Plotting can be super overwhelming. If you’re anything like me, you might find that the moment you plan every detail, the magic of the story starts to fade. Some of us love to dive into the writing process without everything perfectly mapped out, and that’s okay! If you’re the type who loses inspiration once the whole story is laid out, I’m here to help.
In this post, I’m going to show you how you can still make your book work structurally, without having to spend hours pre-planning every little detail. Let's dive in!
Unfortunately, writing a book isn’t as simple as just getting an idea, sitting down, typing it out, and—boom!—a few weeks later, you’ve got an amazing, polished book ready for publishing. Wouldn’t it be great if it worked that way? If you could just have an idea that instantly blossoms into a perfect plot structure with detailed, complex characters, all because you're just that naturally talented? But let’s be real—writing is rarely that straightforward for anyone. Even seasoned authors need to draft, revise, and sometimes completely reimagine their stories to make them truly shine.
Pantsing vs. Plotting
If you’re a pantser, it means you don’t plan out your story in advance. You sit down, start writing, and just see where your characters take you. It’s about discovering the story as you write, relying on instinct, and allowing the narrative to develop organically. There’s no rigid structure—you’re letting the story guide itself, and often, it can feel exciting, spontaneous, and sometimes even magical.
Plotting, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. Plotters are those who meticulously outline their entire story before they start writing. They create detailed character sketches, develop scene-by-scene breakdowns, and often know every major plot point long before they start typing chapter one. Plotting allows for a clearer sense of direction and can make it easier to stay on track, especially when dealing with more complex narratives.
This is also called discovery writing—when you sit down, have a vague idea, and just follow the thread of your thoughts until you finish the first draft. Through this process, you begin to understand what your story really is. Some people may mistakenly think that pantsing means you’re just sitting down and writing whatever comes to mind without doing any planning beforehand. However, I’d argue that this is a misconception.
What I prefer to do is create a vague, general outline of the main plot beats—the most important moments—and then dive into the actual writing. I find that I don’t like to stay stuck in the outlining phase for too long. It’s important for me to start writing and let the story take shape more naturally, which keeps the process exciting.
If you can find a happy middle ground between pantsing and plotting and feel comfortable there, that’s actually a great place to be. In fact, this balance is often ideal for many authors—it allows you to have some structure while still giving you the freedom to be creative as you write. However, it’s worth noting that every writer has their own preferences.
Some prefer a strict, rigid approach to outlining everything before even writing a word. They want to know where each chapter is going and how each character will develop step by step. Others are more free-spirited and like to discover their characters and plotlines as they go, letting the story evolve naturally.
Think of it as a scale—on one end, you have the plotters, and on the other end, you have the pantsers. Most writers find themselves somewhere in between, and wherever you fall on that scale is completely valid. The key is figuring out what works best for you, your creativity, and the story you're trying to tell.
Over-plotting Will Destroy Your Project
Alright, let’s dive into the first topic I wanted to discuss today. When you get into too much detail—like defining every little aspect of your world, determining exactly which plot beats need to happen, planning which chapters they’ll appear in, or figuring out how your characters will react to every single situation—you can easily get overwhelmed. This is because you're trying to control every moment, and ironically, this can make you feel like you’ve lost control over the project.
The act of over-plotting can sometimes make your story feel rigid and suffocating, as if everything is predetermined and there's no room for creativity or spontaneity. If everything is already planned out and there are no surprises left, the fun and excitement of writing can start to fade. You might even start to feel trapped by your own meticulous plans, like there are strict boundaries that you can’t cross, even though it’s your project, and you have full creative control.
It’s really important to remind yourself that you do have that creative control.
Another major problem with over-planning is that it can lead to staying stuck in the planning process. This means you might never move away from the outlining stage—you keep tweaking and expanding your outline, and you never actually write down that first chapter. Essentially, you might end up paralyzed by your own planning. You know so much about what should happen, but the idea of actually starting becomes overwhelming.
I’ve talked to so many writers and clients who’ve reached out to me with this exact problem. They’ll say, “Oh my god, I’ve made this massive outline, but I have no idea how to start. How do I actually begin writing?”
As a fiction writing coach, what I do with my clients is get them thinking through their story and working on their outline, but I also encourage them to start writing the first chapter as soon as they’re able. Usually, within a week or two of working with them and helping them figure out the essence of their idea, I’ll tell them, “Okay, now you need to write that first chapter.”
What You NEED Before Writing
So, there are definitely some foundational elements that you'll want to think about before you start writing your story, regardless of whether you're a pantser, a plotter, or someone in between. These elements help give your story a starting framework and can make the entire writing process smoother and more coherent. Let's dive into them:
1. Whose Story Are You Actually Telling?
The first thing you need to determine is whose story this is. Who is the leading character—the hero or protagonist—that your audience is supposed to root for? You need to understand them deeply, to know them inside and out. You don’t need to know every single detail before you begin, but the better you know them, the easier it will be to write them authentically.
2. Narrative Perspective
Are you writing in first-person, where you're diving directly into your character's thoughts and emotions? Or perhaps in third-person, where you can decide how close or distant you want to be to your character. Whatever perspective you choose, it’s crucial to understand why you chose it. The why behind your narrative choices will impact how readers experience your story.
