How to Plot Your Novel FAST | Writing Advice
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- Опубликовано: 7 авг 2024
- Today I'm going to walk you through my process for quickly plotting a novel. I have a few other videos about plotting, but in this video I wanted to explain how to reason your way to a plot outline based on what you already know about your idea.
SHOW NOTES
Steps for Plotting a Novel:
• Summarize your basic idea for the novel and list out the information you already know you want to include in the plot.
• Ask questions about what you don't know, especially questions that focus on why each element would be relevant to the plot and characters.
• Create a synopsis (a summary of the plot) that answers the questions you've posed.
• Make a list of all the scenes you know should be included in the plot based on your synopsis.
• Go back into your outline to add scenes and flesh things out (over and over) until you have a full story.
Website: ellenbrockediting.com
Twitter: / ellenmbrock
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Хобби
Me at the beginning of the video: "Well that's the dumbest writing prompt I've ever heard in my life"
Me by the end: "Where can I pre-order this novel? and when will it be made into a movie?"
OMG, I was thinking the same exact thing. I can't believe that Ellen Brock turned one of the dumbest ideas I have ever heard of in my life into a novel I wouldn't mind reading.
Right there with you. Sounds like a Zoe Deschanel movie
Me too, i thought this would bore me to death.
I'm one minute into the vid and if I hadn't seen this comment I would have been gone. I mean, I was mentally prepared for the dumb writing prompt, but geesh, that was horrible
@@patnull Just goes to show that you can turn even the dumbest idea, into a really well plotted out novel.
this prompt thing should be a series :D
Baking Sailors from Reno, the next trope...
@@floydlooney6837 lol
I feel like the love interest should have been a sailor as well, who wants the protagonist to come back, but supports her anyway. So, when she loses to her rival, she knows he'd try to get her to go back to being a sailor, and she might agree. As a result, she ignores all his calls and messages.
Anyway, this video was quite interesting. I didn't think asking and answering some questions would help that much. I think I want to try it now.
i reaaally like that idea
I like your idea about the love interest being a sailor as well. I feel like it gives more purpose to the sailor detail that otherwise still felt random.
This is brilliant, it showcases one of the most important things about outlining that I struggled with before I figured it out. Build your story on a message, don't wait for your story to produce a message - it won't happen.
Thinking is required in writing. Otherwise, you are going to have a pointless plot.
I ageee with this statement and disagree, as this is a year old I won’t bother saying why I disagree.
Technically discovery writers (otherwise called pantsers) tend to “find” the message of stories as they write them, and it works just fine for them. Of course, that draft is put through a dozen revisions to ensure that everything is consistent later on, but the point still stands. As long as you keep plot structure in mind while you write, you essentially get the same thing.
So that if you have to make a choice with where you wanna go with either the plot or a small detail, you know right away which choice you should make even if initially both options would be equally good
Pro tip - figure out the ending first with the message in it. Then everything you write up until then will work it's way to it.
You can’t leave us hanging!! This outline needs a sequel!
Bake Off 2: Armageddon starring Jason Statham
Right? Do they get back together? Does she come back strong and win next year? Does she team up with the antagonist and start a baking company that specializes in sailor-themed confections? We need to know!
@@Steelburgh actually, after she returns home that day, a spaceship hits the roof of that house, through an entangled mesh of stuff she realizes the arch rival is actually an alien from a far-off planet, and that's how she wins always against her. After she discusses the matter with James Bond... oops, no-the original story was better than this cliché!
@@Steelburgh I think the main idea is about her character development journey, but great questions.
It's really hard to link up the nonsense in those prompt generators, yet I can see a really charming, Great British Bake-Off -esk book series coming out of this.
Respect.
Tarquin Roswegan right? I was cringing with that plot generation, but i agree, it totally sounded charming in the end.
The classic "put a goal and character that don't make sense together" technique XD
Yet, at the end, I was thinking it was a pretty nice story. Might be because the topic of her being a sailor was smoothed over in the outline.
@@ledge-magee I've watched Brian Sanderson's lectures from BYU (Writing Fantasy and Science Fiction) and he promotes that same idea, the square peg in the round hole. Cast a character that should have been a sidekick type as the hero, or a love interest as the hero's Mentor, etc.
So that’s how a Hallmark film is written!
Thank you for this video, it’s really helped me get my head around basic outlines.
Plot twist, the romantic partner and the arch rival are one and the same. She realizes this after she doesn’t win the final, but restarts the relationship anyways.
Her construction of the plot is simple but fantastic. When you add all meaningful details, you would have a heart-warming story.
What about at the end. There's a judge who really liked her entry. And he helps her get a job as a chef. So she lost but now she has a career
Or what if she partners with her archrival to start a bakery.
this looks like a plot of a Sandra Bullock's movie.
