Plotting Through a Series of Questions?

It actually makes sense to me. I'm an pantser (I don't outline), but the questions that I answer right before I revise a scene help me create the proper connections. The questions are:

1. Does the scene ratchet up the tension of the one before it?

2. Is this event cause by the one before it?

3. What is the setback in this scene?

4. Does this scene end in an unexpected way?

I go through and answer at least the first two and will revisit the questions for adjustments during the writing on the scene. The hardest thing is doing the questions when it isn't the same characters from scene to scene.

For a given event or plot development, some questions that may lead to more Story Stuff inc:
- who benefits?
- who is hurt?
- who wants it to happen?
- who wants it not to happen?
- who knows about it?
- who doesn't know (& might be affected anyway)?
- what does Character X/Y/Z expect as a result? can they do anything (else) to make it happen?
- what does Character X/Y/Z dread as an outcome? can they do anything (else) to prevent it?
- what unintended consequences might occur, with what impact on whom?

In my personal experience, any questions formulated before writing are useless.

Methinks you need to start writing and start answering questions when they arise. It's fine to plot beforehand, but trying to foresee any questions will probably be useless when you're in the thick of the action.

Whatever, here's the only ones I'd ask:

Who are the characters and their goals and what challenges will they face?
Where are they?
Why?
How can you screw up all their lives in their struggle?
How can you make them happy after the goal?
How can they foresee this?

I find questions are good for when you are trying to get a certain plot element from vague to specific. For example, I know the villain is trying to do X, but why? How are they going to accomplish X? How will the MC learn about their plan?

For going from a vague story idea to a real plot, I would ask:

What is most appealing to you about the story idea? Why do you want to write this story?

What is the MC's goal?
What are the stakes? What will happen if the MC fails?
How will the main conflict be resolved?
What obstacles must the MC confront to reach their goal?
How will the MC change throughout the story?
What might some major turning points be?
What must happen in the story to reach your preferred ending?

EDIT:
The outlining method from this book involves creating plot through answering questions. Might want to give it a look.

Geared towards screenwriting but still a useful list to at the very least consider.

The Ultimate Story Checklist v3

Plotting is the fun part for me, but when I am having plotting issues. I ask myself:

What is the worse thing that could happen right now to my MC?
Worse thing they could say or do?
Worse thing someone else in the scene could say or do?

Then I work my way back on to the second worse thing, third worse thing, until I find the sweet spot that creates tension/intrigue/conflict/whatever I am trying to achieve.

Additional: I may have gotten ^that^ practice from this book http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UISGV6/?tag=absowrit-20 James Bell's, Write Great Fiction -Plot and Structure. It's one of the only Plot books I have read almost all the way through. And you can borrow it free if you have a Prime Membership

I find these questions very useful when you're in doubt about whether a particular plot point works.

I do something similar to this myself in the plotting stage. I like to ask:


Who am I writing about? What has happened to them? What is it about them that would make me want to continue reading?

What is happening? Why? Could it have been prevented? (How?) Where? When? (I write fantasy, so these spawn my world-building) Is this a society that would welcome or belittle a hero?

And, for me, the most important:

Does this need a hero or a villain as the star of the show?

*I use hero and villain as stock terms---I do not prescribe to the basic good/evil dichotomy in my writing in an way.