Have You Plotted Your Story Before Writing It?

Creative Writing Tips -

The writer, who doesn't have the time to plot, always finds the time to rewrite.

Sound familiar?

I've been guilty of this too, back in the early days of my writing apprenticeship. I was so eager to get stuck into writing my story that I wouldn't bother with plotting.

Plotting gives you a sense of direction. It's your map, which will lead you to write your story. Leaping into the unknown rarely works. Without a plot several things can happen?.

Our stories aren't focused
We lose our way
Our characters don't come to life because we don't take the time to develop them
We get stuck
The story strays from us

And all this happens when we haven't figured everything out first.

Your plot is the foundation of your story. It's the skeleton, which will hold your story together. Your plot is there to work everything out first - to see if it can be worked out, and then flesh out that skeleton with other elements that make a story.

Plotting is the difference between writing a story for yourself and writing one for an audience. Writing for ourselves doesn't require too much strain because we only have ourselves to please. It's when we have to please our readers that the hard work begins.

If you are aiming to sell your stories, plotting is a must.

Have you plotted your story before writing it?

About The Author

Besides his passion for writing, Nick Vernon runs an online gift site where you will find gift information, articles and readers' funny stories. Visit http://www.we-recommend.com

MORE RESOURCES:

Course shows companies what NOT to put in writing - Reuters

Coens nominated for writing prize - BBC News

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1i-0fd=Rurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7817304.stmcid=1287788727ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNHCSr043olTnCU1QsgH8yZkBNc53Aimg src=http://nt1.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=0Utwj-aDEmIJimgurl=newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45355000/jpg/_45355835_005023391-1.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2BBC News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7817304.stmcid=1287788727ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNHCSr043olTnCU1QsgH8yZkBNc53ACoens nominated for bwriting/b prize/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBBC News,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Film-makers Joel and Ethan Coen have been nominated for a prize at the Writers Guild of America awards for their movie Burn After Reading. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j8PZADrpEJzYr-6ByMf2Uf0rfx2gD95J6AMO0cid=1287788727ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNFBVPGZhhqIRV5vnEWrmwJfMyP19wNolan nabs directing nomination for `Dark Knight#39;/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrThe Associated Press/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-2fd=Rurl=http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/9411cid=1287788727ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNFwlDbQpUD7aUqzNMp_awh33gFcfwWGA Nominates Bashir, Chicago 10, Dark Knight/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAnimation Magazine/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-3fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/burn-milk-up-wga-screenplay/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B4B251FC1-2BEF-474F-8C29-F0D30CA43027%257D%26dist%3Dmsr_1cid=1287788727ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNFMuScBHUJLye3YqK-ShghFX1BOvw#39;Burn,#39; #39;Milk#39; up for WGA screenplay award/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-4fd=Rurl=http://www.ifmagazine.com/new.asp%3Farticle%3D7385cid=1287788727ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNEMsuaSam9oi4NAC5QITQq_j2YJxwnobriFMagazine/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-5fd=Rurl=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090108.BUZZ08-1/TPStory/Entertainmentcid=1287788727ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNHUoVdvR8Gq1gnAqcymdl1PAB4-7AnobrGlobe and Mail/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287788727hl=ennobrall 585 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Gonzales writing book on years in Bush administration - Austin American-Statesman

Children#39;s creative writing class is Saturday at Writers#39; Gallery - Yucaipa/Calimesa News Mirror

