As I've often moaned about on these boards planning (along with every other aspect of writing) is a big downfall for me, which means my work often falls apart in the middle/latter stages.

I was just wondering if there's any free story planning software available out there?

I use Microsoft Excel to plan stuff out.  It somewhat lends itself to planning.

could you email me an example of how you use that?

it's pretty much a standard column thing.

Start with your characters in the first column.  Then:
ACT, EVENT, SCENE TYPE (Genre), MAJOR EVENT (Plot Advancement), MINOR EVENT, MAJOR EVENT CHARACTERS, MINOR EVENT CHARACTERS.

As an example:

ACT             EVENT             SCENE TYPE             MAJOR EVENT            MINOR EVENT
  1             Montage              Drama               Infection Begins                None
                Flashback         Vision/Drama          Mack's  Daughter              
               Fixing  SUV        Development                                             Conversation

Then just put the characters that are in the major event and minor event in the next column.  

It's not as linear as most think as it gives you room to work with things.  If you just use a simple "this is what happens, this is who's in it, this is how it should play out" in the movie" then you have complete freedom to use whatever you want.

I usually have around 13 scenes per act.  

Lee

If you have an iPad, I have found an app that has become very helpful with planning.

MindNode


The concept of this app is so simple, user friendly and you can copy templates of your story board and pretty much write over the top of them to keep your structure intact.  Highly recommended.

Johnny

If by "planning" you mean gathering your ideas and plotpoints together into a cohesive map, you can just write it out in a float chart using beats, or the old tried and tested index cards, which you can manipulate the order by sliding cards here and there to change up your pacing. MovieMagic Screenwriter allows you an option to view your script by scene as index cards if that helps.

However, if you mean a prgram that will plot out your story for you--and there are several--I'd advise against using it. For one, it'll send you towards a cookie-cutter story since you won't be the only one using said software. Second, where's the fun in writing if you have someone (someTHING) else telling you where the story should go?

Your best bet is to watch (or read the screenplays of) your favorite movies with paper and pen in hand to outline the major story beats and act breaks. Do enough of these and compare them and you'll have a pretty good idea on how your story "should" go. Then, with all that in mind, let you characters tell you where your story should go, having the knowledge of how similar stories have run. You don't want to copy the other stories' trajectories, but you want to know the conventions of certain genres so that you can meet audiences' expectations. Best case scenario, you understand these conventions and learn how to deviate from what other similar stories did to OUT-DO audience expectations. Tricky, but once you get a grip on it, very rewarding.

Quoted from Manowar Your best bet is to watch (or read the screenplays of) your favorite movies with paper and pen in hand to outline the major story beats and act breaks. Do enough of these and compare them and you'll have a pretty good idea on how your story "should" go. Then, with all that in mind, let you characters tell you where your story should go, having the knowledge of how similar stories have run.

I disagree, the way you described this is very cookie-cutter.  I do agree that it is important to anyalze screenplays and take notes, but it should not be a template to how a story unfolds.

The way a story unfolds is through story elements: premise, characters, dialogue, theme, symbols, and setting.  All woven through structure.

So is it useful to use software that gives you a clear picture of the structure?  That can be debated, but I don't view structure as every story is a human skeleton.  Maybe a giraffe?  Or a snake?  Lol!  Oh well, to each their own right?