Are there any recommended general methods of plotting out a story?

I know all the key tentpole events of the story that I'm trying to write at the moment, I just struggle with the inbetween moments, how to get there and such, like I'm not asking myself the necessary questions perhaps.

Hello Kurt,

I recently made this thread which, at least for me, helped a lot with plotting out the story.

http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-cc/m-1326690305/s-0/

Mohammad

Hey Kurt,

I have been following the three act structure and I have found it very helpful to me. It's a great guide and helps bring your plot together.

Best of luck with it.

Steve

Crack out Save the Cat and learn about 'The Board'. An incredibly useful tool.

Frankly, I just make a point of outlining the whole blinking thing in Word before I ever crack Final Draft.  Two versions.  One, which is basically the treatment, with scene by scene descriptions.  The second (done afterwards) is the bullet point version of that.  

Once you have it, you can look at the beats, see if it needs more tension or additional scenes in various places.  (Per Kev's previous threads, it helps to have something dramatic in every scene.)  And while it's in Word, it's easy to shuffle around and change scenes - making sure that everything's essentially right before you really commit to the page.  Also - because I let myself 'riff' while writing in Word, it lets me come up with some details, tangents, etc that otherwise probably never would've made it into the script.

Finally - I write each scene out completely in word again (with dialogue, descriptions, etc) right before writing it in Final Draft. That basically results in three drafts before it's on page.  (My handwritten notes, the word version, then FD.)

Quoted from wonkavite Frankly, I just make a point of outlining the whole blinking thing in Word before I ever crack Final Draft.  Two versions.  One, which is basically the treatment, with scene by scene descriptions.  The second (done afterwards) is the bullet point version of that.   Once you have it, you can look at the beats, see if it needs more tension or additional scenes in various places.  (Per Kev's previous threads, it helps to have something dramatic in every scene.)  And while it's in Word, it's easy to shuffle around and change scenes - making sure that everything's essentially right before you really commit to the page.  Also - because I let myself 'riff' while writing in Word, it lets me come up with some details, tangents, etc that otherwise probably never would've made it into the script. Finally - I write each scene out completely in word again (with dialogue, descriptions, etc) right before writing it in Final Draft. That basically results in three drafts before it's on page.  (My handwritten notes, the word version, then FD.)

The problem is that I only know roughly what happens in the inciting incident, how act one ends/act 2 begins, the mid point, how act 2 ends/act 3 starts and the ending but absolutely nothing else besides these. I'm really struggling to find a general method of joining those proverbial middle dots together.

Are there any sort of key (or even set) questions that I need to ask myself in order to get these gaps filled? I know that the point of these gaps is to logically link the tentpole moments together in a way that properly serves the story and isn't filler but I've got absolutely no idea where I should even start.

This is where your imagination and trial and error come in. But you know that. You've seen enough movies, read enough books and know what you'd do. You need to let it go and riff. You'll be surprized. A lot of words are thrown at a script that don't stick - some do it on a bulletin board or three drafts before committing to FD. From Point A to points beyond is all yours. Riff away!

Quoted from kurtmagister The problem is that I only know roughly what happens in the inciting incident, how act one ends/act 2 begins, the mid point, how act 2 ends/act 3 starts and the ending but absolutely nothing else besides these. I'm really struggling to find a general method of joining those proverbial middle dots together. Are there any sort of key (or even set) questions that I need to ask myself in order to get these gaps filled? I know that the point of these gaps is to logically link the tentpole moments together in a way that properly serves the story and isn't filler but I've got absolutely no idea where I should even start.

The things it's usually best to focus on are characters and story. Your script shouldn't just be a couple of cool sequences stitched together by little dribbles of plot. Rather, the big sequences should come organically in places where the story hits a real high note. Don't just write the trailer; know what STORY you're trying to tell, not just how many cars you're going to blow up.

The MOST important thing, though, is Character. If you really know your characters then that does so much of the writing for you, because they'll naturally lead the way - you can just drop them into any framework of a scene and see how they react and interact. If all you have is a few cool moments then you need to take a big step back and ask two really important questions:

1. WHAT is my story about? What's going on thematically, what incites what's going to happen, what's at stake, what evolves / comes under threat as it progresses, and what's the natural conclusion?

2. WHO is my story about? Who are these people that I'm making speak and move? What do they like, what do they believe in, what do they fear? How do they interact with others, and does that differ from what they're like on their own? Do they cope well under pressure? Are they the jokers, or the brave ones, or cowards? What is their personal stake in this story, and what do they stand to lose if they fail? Will this adventure they're on change them in any way, and did they need changing at all (fatal flaw)? Why are they called what they're called? Does their name reveal something about them, or their parents? Basically, who are they?

