As someone who was once a pantser, I cannot express how much learning how to properly plan a story has changed my life.
One of my closest friends and I were doing Nanowrimo during 2020 and we have very different techniques for crafting a story. She tends to plan out every single detail before her pen even hits the page, while I used to go with the flow.
During class, we both had a free period and I was writing while she was planning, but I had a major case of writer's block, which often happens to pantsers. She told me about a chart she uses to organize her plot, the 3-Act Structure, and I, reluctantly, began filling it out.
Not thinking much of it, I finished filling it out and brainstorming ideas for the plot. That's when I realized that I didn't have much of a plot. This is also when I began to scramble to come up with some semblance of something cohesive.
This simple chart changed my life. This is the chart that I ended up filling out for one of my books. PS, spoiler alert if you haven't read Alphabet of Social Etiquette. For your convenience, if you don't want the book spoiled, skip over the next section separated by a bunch of space and dashes.
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Act 1
Exposition- Leona meets Tucker; she immediately hates him because he seems so perfect; Tucker likes everyone he meets because he's so friendly and amiable
Inciting incident- she snaps at him at work about his bad habits
Point of no return- she decides to teach him 'the alphabet of social etiquette;' she takes the cat, Chex, home with her
Plot Point 1- Leona and Tucker begin to get to know each other; she learns that he isn't as perfect as he may let on and he learns about her anger issues.
Act 2
Rising Action- Evan starts working in the concert hall, Tucker introduces Leona to his grandmother
Midpoint- Carlos finds out about Tucker after his grandmother dies. Carlos attacks him; Tucker goes to the hospital and stays in the same room that his grandmother stayed in and Leona gets mad at Carlos and wrecks his gaming set up.
Plot Point 2- Leona and Tucker start to date with a few hiccups in between (H1- Leona is scared to date Tucker because of commitment issues, H2- Tucker is accused of stealing money)
Act 3
The bleak moment- Tucker and Leona fight over him going home; he goes home and doesn't say goodbye to Leona
Climax- Tucker comes back and tells Leona that he's moving there to honor his grandmother's wishes (to continue the family business) and it is revealed that his mother left them
Denounement- Leona and Tucker start to go to the same high school
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For those that skipped over that chart I just made, here is the explanation for it:
Act 1
a. Exposition- include setting, characters, and events to introduce theme.
b. Inciting incident- this is what entices your character to fight for what's theirs/go on a journey.
c. Point of no return- this is where the character chooses to embark on their journey because of an internal realization, typically caused by a physical event.
d. Plot point 1- this is the place you remind yourself what the character's goal for the first part of the book is/jot down the first important events
Act 2
a. Rising action- all of the events that propel the story toward the climax b. Midpoint- halfway through most stories, there is a surprising turn of events that complicates things before the climax, which usually leads to the bleak moment. c. Plot point 2- character's goals for the second part of the book
Act 3
a. Bleak moment- this is the part of the story where everything is hopeless. Your main character (MC) has given up on their quest and nothing seems possible. This is where your MC is willing to sacrifice themselves and give up fighting for what's right. This leads up to the climax and usually ends with an inspirational speech by a mentor or renewed strength. b. Climax- the main part of the story. The epic fight scene between the hero and the villain. The part where the couple gets reunited. c. Denounement- The happy (or sad) ending that concludes the story.
The point I'm trying to make is if you are lost in the book, have writer's block, or have a ton of plot holes, consider beginning to plan your stories with charts.
For Alphabet of Social Etiquette, I ended up having 6 pages of planning, including detailed character charts and themes. Planning your stories may seem tedious and time-consuming, but trust me, it works in the long run for a cohesive story.
