Plotting Smarter with Freytag's Pyramid

I am not one of those writers who outlines everything. I despise outlines. I feel like it's more work to write a decent outline than it is to hammer out fifteen pages in an hour. I thought I would never grow to appreciate outlining--until I learned all about Freytag's Pyramid.

Freytag's Pyramid, for those of you who are a little confused, is a pattern used to display the conflict progression in a story. Most of you have seen it before, even if you didn't know what it was called. The pyramid looks like this:

It's fine if that picture doesn't do it for you. It doesn't do it for me, either. Let me explain what all those words mean for the sake of your novel or short story.

1. Exposition. This term refers to the start of a story. The exposition lets reader's get a sense of the setting, characters, atmosphere, and sometimes even the conflict of a piece. In order to move from the exposition, there must be some kind of inciting incident that presents the protagonist with a problem to solve.


2. Rising action. This part of the plot revolves around complications. Obstacles from the antagonist, minor characters, or other elements such as nature prevent the protagonist from reaching his or her goals. More conflicts arise, and tension mounts.


3. Climax. The point of highest drama in a literary work. Everything that has been simmering under the surface comes to a head during the climax. It is also referred to as the "turning point" because it changes everything for the protagonist--for better or worse.


4. Falling Action. The danger has passed, the climax ends, and the main conflict begins to wrap itself up.


5. Denouement. Also called the resolution, the denouement refers to the end of the piece, after all the loose ends have been tied up into a bow. Side conflicts are resolved and the characters in the story return to their normal lives, somehow different than they were at the exposition.

See? Geometry can be exciting, even to fiction writers. But how can you use Freytag's Pyramid as a plotting tool? This is a loose outline I compiled using this technique:

1. Sharon Prince is a struggling actress searching for work in New York City. She's been living in Manhattan for a couple of months, and she has yet to find a job. When the rent for her apartment goes up, she realizes she has to become a waitress.


2. Sharon waits tables at a diner in Times Square. She doesn't get paid much, but at least she's making money. A customer leaves her a massive tip one night. She thinks she will finally be able to make rent.


3. On her back back to the apartment, Sharon accidentally leaves her wallet on the subway. She's sure someone has stolen it. She breaks down crying on the front stoop of her building.


4. A man from the subway approaches Sharon and tries to comfort her. He hands her the wallet she thought had been stolen. He tells her that she is too pretty to cry. She tells him what's happening. He suggests she attend a casting call taking place the next morning.


5. Sharon gives the guy her number and skips up the steps. She pays her rent and returns to her apartment to practice her audition.

As you can see, this outline is rough, but it should be enough to get my point across. The great thing about Freytag's Pyramid is that it allows you to get the sense of security from the outline while allowing for some breathing room. The next time you want to plot your story, experiment with this simple technique.

Guest Post: Molly Ford of Smart, Pretty, and Awkward!

I've been following Molly Ford's blog, Smart, Pretty, and Awkward, for over a year now. I've loved every minute of it. The concept of the blog is simple: each post contains three bits of advice on how to be smarter, prettier, and (less) awkward. Since the simple things in life are often the most captivating, it is no wonder that Molly Ford is as successful as she is. Recently, I set up a couple of interview questions for Molly to answer. She was gracious enough to oblige. Here's how it went:

1. In your guest post on The Future Buzz, you talk a little bit about starting a blog. What are some tips you can give about blogging?

Great question. My best advice that I often give is the Three Month Rule: blog for three months without telling anyone. This gives you time to find your voice in private and confirm that you really like blogging, and it also gives your readers a back log of posts to read and fall in love with for when you do start going public and promoting your blog.

I would emphasize the importance, especially in the beginning while you are growing your audience, of writing consistently. Everything else—the layout of the site, social media promotion, press outreach, etc. can come later.

2. In that same article, you say, "I honestly thought the blog would just be a flash in the pan, just something else I would try, but after a month or so I realized how much I was liking it and just kept writing." What about blogging appeals to you the most?

