How do you flesh out a simple plot/characters?

~Country Girl~ · Aug 27, 2009

I know many of you have different ways of going about this. I am looking for a way that works for me. So how do you take a one sentence plot and turn it in to a 300 pg. novel? How do you take thoses characters swimming around in your mind and turn them into real people?

Folofop · Aug 27, 2009

A one sentence plot? Hmmm.

My current MC has been swimming in the back of my mind for awhile, so I kinda already know what he is like, I've rather lazily based it off an old friend, albeit loosely.

As I write, new thoughts and ideas appear for him, motives, emotions, quirks and personality, are all fleshed out through the different encounters he has and how he reacts to them.

I only really found out about the smaller, more intamte details about him by writing about him, even though the general idea was in my head.

Wayne K · Aug 27, 2009

I don't start with plot. I like to start with characters. How am I going to make the reader love/hate/desire, him/her? Then I can do a lot with plot.

JLM · Aug 27, 2009

Try the snowflake method. Google it you'll find it.

Libbie · Aug 27, 2009

~Country Girl~ said:
I know many of you have different ways of going about this. I am looking for a way that works for me. So how do you take a one sentence plot and turn it in to a 300 pg. novel? How do you take thoses characters swimming around in your mind and turn them into real people?

Ask yourself questions about your one-sentence plot. Why does this happen? Who does that effect? How does he feel about it?

Then answer the questions.

One or more of your answers will spark a great idea in your head. Write the idea down, and how it relates to your one-sentence plot idea. Then ask yourself more questions about the bit of framework you've begun to build.

Then answer those questions.

And on it goes.

The Rav · Aug 27, 2009

Free write. Take ten to fifteen minutes at a time and write whatever ideas come to mind. Don't think about it while writing, just keep your pen moving (or fingers typing). When you're done, you may have an idea about what direction you want to go in. Or maybe your free write session just gave you a single idea about what can happen in the middle of the book--build around that.

dawinsor · Aug 27, 2009

I use index cards. I carry them around while the story is percolating, and every time I have a vision of a scene or an event or a character development, I put it on a card. Then, when I have 100 or so cards, I start arranging them.

Wordwrestler · Aug 27, 2009

I don't exactly start with a plot. Usually it's a character or two and a dilemma. I just start writing. Once I have a bunch of pieces (that may or may not fit together or fit into the final story), then I feel like I know my characters and their problem better, though I may not know where this is all going. At this point I form a very broad idea of a plot. The details get figured out as I go.

I just got to this stage on my WIP today, at 14k (out of a projected 80k). It took me 14k words to figure out where this story is going. Now I don't know exactly how it's all going to work out, but I know what it's "about." I know about as much about my plot as you'd get from a jacket summary--but I know my characters really, really well, and now the real fun begins!

Chauchat Butterfly · Aug 27, 2009

Regarding plots, I'll either let them evolve over time or combine two weak plots if I think they go together.

And what I do for underdeveloped characters is I give them families, that way they develop pasts and become more well rounded.

Stijn Hommes · Aug 28, 2009

I'm currently outlining an idea for a story which started with a single idea about the main character. That immediately suggested a story. Since I'm going for a mystery, I thought a locked room mystery would fit my character, so I started associating, possible suspects you could find in the location of the room, how my character got there in the first place, his motivations for investigating, etc, etc. Along the way, I managed to find two completely reasonable red herring explanations and plenty ideas for future stories.

Freewrite or snowflake and write every single idea you get down and then puzzle them together. If you write yourself in a corner, brainstorm possible solutions or other routes to get out.

scarletpeaches · Aug 28, 2009

Wayne K said:
I don't start with plot. I like to start with characters. How am I going to make the reader love/hate/desire, him/her? Then I can do a lot with plot.

Word.

Sometimes I ask myself, "What does this character want? How far are they prepared to go to get it?"

And that's the most I ever do.

(Current project notwithstanding, as I'm only writing this book to prove to tt42 how outlining kills your creativitah)!

Keyboard Hound · Aug 28, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Word.

(Current project notwithstanding, as I'm only writing this book to prove to tt42 how outlining kills your creativitah)!

Did you outline your current work? Is that different from your usual way of writing? Is it easier or harder?

I've never outlined before, but considering the huge cuts I'm having to make in my current wip, I'm wondering if it would help to outline the next one. Maybe I'd know where I was going, but I'm wondering if it would cut out the fun.

scarletpeaches · Aug 28, 2009

Serious answer:

Yep, I outlined my current project. This all came about due to a rabid anti-outline rant to tt42 one day. "What good does it do? I write character-based novels. They tell me what to write; I don't force the plot on them!"

So we agreed to swap methods for one book. tt42 started off not outlining, lost it, and outlined the rest of the novel.

I'm a slower writer, so I'm still working on our 'challenge' project.

Outlining isn't easier or harder, it's just...different. I don't actually see the point of doing so because it doesn't mean I end up with a vastly superior or inferior end product BUT...and this is a big but...outlining enables me to write out of sequence according to my mood.

So conclusion? Different method, same end product. Will I outline again? Maybe. Just for fun. I don't need to, but if you want to know if my chapters read any differently or if I write any faster* then you'll have to ask Lori.

