Write an article based on this "Choose a structure. Choose your conflict type. Consider your themes. Plan your plot points. Outline."
In the beginning stages of writing a book, you will want to organize your plot. It is okay to leave some room for movement when you begin writing, but writing your story without some road map rarely works out. The best place to start is with choosing a structure that works for you. Writing theory teaches that there are several classic structures, which most works fall into, but most are not mutually exclusive and can be combined. The two major structures are: Act structure: The act structure, commonly associated with plays and film, can easily be applied to novels as well. This theory of structure states that stories do well when broken up into clearly identifiable sections. The normal number of sections is three though two and four are common. In the classic three-act structure, the first act introduces the main and secondary characters, the setting, the problem to be conquered, and often some background information (this act usually comprises roughly 25% of the story). The second act moves through and develops the conflict in the story, usually containing a plot point where the main character faces a major setback. This is the meat and potatoes of the story and usually comprises roughly 50% of the content. The third act is the conclusion, where the hero faces the villain and the story reaches its climax, followed by a rewarding or, at least, less exciting ending scene or series of scenes. Each of these acts can often be boiled down into three subsections, each with its own arch or mini-story. Monomyth or the Hero's Journey: This theory of story structure was famously put forward by Joseph Campbell. It states that almost every story with a hero can be boiled down into one main series of archetypes. This begins with a hero who is called to adventure though s/he initially refuses the burden. The hero is given some aid before crossing from the world, s/he has always known into the adventure (where the hero feels lost and alone at first). The hero then undergoes a series of trials, during which they will often encounter helpers, at the end of which the hero goes through some significant personal change. The hero then confronts the main antagonist of the story and returns home, enriched with wisdom and treasure. You may want to think about what type of conflict you wish to have in your story. This can help you develop a plot, as well as lead you to other similar stories to gain inspiration. There are many theories about the types of conflict in stories, but the main sources are: Man against nature: This is a story where your main character faces off against some natural phenomena. An example would be stories where the main character becomes lost in the wilderness or the antagonist is an animal. An example of this kind of story would be the film 127 Hours. Man against the supernatural: This is a story where your main character faces off against creatures like ghosts and demons, God himself, or other beings not of this world. The Shining is a good example of this type of conflict. Man against man: This is the most basic story conflict, where your main character faces off against another person. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a classic example. Man against society: In this type, your main character faces off against the rules of a society or societal norms. An example would be the novel Fahrenheit 451. Man against self: This is a story where your main character faces off against his own inner demons or his own internal conflict. An example of this would be The Picture of Dorian Gray. Whether it is intentional or not, your story will end having a theme. This is what the story is about. Through writing about this theme, you will end making some statement about what you think on the topic. Think about the themes in your book or that could be in your book and what you want to say about them. This can help you develop a plot, through creating situations which present your ideas. Frank Herbert's Dune (for example) is not about a guy trying to avenge his family. It's about the perils of imperialism and Herbert makes it clear that he believes Western powers have become hopelessly entangled in a situation where they do not belong which they cannot hope to control. Plot points are turning points in your story, important events which change the course your character must take. You will need to plan what these will be and try to space them evenly. There is a plot point, which serves to convince your character that they must go on their adventure. This is a point at which all of your character's plans for dealing with their problem go right out the window and then some climax which incites the final battle. Once you know where you are going and how you are going to get there, write down the whole thing. This will be your roadmap and is vital to a smooth writing process. Write down the basics of each scene, what purpose the scene serves, what characters are in the scene, where they are, what they are thinking and feeling, etc. Every minuscule detail of the sequence of events should also be written down for each scene. This is the best way to prevent crippling writer's block, as you can still cover the basics of a scene, even if you may not feel that it is perfect.