3. The World and Its Vibe
The world of your story, its vibe, and the other characters are also elements you'll want to think about before you begin. What are the tropes you plan to use? What genre are you working in? If you’re writing a horror set in a haunted house, for example, there are certain tropes that readers might expect—like eerie noises, mysterious backstories, or a ghostly presence. Think about which of these established tropes you want to include and which ones you want to twist or discard. This will help establish your setting and the kind of characters that are likely to inhabit it.
4. Why Are You Telling This Story?
Probably the most important question you need to answer is: Why are you telling this story? What does the story mean to you? What question are you exploring through it? Having a clear sense of the core message or theme can guide you through those difficult moments when you hit a wall. If you don’t know why you’re telling your story, it will be much harder to push through the challenging parts.
When you encounter obstacles in your writing, knowing the "why" behind your story will give you the push you need to climb over those walls and keep going. Having a purpose or a message at the heart of your story is the anchor that keeps you committed, even when you feel lost in the process.
Easy Story Structure
Now we've come to the most sensitive part, and this is plot. I need you to actually keep your plot in mind before you dive into the story. I'm not saying that you need to know everything that happens, nor am I suggesting that you must build an intricate outline or meticulously craft a chapter-by-chapter treatment before you begin. You don’t need to do any of those things, but you do need to have at least a general sense of where your story is taking you and where it might end.
Think of it like this: before setting off on a road trip, you don’t need to know every turn or stop, but it helps to know the destination and some of the major points along the way. By doing so, you’ll feel less overwhelmed and more confident as you write, allowing your creativity to flourish without feeling completely lost.
Let's go through the major plot beats you should have in mind:
1. The Inciting Incident
The inciting incident is the moment that sets your story in motion. It’s that first event that shakes your protagonist out of their day-to-day life and pushes them toward the beginning of their journey. It could be an unexpected invitation, a life-altering revelation, or some dramatic twist that changes everything for them. This is where the story begins to diverge from their routine and a new path starts to unfold.
2. First Plot Point
Next, you have the first plot point, which is crucial but often overlooked. This is the point where your protagonist makes an active decision to pursue whatever external goal has been presented to them. It’s no longer just about something happening to them—they decide to take action.
3. Midpoint
The midpoint is what keeps your story from suffering from a “saggy middle.” It’s often the most overlooked part of the story structure, but it’s essential to keep the momentum going. The midpoint is usually a significant twist or revelation that changes your character's understanding of their situation, introducing new stakes or shifting their goals.
4. The Worst Moment
Think about the worst moment in your story—sometimes referred to as the "darkest hour" or "all is lost" moment. This is when your protagonist hits rock bottom. It’s the point where everything seems lost, and the protagonist has to face their deepest fears or suffer their most significant loss. What’s the worst possible thing that could happen to your character?
5. The Ending
Finally, have at least a vague idea of how you want your story to end. Is it a happy ending, where all the loose ends are tied up and your protagonist achieves their goal? Or is it bittersweet, where they gain something but lose something else in return? Or maybe it’s a tragedy where things fall apart completely.
One thing I want to stress is that your outline will change. When writing your first draft, treat your outline as a live document. What do I mean by that? When you are writing your first draft, you are still in the process of discovering your story. You are learning about your characters, figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and testing ideas that might need revision. Your outline should grow and evolve along with your story. Maybe a character’s motivation changes midway through, or an unexpected twist pops up that makes the story richer—that’s fantastic. Adjust the outline accordingly.
Tricks For Non-Plotters
Flashlight Method. If you haven’t heard of it, here’s the gist: it’s a form of discovery writing. Get familiar with basic story structures and then outline only a chapter (or even just a few scenes) at a time before you sit down to write them. This approach allows you to explore and discover the rest of your story without feeling confined to a rigid outline.
Imagine your writing journey as navigating through a dark room with only a flashlight. You can only see what’s illuminated by the beam, so you focus on the immediate path ahead, writing one chapter or scene at a time. This way, you allow for spontaneity and creativity as you explore your narrative.
Living Outline. As ideas come to you while writing your first draft, jot them down in this file without stopping to edit or analyze them too closely. Think of it as a brain dump where you capture your thoughts, inspirations, and potential changes without overthinking.
Be okay with messiness and non-linear writing. This is especially common among pantsers, who often jump from scene to scene as inspiration strikes. If you find yourself moving from writing the first chapter to jumping straight to a pivotal moment later in the story, embrace it!
Familiarize Yourself with Story Structures. I know this might feel counterintuitive to the idea of pantsing, but the more you understand story structure, the easier it is to write organically. This knowledge acts as a framework that can guide your creativity.
Let Your Characters Take Over. If you have a clear understanding of your character's internal conflict and their general journey, don’t hesitate to allow them to take the reins. This can lead to unexpected and exciting directions in your narrative.
Trust your characters to lead you where they need to go. They often know more about the story than you do at times! Embrace their voice and let it guide your writing.
Char Anna
Char is the author of the writing guide ‘Finish Your First Novel’ and the founder of The Plottery. She’s been in the biz since 2021, and holds a BA in Film & Screenwriting as well as an MA in Creative Writing from Edinburgh Napier University.
Char resides in rainy Scotland with her pup Lavender (who is anything but calm, contrary to what her name suggests), and she writes darker fiction that focuses on unusual family dynamics and lots of queerness.