*I'm getting faster with each book, yes, but I don't know if this is down to book #3 being outlined, or if it's just a natural progression of my writing.

Smish · Aug 28, 2009

Wayne K said:
I don't start with plot. I like to start with characters. How am I going to make the reader love/hate/desire, him/her? Then I can do a lot with plot.

I start with characters, too. Plot seems to flow naturally after I get to really know my MC.

thethinker42 · Aug 28, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Serious answer:

Yep, I outlined my current project. This all came about due to a rabid anti-outline rant to tt42 one day. "What good does it do? I write character-based novels. They tell me what to write; I don't force the plot on them!"

Correction: After numerous conversations, I announced on MSN that I was going to write something without an outline. Then we decided to swap methods, so we both came up with books specifically for this challenge. (Ironically, I think they're the best books either of us have written...go figure...)

So we agreed to swap methods for one book. tt42 started off not outlining, lost it, and outlined the rest of the novel.

Indeed, this is true. Though it wasn't a complete failure...I've since learned that I can write a book by writing the first few chapters, then outlining. I'm definitely outlining less now than I did before.

So conclusion? Different method, same end product. Will I outline again? Maybe. Just for fun. I don't need to, but if you want to know if my chapters read any differently or if I write any faster* then you'll have to ask Lori.

*I'm getting faster with each book, yes, but I don't know if this is down to book #3 being outlined, or if it's just a natural progression of my writing.

Don't know if it's a result of outlining or just your growth as a writer, but it's definitely the best thing you've written so far.

Nakhlasmoke · Aug 28, 2009

So how do you take a one sentence plot and turn it in to a 300 pg. novel? How do you take thoses characters swimming around in your mind and turn them into real people?

I take away what the characters want.

Or when i do give it to them, I make it worse than having nothing at all.

Because I'm evil like that.

thethinker42 · Aug 28, 2009

Nakhlasmoke said:
I take away what the characters want.

Or when i do give it to them, I make it worse than having nothing at all.

QFT.

I write almost exclusively romance, so "what they want" is usually "WHO they want".

My thought process usually works thusly:

1. Why do they want to be together?
2. Why shouldn't they be together?
3. Why are they together in spite of #2?
4. What will split them up?
5. Why will they get back together?

That's really the extent of my outlining/planning...I figure out the answers to those five questions, then make a chain of scenes to tie them together. As far as fleshing out the characters, that happens while I write. I just let them do their thing, and find out stuff about them along the way. Much more fun that way, I've found.

James81 · Aug 28, 2009

I take my plot (story idead, whatever) and I sit down and start writing it. As I'm writing it, I am constantly thinking of how I can branch the story out to arc over a novel-length story.

I must warn you, though, that this method may astound you in the sense that you might find your story crap out at 30K words and you're sitting there going "wtf?" :tongue

But most of the time, if the idea doesn't have merit, it'll crap out at about 2000 words for me.

To me, though, writing is about just....doing it. Spending time making character sheets and an outline just seems like a good way to procrastinate to me.

Although, I must admit, my memoir has an outline and that outline has really helped me.

thethinker42 · Aug 28, 2009

James81 said:
I take my plot (story idead, whatever) and I sit down and start writing it. As I'm writing it, I am constantly thinking of how I can branch the story out to arc over a novel-length story.

I must warn you, though, that this method may astound you in the sense that you might find your story crap out at 30K words and you're sitting there going "wtf?"

But most of the time, if the idea doesn't have merit, it'll crap out at about 2000 words for me.

Mine usually crap out before 15K, which is why I've dubbed 15K the Milestone of Destinah. Once a story has reached that mark, it'll most likely work.

To me, though, writing is about just....doing it. Spending time making character sheets and an outline just seems like a good way to procrastinate to me.

I think it depends on how the time is used. An outline is not necessarily a waste of time, but it can be. If you're spending days, weeks, and months tinkering with a 75 page outline, yeah...that's not good use of time and is a way of procrastinating. I allow myself one day - two tops - to outline a story. For me, any more than that is just fannying about. I just need enough to have a general sense of where the story is going, then it's time to sit down and write.

Everyone has to find their own method - be it outlining or not, character sheets or not, etc - but the key is knowing when you're actually being productive vs finding creative ways to procrastinate.

scarletpeaches · Aug 28, 2009

thethinker42 said:
...fannying about...

You've been talking to me too much.

thethinker42 · Aug 28, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
You've been talking to me too much.

I've known that for a long, long time...

~Country Girl~ · Aug 28, 2009

Well right now I'm trrying to begin my novel by plotting everything out first using the snowflake method and I must admit it is giving me a major headache. I think I'm going to say screw the outline for a little while and try the "pantser" method. If I don't then I don't see my novel ever being written.

thethinker42 · Aug 28, 2009

~Country Girl~ said:
Well right now I'm trrying to begin my novel by plotting everything out first using the snowflake method and I must admit it is giving me a major headache. I think I'm going to say screw the outline for a little while and try the "pantser" method. If I don't then I don't see my novel ever being written.

Snowflake method?

quickWit · Aug 28, 2009

thethinker42 said:
Snowflake method?

*cough*

James81 · Aug 28, 2009

thethinker42 said:
Snowflake method?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=snowflake+method

:tongue

How do you flesh out a simple plot/characters?

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