What You Need To Know About The Plot Of Your Novel

Before you dive straight into the deep end of your novel it's important to have a bit of an understanding about what you're going to write about - before you start writing it.

Now don't click away thinking that I'm about to take you through some sort of outline practice for your novel. This article is not so much making a road map of your novel, it's more like finding out and knowing where you're starting, where you're planning to end up, and where you're stopping for snacks and bathroom breaks along the way.

What Do They Want?

A story is more than just telling the narrative of this great adventure your characters go on where they meet fantastical people and then just go on living their lives.

Your characters need to want something - the plot. What is it that your readers are waiting for your characters to accomplish from that first page and throughout the story?

Are they looking for a way to save their village? Stop a corrupt world leader? Just get back home from the broom closet they fell into? Your characters want something so take some time to figure out what it is.

What's In The Way?

Your character wants something as we established now it's time for you to figure out what it is that is getting in their way or the conflict that keeps challenging your character. What obstacles are you going to keep throwing in their way until they eventually overcome them or get defeated by them?

More than just some outside opposing force what flaw do they have that is also going to constantly keep keeping in their way? Are they stubborn to the point they won't ask for help? Do they constantly misjudge everyone they meet?

Your characters should be facing an inner plot and an outer plot to drive your story forward.

How Are They Going to Change?

Your characters are not going to come out the other side of your story the same way they went in. The things they face, the places they visit, and the people they meet, are all going to change them in some way.

If they were prideful have they now learned humility? If they were stubborn have they now become more willing to compromise? Have they learned from their jealousy, their impulsiveness, their impatience to see the harm in their flaws and come out a better person in the end?

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Before you start writing your novel you should a have basic idea of what is going to take place further than that "What If" moment that brought the idea to you in the first place.

This process doesn't have to be long or complicated, most of the time it can be completed in less than an hour of brainstorming or while you are in the shower.

The point is to make sure that you have a general idea before you start writing to save yourself a bunch of rewriting in the end.

Best of luck!

With love,

B.K. xo xo

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This story was originally posted on Medium.

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