I've read your comment and was listening the video and couldn't stop picturing her as the sailor from Reno who joins a baker competition 😂
It sounded more like the dumb romance book Marge Simpson wrote.
Wow. When she began I was so disappointed in the example story idea. It was basic and boring. It was garbage. And when she started breaking it down it became plausible. Then somewhere around the 3/4 mark I had to keep rewinding to get the points she was making because the characters were talking and distracting me. It went from juvenile garbage to something that I’d like to read, or write, in less than 15 minutes. Ellen has some serious skills.
I still think the premise is lame but she showed all the development steps for any premise and that’s what counts.
I had the opposite reaction lol
The problem with plotting too fast is that you still haven’t finished your novel and yet you’ve already got plans laid out for another handful
i watched this with 40+ premise in my mind. after watching, those premises turned to outlines
my brain's outlining from one premise to another and i'm frustrated i can't write them down all at once
@@mariaallaine I find the best way to approach this is try to find the one that you BOTH feel most passionate about and have the most information on. That way you've got a good starting point but other plots you care about more aren't bugging you. Sometimes you can join premises up too
I am speechless. I've never seen a video nor read an article that so thoroughly placed me within the mind of a story builder. I’m encouraged by your willingness to resolve some plot questions later, but to push forward with the questions you can answer now. Personally, I tend to get frustrated when I don't know everything at the beginning, and I am therefore blocked and stop writing. Thanks for the reminder about how exciting and resourceful the imagination can be.
I wasn’t sold on the premise at first, but then little by little, you made the idea more and more compelling. A simple, yet lovely story.
On a side note, I’m glad you’re using more visual aids in your videos. That’s always been something I found lacking in your earlier videos. For a visual medium like RUclips, showing what you’re saying can highlight the points you want to emphasize.
totally agree with everything said in this comment ^^
Story suggestion: it would be nice if the skills/experience gained from being a sailor ends up being a key to advancing her life. I think its good to remind people that the Universe is constantly doing things for our benefit, even if we don't recognize it right away
Could not agree more :)
@@howedelamitri Strongly disagree on your point. Rohingya refugees would probably struggle to figure out how being raped, massacred, and driven off their lands by Myanmar's military in the hundreds of thousands is *The Universe* acting to their benefit. Even if you were right, the artist's view of the world is a crucial element in their style, something you don't need to comment on during the creative stage unless you're collaborating.
I actually want to read that novel.
I'm sure it'll be a Lifetime movie of the week soon enough
I want to eat the food that is baked.
Seems to me more like a Hallmark movie than Lifetime.
My reaction: "Eh, this seems pretty boring. I don't see why anyone would--"
* She plans to sabotage her rival.
"Ooh, spicy!"
I’m guessing we all mentally wrote vastly different stories as she was breaking down this process. It would be interesting to see how each of us answered the plot questions she asked.
Wow! While I haven't gotten around to writing any baking novels yet, this is perhaps the most cogent summary of the outlining process ever. I guess I already knew a lot of this intuitively, but I've never seen it presented so clearly! Yet another reason why this is my favorite writing channel!!
So I already had my story plotted, but this inspired me to go back and see if there's anything I should add or take away. Thanks for the great reminder.
I've been trying to find information on how stories are constructed and what makes them compelling and after finding almost nothing but vague and often contradicting information this channel is a godsend holy shit
Honestly, I wanted the rival to be the romantic partner by the end! Thanks for the super helpful video!
Thankyou so much for this. After watching a few 'how to develop your story' videos I was getting sick of them all being fluff and no content. Yours is a super practical, pragmatic and hands-on explanation - it's helped me a lot.
What did you do to become an editor? I’m curious what that process looks like.
Lol It reminds me of The greatest fantasy from The 50 shades of Grey: a fresh college student becoming an editor in her own Company! 😂😂😂😂
Your videos persuaded me that writing is so much more about logic and system than people think. I'm discovering some perks of writing myself now, but your advices already helped me three or four times, so thanks:)
This is really good, thank you Ellen. I've had an idea for ages, which over time has evolved into a detailed setting with ideas for subplots, and some characters I'm happy with, but I've struggled to simplify it enough to tease out a compelling plot. I think this approach will really help.
This was very helpful to me because I'm at the plotting stage of my story and I didn't really know how to move on. I enjoyed how you broke down each event in the story and the idea of asking questions is helpful too!
You have red hair and blue eyes!! the rarest combo!
Ellen Brock: "How does being a sailor affect her? Does she have to give up sailing for the baking competition?
Me: "How is she a sailor from Reno? That's in Nevada! Did she move away from Reno to be a sailor? Why? Was sailing her first dream, and now she wants to bake? What did she have to give up to sail? Can we have a parallel between that and what she has to give up to bake?"