A script shouldn't be ten cool pages interspersed among droning talking heads and token plot that feels like cut scenes in a bad video game. Story, character and (ideally) theme. Focus on those. Write character bios so you really know WHO you're writing about. And then outline, outline, outline. I never start writing a feature until I can write the Wikipedia article on it first. Make surprising choices. Craft well-developed, intriguing characters whose voices we'd be able to distinguish between even without character names on the page. Either find a story that's brilliantly original and surprising, or put a clever, ingenious twist on something we know - either way, you want us to slap our foreheads and scream, "Why didn't I think of that?" Oh, and before any of that - WRITE YOUR LOGLINE. If you can't sum up your story clearly and succinctly in a way that, as Snyder said, makes the script appear on our mnd like a blooming flower, you haven't got a movie. Not yet.

That's pretty much the bulk of my personal screenwriting philosophy in a nutshell. Seriously, lay the path before you try and walk it or you'll just let lost, grow demoralised, and give up. Writing scripts is HARD, but you know that already. If you let the story and the characters guide you, though, then those cool tentpole moments will be the icing on the cake.

My last couple of scripts I've been scene outlining, which helps a bit.

Just write down the slugs you'll be using for each scene and write a brief sentence or so about what happens in the scene.

Sometimes having all the stuff in your head gets too much and I find this method relieves that creative pressure somewhat.

Don't forget that your subplots will help to stitch things together.  They should also have a beginning middle and end.

Ideally, outlining the whole script is great. Once that's done, I think you're 80% there.

Unfortunately, it's always not perfect. For me, I know how it ends, how it begins, how Act I begins/ends, etc. Then i get bogged down in the middle.

If I'm stuck, I write the scenes that I know. So if it's the Scene I and the ending scene, then I write those first. Trust in yourself: by writing out these scenes you'll find the logical steps needed to bridge the gaps (from beginning to end).

So outline as much as you can. If you get stuck, start writing out those scenes and everything will magically fit into place once you're knee deep into the script.

Just know how it begins and how it all ends for the script and for each act.

Good luck!

Make sure something is happening every 5 pages... At the end of every 5 pages you leave it with a question or an event.  This will ensure you keep your readers doing two things at all times.

1. Reading

&

2. Questioning

As long as they're doing one or the other you're doing your job.  The 3 act structure and all that is nice, it's great for discipline, but you'll move away from it when you want to take more liberties with your story.  

I've been studying a lot of the Hero's Journey lately and he go in depth on the first part of act two and the midpoint. I would look into buying The Writer's Journey, by Vogler, or at least looking it up online to get a sense of what he includes in the first part of act 2.

Some of these are: (And this may get messed up when I post it)

6.     Tests, Allies and Enemies
•     Contrast – In which way is the Special World different than the Original World?
•     Tests – Put the Hero though a series of trials and challenges that are meant
     prepare him for greater ordeals ahead. Tests may also be built into the architecture or landscape of the Special World. How the hero deals with these traps is part of the Testing. The Mentor may help the Hero in this stage.
•     Allies – The hero enters this stage looking for information but they may walk out with new friends. A Sidekick may be introduced in this stage, offering assistance and comic relief. The Hero may join a team, in which the teams strengths and flaws of the members are revealed in the testing stage.
•     Enemies – Introduction of the Enemy or one of his Shadows happens in this stage as well. The Hero’s appearance in the S.W. may trigger the Enemy into action.
•     Rivals – Hero’s competition, either in love, sports, business, or some other enterprise.
•     New Rules – It’s the Mentor’s job, if he’s able, to introduce the New Rules in the S.W. If the Mentor can’t do it, then it’s up to a new Allie or new Sidekick. Breaking the rules causes early or lasting conflict with the Enemy or his Shadows.
•     Watering Holes – Natural congregation place and a good spot to observe and get information. True character is revealed under pressure. Sexual intrigue can happen now. The Hero may strike up a relationship in a bar to get information and incidentally acquire an Ally or a lover.

I hope that helps.

Quoted from kurtmagister Are there any recommended general methods of plotting out a story? I know all the key tentpole events of the story that I'm trying to write at the moment, I just struggle with the inbetween moments, how to get there and such, like I'm not asking myself the necessary questions perhaps.

Watch Kal Bashir's youtube videos.

i write completely on the fly. outlines never worked for me. my stories always end up changing and going in a different directions then what i plan out for.... so i just stopped

i have to do everything on the cuff. its more interesting and engaging for me as a writer, then to sit there and be boxed in by an outline. boring.


i'll think of an interesting scenario...fill it with indepth characters and then go from there...build the story through a Bible/novel like first draft
i'll tighten it up in a re-write.

in the final draft - i write out only the sluglines and dialogue first. make sure its tight and it flows. and then i go back and fill in the action/description stuff later.


it works for me.