NINE STEPS FOR PLOTTING A FICTION FOUNDATION
Start with a piece of paper. It should be large enough to write on. 8.5 x 11 is perfect. Draw two parallel lines both vertically and horizontally across the page, creating 9 comparable boxes, as if you were starting a game of tic-tac-toe. These boxes represent either chapters, scenes, or sections, depending upon your book’s intended length.
Number the boxes, starting from the upper left: 1, 2, 3.
Next row, starting from the left: 4, 5, 6.
Last row: 7, 8, 9.
Title each box…
Box 1) Triggering Event
First thing’s first. What happens? Why have you bothered to write a book, and more importantly, why should a reader invest time flipping through its pages. Your “triggering event” is the answer to those questions, so make it a good one. Also, don’t make the reader wait very long for it. First sentence, first paragraph, first page. These are good spots for a triggering event.
Box 2) Characterization
Generally, books succeed or fail on the strength of their characters more so than on the strength of their plots. While your protagonist may have been involved in the “triggering event” there wasn’t time in Box 1 to characterize him or her. Here’s where you explore what makes your protagonist tick. No, this isn’t an excuse for drawn out exposition, history, or back story. If your “triggering event” is captivating, the reader will discover enough about the protagonist in Box 2 simply by reading how he or she reacts to Box 1.
Box 3) First Turning Point
By now, your plot is picking up steam, and because of Box 2, the reader is invested in the ride. Time to throw a monkey wrench into the works. This turning point can be either a positive event for your protagonist, or a negative one, but it should be directly related to either a character flaw or trait your protagonist demonstrates in Box 2 (see, there’s a reason these boxes are touching one another – keep this in mind when you get to Box 6).
Box 4) Exposition
You’ve earned some time to fill the reader in on important data. Since this box touches Box 1, here’s where you shed some light on that “triggering event” and since it also touches Box 7, you get to foreshadow your protagonist’s darkest hour. In common cases, for example, Box 4 can reveal a relationship dynamic or a character flaw that contributes to the dark times in ahead.
Box 5) Connect the Dots
Box 5 represents the trickiest part of fiction, and is often where plots fall apart, or where authors experience massive writer’s block. Since Box 5 is the center of the book, it touches, and therefore must relate to, all the boxes around it. Kind of like a nucleus at the center of an atom bomb, Box 5 should tick systematically upon elements introduced in Box 2 and Box 4. And like the calm before the storm, Box 5 should give the false impression of resolution before heading like a freight train to Box 6. Most importantly, it needs to provide subtle, foreshadowing support for the protagonist’s revelation in Box 8.
Box 6) Negative Turning Point
Here’s where that atom bomb explodes and all hell breaks loose. It’s a shock to the reader, and yet, it makes perfect sense due to the foundation built in Box 3.
Box 7) Antagonist Wins
The protagonist is defeated here, and the antagonist is going to “win.” Even though the reader may have seen Box 6 coming, the protagonist didn’t=. How the protagonist deals with the defeat in Box 7 will depend upon the traits and/or story developed in Box 4, and will lead to Box 8.
Box 8) Revelation
Of course! The protagonist’s revelation turns the tide. Here is where the protagonist connects the dots here, just like the reader did in Box 5. Part of the fun of a great fiction novel is allowing the reader to be just one step ahead of the protagonist, who overcomes the obstacles in Box 8 via the devise introduced in Box 5.
9) Protagonist Wins
The “negative” turning point in Box 6 is rectified while the character’s resolve from Box 8 is brought into full bloom.
Congratulations! Another great tale told greatly.