I think what appeals to me most about blogging is the ability to share something from my heart to an audience that I hope benefits from my writing. I never write a tip that I don’t do myself or wish I had done, so everything I write feels very personal. I like that.

3. Also in the Future Buzz post, you discuss coming up with the idea for SP&A. Where did you get such a unique blog concept?

I honestly wish I had a better answer for this! I knew I wanted to write an advice blog because I don’t want to put super-personal information online, and because I enjoy reading self-help books. Just focusing on “How to be Prettier,” with beauty/fashion tips, was my first thought, but that type of advice wasn’t enough to cover all the topics I was interested in, so I added How to be Smarter. Then I wanted a third topic so the site name would flow well, so I added How to be (less) Awkward to round out the set. I was originally planning for the third section to be called How to be Awkward and have the tips be tongue-in-check and the opposite of what to do, but adding in the (less) made more sense in the long run.

4. Each post on your blog contains three pieces of advice and an inspirational quote. How do you usually discover these items?

I write down ideas for tips all day long. I keep a super long chain of notes in my phone, as well as in a physical notebook I carry around in my bag. I also usually keep a running draft email in gmail of links I’d like to use.

For the quotes, I usually search around for a quote either by a specific author or about a specific topic. Since the quotes are usually the most last-minute thing I include in the post, they are usually the most up-to-the-minute personal: for example, if at that moment I’m feeling happy about a good date or reading a book that references Eleanor Roosevelt, the quote will either be about happiness or relationships, or by Eleanor Roosevelt.

5. After reading the SP&A Press page, it's clear you've developed a following. How has your Internet presence affected your life?

I think about this a lot. I think having an Internet presence has probably affected how new people interact with me, but not the people I’ve known forever. Everyone googles everyone before first dates or job interviews now, so new people probably relate to me differently based on what they have seen online, but not the friends or people I’ve met in real life first or had pre-blog.

6.Based on your blog, you must be a very dedicated individual. How do you stay motivated?

Probably my best tip for staying focused is: no fluff. It it doesn’t add value or make me happy, I don’t do it. There’s just not time.

Probably the best example of no fluff in my life is that I also don’t watch (hardly any) TV. I don’t even own a TV or Netflix account or anything. I know it’s not a popular opinion to say that you don’t watch television, but I really think that not having that in my life leaves me with more free time, which I try to then use wisely.

7. Your About page says that you live in New York City. What are your favorite and least favorite things about living in the Big Apple?

I will cross the four-year mark of living in New York City this year, and I think I love it more than when I first moved here, which is saying a lot because I cried from happiness on my move-in day post-college. New York City is everything, the good and the bad. And there is probably nothing I could say that would be terribly unique to my experience about living here: it’s wonderful, it’s cultured, it’s full of events, it’s expensive, it’s loud, I live in a shoebox. But to paraphrase an email I sent in 2009 to a friend justifying my decision to live in NYC, “I might have anxiety from living in New York, but I would have much worse anxiety about not living here.” New York City is just the place for me. But I also want to be careful about over-romancing NYC, though: it’s not for everyone.

But I would wish for everyone a place they love as much as I love New York. You have to find your New York.

8. Most of your quotes come from famous individuals. Who are your personal role models?

I love Becky Quick from Squawk Box, Bethenny Frankel, and especially Nora Ephron, who has always been my main role model. I also closely follow Sheryl Sandberg’s career and Lori Gottlieb’s writings.

9. It's also clear that you enjoy reading. What are some of your favorite books?

I read mostly non-fiction, with a focus on business, pop psychology, and narrative non-fiction (memoirs, etc). Nora Ephron’s books have probably had the biggest impact on my life in my college and post-college years, but Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers was also a huge influence to me when I read it. I saw Malcolm working in a coffee shop on the east side once, that was awesome. And of course I love Gretchen Rubin…

10. Finally, since you and I both enjoy The Happiness Project, what habits or practices have you created after reading Gretchen Rubin's book?

