Troubleshooting Tips for Problem Plots

Good morning, Everyone! Audra here. Plot is the most difficult aspect of writing I've encountered. How much of this? How much of that? And what was I supposed to throw in a pinch of? OMG, starting a book always has me trembling in my boots. And then one day, the good Lord took pity on me. I discovered Rock Your Plot and haven't looked at plotting the same since. I've invited Cathy Yardley to join us in Seekerville and give us some plotting tips. 

Are you having trouble getting the plot for your novel worked out? I’ve worked with people in various stages of their novels, and the thing I hear most of all is – well, “Help!” 

Sometimes, you have a great picture of a hero or heroine.  Maybe you’ve got a sense of the opening.  Perhaps you can clearly picture several scenes, some action, a fantastic setting.

Then, that whole pesky plot thing gets in the way.  You might know how it ends, but you’re not quite sure what happens in that vast wasteland of the middle.  Or you sense that your pacing is slow, repetitive… but you’re not sure how to speed things up and fix the problem.  Scenes may not seem to flow well.  You may have too many characters – or maybe you suspect you don’t have enough.  Should you add a sub-plot?  Condense a few secondaries? How do you decide?

Here are a few troubleshooting tips to help you hone in on what might need fixing, and how to repair it.

1.       Check your protagonist(s). 

Who is this story about, and why will the reader care?  If you’re writing romance, that generally means you have a hero and a heroine.  You’re going to want to write plot points for both of them, to weave together into the story.  You’ll also want to make sure that the reader cares enough about them to follow them along on the novel’s journey.  It doesn’t mean that they have to be likeable, necessarily.  It does mean that they need to be interesting, or empathetic, or larger than life.  Think of some of your favorite protagonists by your favorite authors if you’re looking for inspiration.

2.      What does your protagonist want?

This is the “goal” portion of the “GMC” equation, and it’s crucial.  Look at any back cover blurb or book description, and the goal of the book is clearly stated. 

-  “Jack Ryan needs to stop the terrorist.” 
-  “Lucy Smith just wanted to make her cupcake store successful.” 
-  “Darla Kaine returns to her old home town to bury her past.”

Whatever the goal, it needs to be something tangible, something where you know when the character has achieved it.  “Bury her past” is, admittedly, a bit murky.  But if you then clarify in the story itself that Darla’s goal is to prevent a specific secret from coming out, and that means convincing a reporter who has followed her to bury a story, then her goal is clear:  convince the reporter.  Can you think of what your protagonist clearly wants?

3.      Why is your protagonist’s goal important? 

If you’re having trouble figuring out what to do with your plot, it may be because you haven’t set a large enough goal to begin with.  Let’s say your protagonist’s goal is to win a pie baking contest. That could be cute, or interesting, but it’s not necessarily enough to turn pages.  An easy way to test this is to ask:  if my protagonist does not get her goal, what is the consequence?  If there isn’t a consequence – or if your protagonist simply won’t be very happy – you might not have enough at stake.  With the pie baking, if your heroine made a deathbed promise to her mother, that would be much higher stakes and a much stronger reason for winning the contest than “because she likes pies.” 

4.      What’s standing in the way?

Conflict is one of the biggest challenges for writers, new or experienced.  We love our characters, which can mean we don’t want to see them go through a lot of pain!  But conflict is crucial.  It’s the tempering process, the catalyst that helps your protagonists grow and develop their way through their character arcs.  No pain, no growth!  A handy tip:  write a list of twenty things that can make your character’s goal even harder.  The first ten things tend to be cliché.  That next ten? That’s where you’ll strike gold.  Finally, don’t just threaten bad things – actually have bad things happen to the character.  The threat is often not enough.

5.      Is your ending satisfying?

If you’ve been ramping up the conflict and the pacing, delivering a satisfying ending is crucial.  But maybe you’re not sure how the story is supposed to end.  Or you might find yourself forcing situations or relying on coincidence or luck to get your protagonist out of his/her problems.  For a satisfying ending, you want the character to use what she’s learned on the journey of the novel to get to the ending.  Ask yourself:  how do I want my protagonist to be different at the end of the novel, as a result of the conflicts she’s been through?  Make sure that the protagonist has a hand in the resolution.

Where do you have the most trouble when creating your story’s plot?  Leave a comment, and get the chance to win a one hour “plot session” phone call with me, complete with recording and notes! 

Audra here. I can't help but raise my hand and say, "Pick me! Pick me!" LOL. Cathy's method of plotting turned my writing world around!! As an extra bonus today, I'm adding 3 additional ebook copies of Rock Your Plot! Check the WE to see who gets to work out their plot with Cathy and who gets her ebook : )

I also want to let you know that Cathy and a number of other writers are raising funds to help mothers with young children attend a writing conference. The full bundle of what they're offering can be found here:  http://www.writermamas.com.  Having an 8 year old son herself, she understands how difficult finding the money and juggling the responsibility can be. Don't we all! Check out the website, the bundled offer is phenomenal!

Cathy Yardley is the author of seventeen novels, published with Harlequin, St. Martin’s, Entangled, and Avon. She is also a teacher, editor, and writing coach at her website, RockYourWriting.com. Sign up for her free e-course Jump-start Your Writing Career, and check out her e-books on plotting, revising, and writing every day!