Reggie’s Writing Tips: #21 – 30 (Plot Development)

This article was written by Reggie from Cathedral: The Thieves Guild. You can read all of Reggie’s writing tips here.

Reggie’s character in Cathedral: The Thieves Guild is Sara Chase Blackwood

Ten more tips for you all. These focus on developing a better plot/story. After reading over these tips, you should be able to outline a plot in faster time. Next week I will share with you writing tips that will help you write dialogue practical to your own story’s needs.

Tip #21: Its easier for you to work backwards from the big reveal in your posts. First find out the ending and work your way backwards to beginning. What clue led to discovery? What event earned the clue? What emotion triggered the event?

Tip #22: Quickie Arc – Story moves from flaw, to conflict, to problem, to strategy, to emotion, to action, to misstep, to battle, to final challenge.

Tip #23: Does your midpoint event bring character, world, and premise together? It should be a refocusing of story; not a random happening.

Tip #24: Subplot may have its own life, but your story will feel like 2 separate stories if subplot doesn’t collide with main story. Make sure your subplot collides with the main story at some point for better coherency.

Tip #25: Rewrite big to small. Check concept, then structure, then characters, then dialogue, then format, then proofread!

Tip #26: Don’t save all secrets to the end. Leak clues throughout. It helps story make sense & allows the audience the fun of puzzle-solving.

Tip #27: Play with scene order. On their own, scenes tell one story. Side-by-side, they tell another. Reversed in order, yet another.

Tip #28: Nothing bonds like a common enemy. Characters who disagree might still join forces if facing the same antagonist.

Tip #29: One random flashback disrupts. A series of flashbacks tells a story.

Tip #30: Fish out of water eventually needs an agenda. Cute when outsider tries to fit in; but mission is needed to keep the story moving.

This article was written by Reggie from Cathedral: The Thieves Guild. You can read all of Reggie’s writing tips here.