The Happiness Project was another total life-changing book for me, and I try not to use clichés like “life-changing” lightly. I just love the idea of small tweaks to make life better—that’s the sort of formula my blog is built around. One of my favorite quotes of the author’s, Gretchen Rubin, is that one of the Secrets to Adulthood is to “Be Gretchen.” I love that phrase: “Be Gretchen!”. She’s talking about it in the context of herself, obviously, but I love the idea of just doing you. There are many things I do that others probably would not enjoy, and vice versa. That’s okay. I just have to Be Molly. That’s really the only person that I can be realistically be 100% of the time anyway.

Molly Ford is such an inspiring woman. She's creative, kind, and self-reliant. As a role model and a person, I consider her to be someone worth admiring. If you've never read Smart, Pretty, and Awkward, go check it out right now. Thanks, Molly!

Commission Rant

So I'm angry and hurt and a little offended right now. I posted my "Elvis and Dolly" piece on a few websites last night, and it got a fairly positive response. That's not the part that bothers me. A few hours later, I got a message from a potential client interested in hiring me for a commission.

In the freelance world, this situation isn't unheard of. In most cases it's a pleasant surprise. I'm always relieved when someone approaches me without me having to pitch an idea to them first. I messaged this man back asking what he had in mind for the price he'd quoted. He messaged me back. It wasn't at all what I expected.

This particular client was offering to pay me an impressive sum of money to collaborate with him in a sexual roleplay scenario. He wanted me to portray the role of Lily, a straight-A student about to graduate from a master's program who is blackmailed by one of her professors. I have never done anything like that before. The fact that this client would even bring such an idea to me is appalling. You see, this request goes a step beyond freelance writing. In this case, he'd be hiring me almost as a phone sex worker.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with phone sex workers. They're creative, hardworking, and often underappreciated members of society. With that being said, though, it isn't for me. Those services are not at all the kind I aim to advertise. I'm offended because it seems to me that my womanhood is a bigger player in this industry that I anticipated. If I were a man submitting that story, I doubt this particular client would have decided to approach me.

I want to write. My dream is to work for a magazine and write some short stories and novels on the side. I enjoy freelance writing, and the clients I currently work with are such a blessing to me. Yes, I like getting commissioned. Yes, I need the money. But am I willing to compromise my morals and my professional reputation for a few extra dollars? Not at all.

I'm a twenty-year-old woman and a professional writer. Both aspects are a part of my everyday life, but they need not necessarily define me as an individual. I want to do good work. I want to make God, my friends, and my family proud. I don't want to participate in sex roleplays for money.  I want to be treated and respected as a person, an artist, and a working-class citizen.

How to Write a Novel in a Month (The Easy Way!)

Today I stumbled across this interesting article by Maya Rodale with The Huffington Post. Written in honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), this articles gives some tips and tricks for cranking out a novel in close to thirty days. This method is the one I've been using for my novels, so I thought I'd share. Here's what it says:

November is National Novel Writing Month and in honor of that, I thought I'd share my system (developed over the course of writing 10-plus books) for quickly producing a good novel without a ton of angst and anguish.
If cutting yourself off from the world (and Internet) at a five-star hotel with excellent room service is not an option, try the following:

Know your characters. A novel won't work without fully developed, compelling characters. Take the time to know the hero and heroines story before you start plotting or writing. You may never explicitly use this information in the text, but it will enhance your story.

An outline is totally worth your time. I know, you want to start immediately and see where the muse leads you. Well, the muse is a trickster and may lead you down a dead end path. Or perhaps she's using Apple Maps. With an outline, you know where you're heading and have an idea of the route you're going to take, which makes for a smoother journey. You can always take side trips.

Draft #1: Focus on dialogue.
Estimate word count: 40,000
The first draft of my novels is entirely dialogue. This is the most direct way to make sure your characters are telling the story and moving it forward. Unless it's a multicharacter scene, I won't even include tags like "he said" or "she said." If you can't tell when your hero or heroine is talking without identifying it, then it's a sign you need to go back and work on their character and voice.

