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Writer's block with plot, please help

NINA28

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This is the first time I've ever tried to write a Fantasy and while my characters, setting and themes have come easily to me, I'm having real trouble with the plot. I have ideas, I just can't seem to expand them or fit them together because they are so vague. I know what I want this story to be about, I'm just having a struggle with it. This struggle has gone on for 12 months.
I've tried just sitting down and writing it without a planned out plot. Brain went blank.
So I tried stealing the introductions of books will a simiiar feel just to get me typing (done this in the past and it worked. Later I went back and wrote my own opening with no problems) Nothing.
I tried walking away from it. Reading similar novels. Learning about plot. Writing short fiction with the characters. I tried not thinking about it at all. Working on characters instead for a while. I just can't seem to expand what I all ready have. This has never happened to me before and after all this time it's so frustrating because I've been waiting to write this story for five years.
Can anyone help or suggest anything? I'm happy to share what little ideas I have about plot if it would help but don't want to make this question too long.
Thank you
 

BlackKnight1974

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This is the first time I've ever tried to write a Fantasy and while my characters, setting and themes have come easily to me, I'm having real trouble with the plot. I have ideas, I just can't seem to expand them or fit them together because they are so vague. I know what I want this story to be about, I'm just having a struggle with it. This struggle has gone on for 12 months.
I've tried just sitting down and writing it without a planned out plot. Brain went blank.
So I tried stealing the introductions of books will a simiiar feel just to get me typing (done this in the past and it worked. Later I went back and wrote my own opening with no problems) Nothing.
I tried walking away from it. Reading similar novels. Learning about plot. Writing short fiction with the characters. I tried not thinking about it at all. Working on characters instead for a while. I just can't seem to expand what I all ready have. This has never happened to me before and after all this time it's so frustrating because I've been waiting to write this story for five years.
Can anyone help or suggest anything? I'm happy to share what little ideas I have about plot if it would help but don't want to make this question too long.
Thank you

Hi Nina - another newbie here :)

Do you know how you want your story to end? Even if it isn't exactly mapped out, do you know roughly want you want to happen? Who lives, who dies, who get's married, who wins the lottery etc?

I write without a planned plot (as it feels almost like I'm reading the story, rather than writing!). When I started my current WIP, I listed out all of the main characters at the beginning - age, description, traits, but most importantly, their status at the end of the story (which for a fair few was "dead").

Whilst this isn't a "plot", it at least gave me something to work backwards from. On the drive to and from work or when I was doing anything mindless, I could think about how they died - who, where, how etc and that started to form the basis of my ending. Once I had a fixed end point to work towards, I started thinking about "checkpoints" in the story that were key events. After that, I worked towards linking them together.

Don't know if this will work for you, but hopefully it might help a little.
 

talktidy

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I share your pain.

*Eyes forum topic, grabs scratchpad and prepares to take notes*

I have arrived at the place in my novel where all of the characters come together to overcome the big adversary. For the moment I have put aside my frustrations with the quality of my writing and left that as a battle to be won another day. I cannot, however, be so blase about plot issues. I had an ending in mind when I started writing, but it was chucked as the narrative evolved. Story ideas keep fizzling out because my protagonists have been delivered to the big bad and, so far, how they skip their adversary's confinement stretches credibility.

I work to an outline. The outline may not survive past the first few thousand words, but I need that map as a starting point.

It would also help if my cat was not so determined to be on my lap. The sod is interrupting my flow of thought and stopping me from working, though this is a moan for another thread.
 

Ellie1

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Hi Nina!

I'm very new to all this, so can only really offer advice as a reader, not a writer. Personally, I'm a big fan of character-driven narratives. Given that you already have a clear idea of your characters, maybe you could focus on what motivates them or how each of them would react to one or more of the plot points you've considered. Could a character's decision have consequences which would help to move the plot forward?

I also like BlackKnight's suggestion about working back from the ending. If you don't have the ending yet, perhaps you could think of a point A and a point B - plot points, or just two settings - that the characters somehow need to get from/to and just work on that section first?

I'd love to learn more about what you've got so far :)
 

NINA28

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@BlackKnight - thanks I have a vague idea of the ending that I haven't thought about much, my brain struggled to work backwards (lol) but it's worth giving it a go, so thank you.
@talktidy - I feel ya! My dog will be sleeping blissfully, but the second I sit down to work she wants this and that. It's a conspiracy between my brain, my dog and the rest of the world to keep me from writing. Nice to know I'm not the only one
@Ellie1 - I like character driven things also and thanks for the suggestions
 

Richard White

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If you don't want to do a full outline (and I know most people don't), grab a piece of paper and do a decision tree from your starting point - Does the protag go straight to work or do they stop at the coffee shop first? When they get there, do they get and go, or do they sit down? If they sit down, do they meet a potential love interest (even if they don't know it yet) or the antagonist. If the antagonist, is this a chance meeting or do they get into an argument? When they get to the office, does the antagonist turn out to be their new boss? Does the protag try to make nice or stay mad? If they try to stay nice, what could be some consequences of their argument, etc. etc. etc.