She could be working in a river boat?
Because she lost her job to the rival, she went off an joined the Navy, or the merchant marine, or a king crab fishing boat off Alaska, as a cook. Now she's home, "A sailor home from the sea," and needs to find a second career. The rival was the reason she had to leave town. It's time for a token revenge by winning the contest.
Amazing content, thank you
@@oz_jones Do river boats use sails?
best explanation of plotting i've come across yet.
Most people just show a chart and break down the steps, and say "see? this is how you do it" with no information on turning these bullet points into actual plot. Good stuff.
Wow. Seriously thank you. Also its funny how you magically turned a crappy writing plot into a cool story I'd want to read and actually I already. Its funny because as I am listening to this it reminded me of "Seashells Spells and Caramels" by Erin Johnson. Its a cozy mystery about Imogen Banks. Imogen Banks has dreamed her entire life of opening her own bakery in Seattle. But when she accidentally sets fire to her apartment and loses all her possessions, her dreams get toasted. Still coping with her loss, she receives a cryptic invitation she can't possibly refuse: entry into a mysterious baking competition on a beautiful French island. anyway not the same but similar. So I can see how all of this works out. I just started out watching your videos. I have to create a narrative short film and I am struggling to turn my script idea into a cohesive plot that I can write. Thank you this helped me so much! I look forward to your other videos.
Also I'd love to see more Outlining a Writing Prompt videos from you! You really know how to work out those summaries!
Another suggestion would be a video series about different genres, and how to focus on the relevant tropes ie. Crime/Mystery, Fantasy, Comedy/Romance, etc
I really appreciate this video. I've been trying to get back into writing, and this was incredibly helpful and encouraging. Thanks, Ellen!
I’m dyslexic. I have tried, so many times to build a novel - yet this has been the best way of learning for me. Show and tell. It works so well for me. Thank you very much Ellen. I look forward to learning more from you.
Came from your ‘4 writer types’ video. I couldn’t be sure which type I’d place myself in until just now, halfway through this vid. I was watching you list out scenes in chronological order when I felt an unspeakable dread in my guts - the pantser in me was howling in anguish😂
Anyway, I love all your videos and find them super helpful! You have such an amazing, efficient way of getting things across. And I love that you’re never judgemental when you talk about the common writer mistakes, be it technical or otherwise. I hope your channel brings you as much inspiration as it does for us:)
Ellen Brock, I’m incredibly thankful for your videos.
This is a fantastic exercise. I feel so empowered right now! Been stuck with a prompt for over a month. I am no longer stuck. You rock!
This makes writing a book seem easy. That must mean you explained the process of plotting a novel really well!
Really good! And you definitely just wrote an outline for a Hallmark movie! lol
I was LITERALLY picturing this on Hallmark lol
You helped me jump from a 50 word outline to 7000 word plot thank You.
I will remember to send you a free copy once complete. Top-quality advice
Honestly Ellen you are the first person I've ever seen explain this call and response method so clearly. Not sure if this is exactly that or just similar but I understand this method so well will have to try soon
I personally want how you explain and how you create your videos more better and better in time.
The story is so good and lovely though. It makes me want to read the whole book!
Wow. My writer's brain is already constructing the dialogue. Thank you for this video, you just earned yourself a sub! 😍
I started with vivid scenes - kind of slideshow style - and worked at coherent story structure outlines, character arcs, and world building.
This is gold, "thank you."
i just found your channel. it's almost midnight. i think i may be up until nearly dawn at this rate...
This video was BRILLIANT. Comprehensive without being overwhelming and exactly what I needed. THANK YOU.
This video was perfect! You know exactly what to say to get people motivated to write. This channel has made my writing and my novel so much stronger, I cannot thank you enough for all you do! 💙
I love you
You friendship me
You massge me
You have gotten soooo good at being on camera and talking to your audience. It’s been fun watching you get better over the years.
This is the most realistic and helpful explanation creating an outline that I've found yet! Thanks, Ellen!
What Writing Prompt generator you got your idea from when it come to coming up with plotting your novel?
SO OBVIOUS but totally useful advice and so enthusiastically presented. This is 60,000 words already!!!
So your outline centers the majority of the novel around the baking competition, where as I would have thought the baking competition would have been the climax and the majority of the novel deals with her preparing and traveling to the competition. After all, she's a sailor or what not.
Maybe the romantic interest is key in getting her to the competition, and her struggles are practicing her dish in environments that aren't conducive to baking.
And maybe it's not her rival she loses to. Maybe it's a third party who wins who represents something the protagonist learned too late, but the protagonist still defeats her rival.
This has to be the most helpful video I've ever seen about writing.
I'm so exited to use this method.