Draft #2: Crank out everything else.
Estimated word count: 65,000
This is another FAST draft full of description and everything else. It's full of really awkward sentences and misplaced punctuation marks. I add lots of "TKs" (wherever something is "to come") when I'm not sure of a word but just want to keep going.

>Print, read, make notes. Print out a copy and read it with a pen in hand. You're not just looking for typos or ways to tighten your sentences, but also trying to figure out how the story hangs together before you write so many words that it's a nightmare to relocate scenes. Likewise, it's far easier on the soul to cut fluffy, useless scenes when you haven't invested much time in them.

Draft 3: Craft.
Word count: 80,000
This is where it starts to get good. You've cut the rubbish scenes, sketched out some new ones. I go over each scene, line by line, really crafting my sentences by cutting useless words and selecting the very best ones to use. This is slow going, but it's where the magic happens.

Draft 4: Give it to someone to read and do something else.
Find someone willing to read your manuscript with fresh eyes while you allow your eyes to rest by working on something else entirely. I like to get a few people to read it, if I can. And then I do not revise until I've gotten everyone's feedback. If three out of three people say your first chapter is weak, it is. If one person says your heroine is vapid, one person loves her, and another commented on something else...well, that's a muddle to sort though and it's up to you.

Revise. Again.

Revise. Again.

Send it off into the world. After spending years in the writing world, I suspect that this is the step where most authors fail. This is what separates the published from the unpublished. I think there are many excellent books tucked under beds...but you're not competing with those. You're competing with the ones composed by brave authors.

So that, more or less, is the process for writing a novel in a short amount of time with limited stress and anxiety. All it comes down to is prewriting, outlining, and blood, sweat, and tears poured onto your paper or over your keyboard.

What do you think? How do you write a novel?

Selections from Pixar's 22 Rules for Storytelling

Note: This information comes from the following article. I cannot take credit for any of these rules.

When I stumbled on Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling, I realized the company knows exactly what they're doing. It's clear to me now why Pixar is the leading contender when it comes to film and animation. Here are a few of my favorite points:

#2: Keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.

#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard. Get yours working up front.

#9: When you're stuck, make a list of what wouldn't happen next. More often than not, the material that gets you unstuck appears.

#15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.

#19: Coincidences that get characters into trouble are great. Coincidences that get them out of it is cheating.

#22: Putting it on paper allows you to start fixing it. If a perfect idea stays in your head, you'll never share it with anyone.

These are just a few of the excellent tips Pixar offers about storytelling. Interested? Read them all. You just might learn something.

What do you think? What is your favorite storytelling tip?

How to Get Into Your Characters' Heads

As a writer, I know it's difficult to get inside your characters' heads, especially if a character is different from you. Creating believable characters means getting to know a character all the way down to the core of his or her being. If you're finding it hard to identify with your character and figure out everything that makes him or her tick, consider trying the following strategies:

Write an entry in your character's journal.

Write a letter from your character to a friend or loved one.

Walk, talk, eat, and move like your character for a set amount of time.

Write a bulleted list of important moments in your character's life.

Make a playlist of songs that remind you of your character.

These are just a couple of techniques for getting over writer's block where characters are concerned.

What do you think? How do you get into your characters' heads?

What They Don't Tell You About Writing

What they don't tell you about writing is the massive chore it is, even for writers. Many times a week I sit down at my desk to write, but nothing happens. Although I enjoy the finished creation, the writing itself takes a whole lot of energy. It's utterly exhausting.

Sometimes, too, the words don't come. I sit at my desk, fingers poised over the keys, and stare at the monitor in helpless frustration. My mind is as empty as the processor before me--this is the infamous "writer's block" every writer learns to fear, I change the scene, the character, the point of view--nothing works. Nothing inspires me.

Whenever this happens, I tell myself I can't leave my chair until I write something. All I have to do is convince my hands to move. Even if my words are crap, what matters is that I'm getting down words. I have plenty of time to edit much later.

