5 Minute Plot-Maker

I am, quite obviously, blogging about a five minute plot maker. I'm also here to tell you that this may take longer. Like, maybe ten minutes. I know, I know. False advertising. But, seriously, who's counting?

Now, I am a pantser when it comes to writing. Plotting. Is. Exhausting. Usually the realization that plotting might be necessary happens to me when I'm 70% done with the book and still don't know how it's going to end.

I came up with this idea when my sister was bemoaning to me about how she couldn't for the life of her figure out the plot of her book. Well, future book.

Basically, you go through five steps.

1. Pick a genre.
2. Pick a word that describes the feeling you want your book to have.
3. World-build, using the genre and word choice.
4. As Pacific Rim says, make sure your character and world are "drift compatible".
5. Give your character a kaiju.

I am totally aware that it might take more than five minutes. But the whole meaning of this thingy is to learn not to over think. When you answer the questions, you only have the backbone of what your story can become. Now, I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure the human anatomy has a bunch more bones that all come together to make one, big, massive skeleton. Bad analogy, I know, but it sort've works.

You should already have a story and character in mind when you start. Just use whatever pops into your head first. And an arch-enemy? Make it whatever the heck you want. What if ninja pops into your head first? Okay, then. Make it a ninja with whatever twists you come up with. What if creepy twins is the first thing you think? Creepy twins it is.

The point is not to get every detail right the first time. It's to learn that everything your story will become will start with two simple words-- Chapter One. Or just one. Like Prologue or something.

Also really quick, um, sorry for not posting in eons. I have no excuse other than I'm lazy and over-stressed and those two things don't really go hand-in-hand.

Like, at all.

Later,

Tansie G.