E. L. Lyons – On Flexible Plotting

8 min read

Welcome friend! It’s been some time since I shared a writing related post on Creator’s Roulette. It is a pleasure to host E.L. Lyons, author of Starlight Jewel. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Regent University. She’s worked as a pool manager, beauty department manager, relief counselor at a youth shelter, and as a live-in caregiver. She hopes to finish her next novel from a loft overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today we are going to learn about flexible plotting from her! So get out your pen and paper and get ready to take some notes! or bookmark this page to come back to. 😉

Flexible Plotting

Guest post by E. L. Lyons

For most of my life, I’ve written in isolation. I wasn’t looking to improve, I was looking to capture what was in my head out onto paper.

So when I came out of the writing closet and started talking to other writers and reading books on writing, I was a bit surprised at how others went about plotting. I’ve now seen a few other writers’ outlines and it’s no surprise to me that some writers struggle with them.

One of the most common things I hear from pantsers, is that they’ve tried plotting but can’t stick to an outline. I had that problem as well, but instead of converting to pantsing, I just changed the way I plotted until I found something that worked.

The way I plot is always changing, and I’m always looking for ways to improve it and cater it to the specific story I’m writing. The process of plotting for me is based on flexibility. I don’t try to “stick to the outline.” I just reference the outline to keep in mind where I’m trying to go.

In this post, I’ll try to explain the method of outlining that’s worked for me, how it’s different from the outlines I’ve seen out in the community, when to outline and why, and then how I do plot point outlines, chapter outlines, and plot thread outlines.

Directions Vs Roadmaps

You remember that short period of time where no one had GPS on their phones, but MapQuest was a thing? So if you wanted to go somewhere quite far away, you’d type in the two addresses and print the directions.

And then you’d run into construction, traffic, or a left turn into a roadless field, and you’d have the sinking realization that you were lost and had no idea where to go while you were in a place you weren’t familiar with?

Yeah. The good old days of MapQuest. That’s what other people’s outlines typically remind me of. They’re great up until the point that something goes wrong, and then you’re lost.

My end goal with an outline is to have a road map with my intended destination marked along with a few possible routes.

Why? Because I tried for years to outline the MapQuest way, and without fail, there’s always a problem. Something always happens and I have to reroute. Rerouting without a map or when your points of interest are fixed, dependent on each other, or inflexible, is very difficult.

When to Outline and Why?

Flexibility extends to when you start outlining.

It’s never too late to make an outline. Recently, I started outlining my short story series when I was already ten episodes in. I wanted the series to be a stress free writing project and intended to pants it, but found I was losing track of things. Outlining after the fact has been a stress-free way to keep track of things so I can reference back easily and find the naturally forming plotlines.

Similarly, I’ve been a beta reader for someone for over a year now as she edits her epic fantasy novel (she pantsed the first draft). Outlining on this second draft has helped her trim a lot of excess off a lengthy novel by pinpointing which sections contributed to the overall plot, which could be combined, and which could be eliminated.

Outlining isn’t just a tool to tell you what you’re going to write when, it’s also a tool to help you critically assess what you’ve already written. I don’t toss my outline after the first draft; rather I adjust my outline as I write to more tightly align with what’s actually been written. That way I have a clearer idea of what I need out of the chapters that follow.

Plot Point Outline

Destination

I find the easiest way to start is to think of your destination. Where do you want your character(s) to end up at the end of the book? What mood do you want the book to end on? The latter is especially important if you plan on having a sequel. Happily Ever After is usually not the note to end on if you intend to have two more books, for instance.

Once you determine where you want the book to end—come up with a few more ideas of where and how it could end.

Arc

Next you want to fill in the most interesting stops on your roadmap—you know, the world’s biggest ball of yarn, etc.

I usually start this with the question, “What’s the biggest/worst thing that could happen to my MC in the world that I’ve constructed given the backstory I’ve constructed?” And once I add that point to the map, I add the next few biggest things that could happen.

Sometimes these points can work together, other times they contradict each other entirely. It doesn’t matter. You won’t use them all.

Pit Stops

Finally I plan out the gas stations and hotels—the various things that need to happen to get the character(s) to where they’re going. What characters do they need to meet? What places do they need to go?

Choosing the Route

Sometimes your preferred route doesn’t work out—the characters don’t cooperate, your threads don’t align like you expected, and that’s okay. That’s why you have the alternate plot points already ready. When you’ve prepared ahead of time for other possibilities, it’s easy enough to redirect the story.

Chapter Outlines

With a chapter outline, I like to start by establishing what I want to accomplish in that chapter—my chapter goals. Why do I need it for the larger plot? What plot threads are involved? What information do I want to convey to the reader? I highlight each in a different color.

Then I write in the undercurrents of the chapter. What are undercurrents? They’re just what I call my “check-ins” with the characters and threads involved in the scene. How is each character feeling at this point and why? What are their motivations and goals and struggles at this point in the story?

Once I have that, I move on to the events of the chapter. I highlight those events in the corresponding color as it relates to the goals of the chapter. This helps to make sure I don’t leave anything out, and every part of the chapter contributes in some way to the goals I’ve set. Sometimes that reveals excess that can be cut, sometimes it reveals that the chapter serves another goal that needs to be added.

Finally, I write in the repercussions of the chapter. What are the possible results of the things that just occurred? How might these events change the characters? Are their repercussions that might warrant adding more potential plot points to the larger outline? This all helps to establish the undercurrents of the next chapter.

Do I always do chapter outlines? No, but I often do when I’m unsure about a chapter. Sometimes I do it before writing, sometimes after. It helps to keep the writing tight and the chapters connected.

Plot Thread Outlines

A second outline can be useful if you have a series with a complex plot and characters. I’ve found myself in this situation with the current series, Gifts of the Auldtree. Not all plotting is done in points. Some plotting is done in threads. Things that can’t be boiled down to a single point, but rather continuously develop throughout the story—but there’s still a timeline involved.

Let’s take Jacob from Twilight as an example. His plot thread had to be developed over quite some time. Showing the other boys from the tribe as they went through the change, having Bella hear the story about the wolves—and then, suddenly that plot thread collides with another thread, the non-Cullen vamps coming to town and killing people. This culminates with Bella finding out Jacob is a werewolf thing, and thinking that he and his friends are out there murdering people.

Those are plot threads and an example of why timing is important with them. Oftentimes plot points are just the intersection or culmination of your plot threads. So it’s helpful to try and make sure your threads are on track and progressing.

If you’re only paying attention to the plot point at the forefront or the main action of the current part of your book, sometimes those threads that you’re supposed to be developing get neglected.

Making an outline of all the threads can be immensely helpful of keeping track of all the things you’re doing in the background of the story.

While this may seem like a lot of outlining, I like to think of it more as having a lot of outlining tools available. Use them when you need them, and if you run into an issue, adjust them. I hope that my experiences with outlining can help others who are struggling with progressing in their stories or sticking to their outlines!

Other Plotting Resources:

If you have any questions for El, pop them in the comments below. We love hearing from you!

Thank you for hanging out with us today. Connect with El on Twitter, Instagram and her website. Check out her indie book recommendations here.

Links to check out:

I got some insight into plotting from Picture in the Sand author, Peter Blauner.

Learn about writing based on retellings from Elizabeth Gilliland in her article on literary genealogy.

Check out this interview with Raymond Benson about how he approaches writing James Bond.

Cover image: Photo on Unsplash