Writing is tremendous work. It's hard to make progress without taking breaks. The problem with breaks? They can derail your focus. The passage of time in itself is a nightmare. Five minutes go by and it feels like an hour. I'm surprised when I look at the clock. I'm also mortified. How could I have made so little progress in an hour?

What they don't tell you is that writing is work.

Some of the cliches ring truer than I'd like. Writers are often impoverished creatures fueled by caffeine and a shot at immortality. Some are fueled by drugs and booze. Some even take the plunge headfirst into addiction.

It's also true that writers usually suffer from depression at least once in their lives. Writers are observant, curious, and introspective. We see the bad things in society, and we see that no one is trying to fix them. We wonder why the worst things happen to the nicest people. We're spending so much time with our thoughts, we forget there is also a bright side to life.

Writers are more prone to notice little pleasures. We notice the young man helping the young woman. We see the woman carrying someone's groceries. Humanity has a silver lining. We can, with practice, see the love in this sad life.

What they don't tell you about writing--not enough, anyway--is that it can improve. You'll always be able to polish your work. There is always hope, no matter what. With a lot of practice, you'll get better. You'll soon be seeing the bright side of life.

Writing is an instrument for reconciliation. It soothes the dreamer, the creator, and the optimist in us. It reveals the context of humanity in the grand scheme of the universe, and it helps us come to terms with our temporary being.

More than anything, though, writing nourishes the soul.

What they don't tell you about writing is that it makes up both the pit and the pinnacle of human existence.

At the end of the day, that's what makes the work worth it.

The 4 "A"s of Characterization

Every writer understands the importance of creating believable characters. Story revolves around people--therefore, characters are arguably more important than plot. Whether you're writing a novel, short story, memoir, or personal essay, it's vital that you make your actors as three-dimensional as possible. Consider the following four "A"s of characterization:

1. Actions. What risks has the character taken in the past? How has he or she treated family and friends? What about enemies? What hobbies does he or she enjoy? What has your character done? What is he or she doing in the story?

2. Attitudes. How does the character feel about gay marriage, abortion, religion, and other  hot-button issues? What are your characters' views on the world?

3. Artifacts. What are your characters' prized possessions? What shelter do they have? What cars do they drive? What's the first thing they'd save in the event of a fire?

4. Accounts. What are some noteworthy anecdotes about these characters? What do other people have to say about them? What rumors have been circulated?

This is a rough list of just a few questions you can use to generate information for your four A's. If you want better characters, give this system a try. And good luck.

What do you think of this system? How do you like to flesh out your characters?

The Importance of Daily Writing

If you've ever been an athlete or have known any athletes, you know that they practice often in order to improve their strength, skill, and stamina. When game day comes around, the football player wants to score a touchdown, so he runs drills and plays scrimmages to prepare himself for the real test. If athletes don't practice, nothing improves.

The same is true with writing. Unless you write a little each and every day, you can't expect to see any improvement.

Before I started writing every day, I was unhappy with my prose. I couldn't figure out why parts of it looked so clumsy and unskilled. Once I made a conscious effort to not only read more but to also write at least 500 words each day, I saw drastic results. My writing improved, my confidence soared, and I developed a deeper appreciation for the craft of written language.

How much should you write each day? Honestly, it's up to you. Stephen King pumps out no less than ten pages each day, but that terrifies me, so I aim for 500 words of anything before I go to bed. A lot of beginning authors start with 350 words. Some aim much higher, aspiring for King's lofty standards. Still others write not by word count, but by time. I know writers who set a timer for fifteen or thirty minutes and pound away until the buzzer goes off.

You should choose whichever system works the best for you. The only thing that matters is that you write every day, even when you feel uninspired.

What do you think? How much do you try to write each day?

