel Ebbs and Flows Naturally

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How to Make Sure Your Novel Ebbs and Flows Naturally

Among my friends and family, I make it no secret that I dislike watching action movies.

I don’t hate them, per se, but they’ve never truly interested me. For the longest time, I couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t until I was watching an Indiana Jones movie—and hating the experience, much to my family’s chagrin—that I recognized the source of my aversion: more often than not, in my experience, the pacing of action movies is severely unbalanced. They’re all action, with little to no reaction, and so on an emotional level they tend to fall flat.

Scenes and Sequels

In general, there are two main types of scene: there are scenes full of action that further the plot, and scenes in which the characters (and reader) pause to regroup and take stock of their emotions. More experienced and renowned writers than I, such as Dwight Swain or Randy Ingermanson, may call these “scenes” and “sequels.” 

I find the name of the thing is less important than its definition and, most important of all, its practical use. As a result, I tend to explain them rather simply. “Scenes” are when things happen—this is when the story flows. “Sequels” are when characters react—this is when the story ebbs, pulling back before flowing forward again.

Even more simply put: there is action, and there is reaction, and a good story has both in not-quite-equal measure.

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