Think of a situation and think of two or three possible outcomes for each situation. Eliminate the ones that sound silly, too outlandish, or you just don't like (but not before writing them down because even ones you don't like could spark an idea later). Highlight the ones you do like and see if you can string some of them together in a logical progression and while you may not have the whole plot, you've at least got some momentum on your story and you may get an "aha!" moment as you start working your way down the decision tree.

I also do the reverse of this if I know where I want the story to wind up eventually, but I'm a plotter. A pantser likes the journey, so this decision tree isn't designed to get you all the way through the story, but at least jump-start it.

Hope this helps.
 

Woollybear

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This is the first time I've ever tried to write a Fantasy and while my characters, setting and themes have come easily to me, I'm having real trouble with the plot. I have ideas, I just can't seem to expand them or fit them together because they are so vague. I know what I want this story to be about, I'm just having a struggle with it. This struggle has gone on for 12 months.
I've tried just sitting down and writing it without a planned out plot. Brain went blank.
So I tried stealing the introductions of books will a simiiar feel just to get me typing (done this in the past and it worked. Later I went back and wrote my own opening with no problems) Nothing.
I tried walking away from it. Reading similar novels. Learning about plot. Writing short fiction with the characters. I tried not thinking about it at all. Working on characters instead for a while. I just can't seem to expand what I all ready have. This has never happened to me before and after all this time it's so frustrating because I've been waiting to write this story for five years.
Can anyone help or suggest anything? I'm happy to share what little ideas I have about plot if it would help but don't want to make this question too long.
Thank you

Have you identified the main antagonist or villain and fleshed them out a little bit? And have you identified the central question the story will ask/revolve around? Have you identified two things that your protagonist wants--one external and one internal--and sketched out how to put those two things into opposition?

I personally do better when I have these pieces figured out. They're like the frame to build the house on.
 
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NINA28

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Yep, I've done those things I just can't seem to expand on them plot wise. I know I'm not a very good punster, I end up in a right muddle when I just "wing it". The more detailed the plan the better for me.
 

SKara

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Everyone's given really good advice I think. I usually work out my plot by sketching out the goals and motivations, so I'd second Patty's method.

Nina, do you have a writing buddy or a critique partner? Sometimes it helps to talk over the plot with someone, even if it's just for your own clarity. You can even talk with someone who isn't a writer and still benefit from it, just by putting the plot into actual words. Who knows, things might click together.
 

NINA28

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No, never tried a writing buddy but it's something to think about. Sometimes I just sit and talk into a recorder but then I began worrying about my sanity so stopped haha
 

Woollybear

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Another thing I've toyed with is the idea of archetypes. I don't think this will really help much, but who knows it might.

See which archetypes your novel has at the moment. It might be that you are 'missing' a key archetype or two--like a Loyal best friend, or a Mentor. Or, maybe you only have Warriors. It might be that what is missing is the character depth across the entire cast.

Here's a page that might get you started, if this is a new idea for you (although I susspect you're already up to speed on this! :) )

https://blog.reedsy.com/12-common-character-archetypes-every-writer-should-already-know/

And the last thing I would say is try writing long hand. At least for me, thoughts flow different in long hand than in typing, maybe because I am only using one hand and therefore my brain is firing differently.
 

Kat M

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Sometimes I just sit and talk into a recorder but then I began worrying about my sanity so stopped haha

Nope, that's not insane at all. If it was working for you, keep it up!

I'm a plantser (half-plotter, half-pantser) and my outline document has a HELP I'M STUCK PAGE. If I'm staring at the outline too long I just write everything stream-of-consciousness. "Sarah has to go back to Cathlamet. Her leave of absence is running out soon. But darn, I need her in Seattle yet. Is there a way truncate events? Can I extend her leave? Should she just quite her job in a blaze of fury? Noooo, that's out of character" . . . etc. Like the plotting tree, it gives me ideas for later as well as helping me work through the situation at hand.

Incidentally, I only have the vaguest idea of how my story will end and I'm keeping it that way while I flesh out the beginning. See what the characters are doing and what becomes central to them. As long as you have somewhere to start and an idea of the finish, that can be enough! (Unless you're a diehard plotter, I guess . . .)
 

Azdaphel

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I had the same problem before. I decided to start writing even if my plot is only half-done. I know where I'm going, what are the major events and who are the main antagonists. For the rest, I preferred to let my instinct guide me since the other alternative is overthinking and not doing anything. Then, I start thinking when I have done something.
 

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I suggest just writing and seeing what happens. If you have developed characters, they will begin to make choices on their own. In any case, just pushing forward is one of the most inspirational things you can do.
 

Layla Nahar

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I suggest just writing and seeing what happens. If you have developed characters, they will begin to make choices on their own. In any case, just pushing forward is one of the most inspirational things you can do.

I wrote something every day (most often just 1/4 page of handwriting) for 14 months before something like a story began to form. I read a book called 'No Plot, No Problem' in which the author says more or less, if you stay with the characters long enough, the story will emerge.

I have found that the more I think about what is up ahead, the more trouble I have 'figuring things out'. So I just stopped thinking about what was ahead and trying to figure things out. YMMV.
 

NINA28

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Thank you all so much. I followed the advice and it worked (eventually).