The Beginner's Guide to Daily Writing

When I first started writing on a semi-regular basis, I wondered why I didn't seem to be improving any. Eventually, I realized that if I wanted to get better, I had to put in the extra effort. Practice makes perfect and all that jazz. It's only by writing every day that we can become more talented writers. If you don't write every day, I want you to start. Honestly, it doesn't take much. All you have to do is:

1. Pick a specific time to write. Try to make this the same time every day. For example, I write in the mornings before I go to class, while my brain is fresh and I'm feeling dreamy. Some people work better at night, though, so keep that in mind. Choose the time of day that works the best for you.

2. Get comfortable writing in bite-size chunks. Daily writing isn't about getting finished--it's about making progress. You don't have to write for three or four hours in order to move forward in your growing draft. Start by committing fifteen minutes to your work. If you think you can handle it, increase your time limit.

3. Consider writing to meet a word count. Again, this method doesn't work for everyone. Personally, I'd rather write on a time limit than trying to meet a word count. Try both methods and see what works for you. Set your word count low, but not too low. Make it challenging.

4. Reward yourself. Every time you complete a daily writing session, bake some cookies, buy a new shirt, or watch an episode of your favorite show. You'll be surprised how much these simple treats can motivate you.

5. If you miss a day, don't beat yourself up. Forgive your mistake and move on to the next day.

Basically, all daily writing requires is time, goal, and reward commitments. It's so easy to get started with daily writing sessions, so seriously, what are you waiting for? Get out there and write!

What do you think? What are your methods for writing every day?

How to Develop Stronger Characters

In contemporary fiction, one of the greatest tendencies of the budding novelist is to develop characters that are flatter than the state of Florida. One-dimensional characters create boredom, prevent your reader from sympathizing with them, and make your entire story fall flat. If you're looking for a way to improve your character development, here are some tips for building better people to inhabit your next story:

1. Watch out for cliches. We're all familiar with "the hooker with the heart of gold" (Pretty Woman) and the unreliable narrator with dissociative identity disorder (Fight Club, Secret Window). No one wants to read about a character they've met before. Put simply, if you've heard it or seen it in a movie, on television, or in another book, either throw it out or turn it on its head.

2. After you've managed to pick out the cliches, look for ways to defy your readers' preconceived expectations. For example, if your protagonist is a cheerleader who is sleeping with the football team, find a way to change it up and deviate from the stereotype. You could, for instance, paint a picture of an unattractive cheerleader who only made the squad because her mom is the school principal. See how much more interesting that is already?

3. Give your characters flaws. In the previous example about the unattractive cheerleader, the protagonist's flaw would be her homely appearance. Flaws are essential to characterization because they make your characters seem more human--and, as a result, much more sympathetic. When developing flaws for your characters, consider the emotional and mental as well as the physical. While there's nothing wrong with making a character fat or ugly, wouldn't it be more interesting to give them schizophrenia?

4.Don't go overboard with physical description. It doesn't matter too much what your character looks like. Just give a brief overview--with one striking detail, such as a beaked nose--and your audience will be able to come up with the rest.

5. If you can't get into a character's head, try writing up a one-page character history. On this page, you can include your character's age, appearance, wishes, dreams, failures, successes, possessions, love interests, hobbies, occupations, philosophies, and so much more. This piece of paper will be a guideline as you go through writing a draft of the piece. Not all of the information needs to make it into the work itself, but it's useful to keep in mind.

In closing, characters are one of the most significant elements regarding writing fiction. After all, most people read fiction to learn about people who are different from themselves. By improving the quality and depth of your characters, you can make your prose much more appealing to your readers.

What do you think about these tips? How do you go about creating your characters?