You are a lifesaver! I really needed this video XD
Thanks, Ellen. I'll use your ideas in my next project. My current project is at the query letter stage. I can hardly wait until Wednesday and Friday. Great work.
great video, as usual! really helpful. not gonna lie, i got really invested in this story as the video went on haha :D keep up the good work!
This is the most competent and enjoyable writing advice I've found. Great job.
I follow a lot of writing advice channels and, honestly, yours is the best. Thank you so much for all the help.👍
Absolutely loved this insight to how you edit and guide a client to complete their plot summaries and question answering! Thanks Ellen!
I've been itching to finally start writing, as I've never actually written a proper story in my life yet, and this really helps me get over that difficult slump of trying rationalise the plot. Thank you so much!
Update? Have you written at least one short story yet?
This is so great! I'm also super excited for the query letter video.
Amazing as always, you deserve a prize for such good content
This is really thorough, thank you! Also, I really like how much you talk with your hands!
As someone with ADD I find movement can help keep my brain more focused, and your hand gestures did just that. (can't resist the bad pun) I guess one could say this video was really handy. xD
This was a fun video, I really liked seeing the story come together! Keep making these videos, Ellen!
This is your most helpful video yet!
Wow! By far, I would have to say this is my biggest setback as a writer, so I usually end up with more ideas and less and less outlines or further developments of them, but your process worked unbelievably well! I am now proud to say that my outline is far more concise and secure than I even hoped it would be on my own. Thank you!!
Thanks for this video. I was just about to start plotting the whole story to make my writing easier and this is going to help out a lot.
Beautiful development. Well done and thanks for the vid!
Thank you for this, I feel like this is one of the few outlining tip videos that isn't full of fluff and actually has relatable examples. So helpful!
Thanks for your advice Ellen! You're the best!
by far the best structural advice video i’ve ever seen!! thank you!!
This was great advice, I needed this! Awesome vlog!
Excellent breakdown of the process. Thanks Ellen!
I loved this video. Thank you so much for your insight. I am gonna binge your whole channel now.
Thank you so much! You’re the best channel i’ve ever watched that actually explains how to improve one’s writing with pratical steps
This was such a helpful and detailed video. Thank you for adding visuals. I really questioned the writing prompt but as you continued to explain, I became more intrigued. Great video👍
I always needed a channel like yours! I'm good at writing, but couldn't come up with a structure every time I tried to write.
I'll keep learning about that and more through time, and you, keep up the good work, girl!
Absolutely love these videos. Not only do they cover our biggest questions and most important points of interest, but are very straight to the point, pithy, concise and don't waste time in the beginning for chit chat the way everyone else seems to do.
Dopeness Ellen! Thanks for dropping this!
This is the best, most useful video I've ever encountered on RUclips. Thank you so much.
Brilliant video! love the outline. :)
This was the best video I've seen on the topic. Thank you.
This was so good. It had my creative wheels just a turning in helping me think about how to elaborate and even make a better layout of my novel concept. With this instruction it feels like the novel will write itself (to a degree).
Thanks! This is just what I needed! Now I can finally finish the first stage of writing a story. XD
Super helpful, and just the motivation I needed today. Thanks Ellen! 👌🏻
This video was incredibly helpful. I find myself returning to it over and over! I'm using it now to help me outline an idea I came up with last night, and it's coming along great! Thanks for the help!
Very interesting video Ellen! I like to plot my stories like this too, starting with the basis of the storyline before growing into something more detailed 😊
Right now I’m trying the snowflake method, I’m liking it so far 😊 I think it might help a lot with editing!
Great tutorial. This makes the process so much easier. Big kudos and thanks!
WOW! This has been super helpful! Thank you so much for sharing and going into detail. It's always been a struggle to flesh out my story ideas, and this explanation helps to set me on the right track.
This is exactly what I needed right now. Thank You!
I've been stuck for years (both in life and with my writing, guess it goes hand in hand) and you made me remember the fun of it, what I really loved about writing stories. Thanks ❤️
Now, off to watch all your other videos!
Woah, that was super helpful, thank you so much!
I need this video the most at the moment.
I have been toying around with an idea for a while now, and you just helped me turn my idea into the best plot I've ever written. So thank you.
You make this look fun. Great video, thank you for making it.
Just here to say I've rewatched this video many times! Keep up the good work!
I love your videos, they are very helpful and you explain everything so well! It's a pleasure listening to you!
So VALUABLE!!! I'm watching for the third time now, AND taking notes
Ellen, I stand on my knees for you. Because of you I found strengh to keep writing and finishing my story.
Thank you. This is the writing advice I’ve been looking for. Subscribed. 😊
Incredibly helpful, thank you
This was the most helpful video on plotting I've come across. Thank you!