The Magic of a Story

More Methods to Overcome Writer's Block

In my last post, I gave you several prompts and lines of dialogue to jump-start the creative process and help you get back to writing. Occasionally, a line or two of dialogue is simply not enough. When you find yourself facing writer's block again, give these techniques a try to get your work moving again:

• Read a book
• Clean your house
• Watch television
• Go for a walk
• Turn on some music and dance
• Cook or bake something
• Call a friend or loved one
• Go for a drive
• Go shopping
• Play with your pet
• Take a long bath or shower
• Work in the garden
• Have a cup of tea or coffee
• Write in your journal
• Take a nap
• Play a board or video game
• Vacuum
• Clean the toilet
• Do the dishes
• Go to the park
• Plan a vacation
• Light a candle
• Do the laundry
• Go out and take some pictures
• Watch a movie
• Listen to an audiobook or a podcast
• Have a glass of wine
• Cry
• Sing like no one can hear you
• Go shopping
• Go shopping online
• Go for a swim
• Get some sunshine
• Have a snack
• Go to the zoo
• Visit an aquarium
• Go to a museum
• Visit an art gallery
• Go to a concert
• Play in the rain

Here are a few suggestions to help you get unstuck whenever you're feeling creatively blocked. The key for getting past writer's block is distracting yourself from your work long enough to let your mind wander.

What do you think of these tips? How do you overcome writer's block?

Squelch Writer's Block with These Opening Lines

“I do not hate you.”

“Hit me again.”

“I need another.”

“Stay on this train until the end of the line.”

“This is all I have.”

She stared at him, saying nothing.

He knows it’s wrong, but he can’t help himself.

“What if he says no?”

“You really got ripped off.”

“What kind of woman does something like that?”

I told her I couldn’t.”

“I never said a word.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

She couldn’t talk to him anymore.

“Turn the music up, please.”

I’ve never been in love before.

“He’s just a friend.”

“Of course it’s stupid.”

“Do you think we should do it?”

All they needed was each other.

“Why do you ask?”

I had never imagined the end of the world.

“Get out of my house.”

“Do you ever get lonely?”

“I don’t need your help.”

She squints in the bright light pouring in through the windows.

“You never listen to me.”

“There’s a time and a place.”

“You promised me.”

“I’m so, so sorry.”

“Your hair smells like strawberries.”

“I don’t like the snow.”

“Funny weather, isn’t it?”

“Excuse me.”

“What do you think?”

“We’re out of milk.”

“What time is it?”

“You’re stupid.”

She was not a beautiful woman.

“How are you, really?”

“Do you find me attractive?”

“Are you married?”

“I’m a moron.”

“How could I have avoided it?”

“No, I’m not sorry.”

He thought he was better off without her.

“Forget I said anything.”

She had grown to love the sound of rain.

The Index Card Method

A little while ago, I introduced you to the Signpost Outline Method for plotting stories. This technique worked for me for a little while, but I’ve never been a fan of outlines. They can feel too rigid sometimes; too strict; too limiting, if you will. While using the Signpost method, you might also find yourself feeling trapped. You might be looking for another, less confining method, and if that’s the case, then I have a potential solution. This next method is something that I discovered around the same time as the Signpost method, but I personally feel that it is much more helpful.

First of all, get a stack of index cards. It doesn’t matter how many – just make sure you have enough to realistically plan a whole novel or short story. If you’d like a number count, I tend to shoot for twenty to twenty-five cards for a novel and four to five cards for a short story. Each index card will represent a scene in your work. On each index card, write a single action. By the time you’re finished, you should have a string of plotted actions that look something like this:

Atalanta leaves Anderson for Julian.
Atalanta stays the week with Julian.
Julian tells Atalanta that he yearns for control and power.
Julian refers Alaric to Atalanta.
Alaric meets with Atalanta for a consultation.

Alternately, you could put the actions down on paper. However, I prefer index cards because a) they’re informal, b) they’re portable, and c) you can move them around to change the sequence of events. Once I have all of my actions written down, I like to spread the cards out on the floor and rearrange them several times until I find the ideal sequence. Sometimes, when you do this, you’ll find arrangements that surprised you – sequences of events you hadn’t thought about before. This method also helps you get past writer’s block by reimagining the story arc.

The Index Card Method might now work for everyone, but I wanted to suggest it in case you were looking to try something new. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this technique! Have you used the Index Card Method before? Which method of outlining do you prefer? Leave your comments below, and I’d be happy to respond to them!