Russia says will restore gas when monitors in place - guardian.co.uk

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/8216731cid=1287643687ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNE2U9SFz8ASsGIhTmCj53n3jW1JaARussia says will restore gas when monitors in place/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fguardian.co.uk,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b Faulconbridge in Kiev, Marcin Grajewski in Brussels; Martin Santa in Bratislava; Jan Lopatka in Prague; bWriting/b by Jon Boyle; editing by Ralph Boulton)/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-1fd=Rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DWDaHAtQVYSIcid=1287643687ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNENZIod4RiuSUUc_ThDaTCrpY_fbwVideo: The gas crisis in Europe online/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrfrance24english/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/WDaHAtQVYSI/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/WDaHAtQVYSItype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-2fd=Rurl=http://www.kyivpost.com/world/32802cid=1287643687ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNEHaDvYUNgp1Bfe0PiuaN2NtKfxmgGazprom: Yushchenko should work instead of bwriting/b letters/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrKyiv Post (subscription)/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-3fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSBRU00715620090108cid=1287643687ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNE1v3hDJwQdSVGODtUPzdsde-2mNgGazprom refuses to agree to EU gas monitoring plan/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrReuters/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-4fd=Rurl=http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKPRA00230820090108cid=1287643687ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNHA-9dPl3ze1F7FB7mEaGvWcoopWAnobrReuters/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-5fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSL84569920090108cid=1287643687ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNGfOyAefaGynPM5UCZwCbCIJ97LAAnobrReuters/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287643687hl=ennobrall 7,224 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

The Flat Stanley Project gets kids reading, writing, and learning ... - Examiner.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-562-Book-Examiner~y2009m1d7-The-Flat-Stanley-Project-gets-kids-reading-writing-and-learning-geographycid=1287811701ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNGQvWbF4MvBn4EJn0yBlTtUTELxdQimg src=http://nt2.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=Nj8BWNePNEUJimgurl=image.examiner.com/images/blog/author/img530michelle_kerns_photo.jpg width=80 height=67 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Examiner.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.examiner.com/x-562-Book-Examiner~y2009m1d7-The-Flat-Stanley-Project-gets-kids-reading-writing-and-learning-geographycid=1287811701ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNGQvWbF4MvBn4EJn0yBlTtUTELxdQThe Flat Stanley Project gets kids reading, bwriting/b, and learning b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fExaminer.comnbsp;-/font nobr19 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1b.../b could scarcely have imagined that decades later his quirky creation would be used in bwriting/b and geography projects for schoolchildren around the globe. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Ex-broker guilty of writing bad check - Billings Gazette

The business press: The horror of writing your own obit - BloggingStocks

How about if Steve Jobs smoked a pipe? - guardian.co.uk

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8i-0fd=Rurl=http://abcnews.go.com/Health/CancerPreventionAndTreatment/story%3Fid%3D6580484%26page%3D1cid=1287230517ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNGFvUfg3Koq-V1xMSNJCOl7zIpFiQimg src=http://nt1.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=SYk0Sufj5s4Jimgurl=a.abcnews.com/images/Health/nm_steve_jobs_090105_mn.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2ABC News/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/08/apple-macworld-dullsville-pipecid=1287230517ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNGwPK8NlCtOQhc1UQz-v-tv0xiuGgHow about if Steve Jobs smoked a pipe?/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fguardian.co.uk,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr7 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1For the first time in more than a decade, it looks like I#39;m bwriting/b a letter. Unfortunately, my apparent absence in the latest version of Microsoft Office b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-1fd=Rurl=http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DOT3eybWjJaAcid=1287230517ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNEcASYfP2aovquYLKAvgOjdXisOnAVideo: Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAssociatedPress/nobr/fontobject width=448 height=356param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/OT3eybWjJaA/paramparam name=wmode value=transparent/paramembed src=http://www.youtube.com/v/OT3eybWjJaAtype=application/x-shockwave-flashwmode=transparentwidth=448height=356/embed/objectbr/fontfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-2fd=Rurl=http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/iphone/showArticle.jhtml%3FarticleID%3D212701038%26cid%3Diwhome_art_iPhon_mostpopcid=1287230517ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNFZ4h3HjQ03ihUlppoTCbnM4--SWgMacworld: Apple Rewards The Faithful/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrInformationWeek/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-3fd=Rurl=http://www.macworld.com/article/137945/2009/01/iwork09.html%3Ft%3D201cid=1287230517ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNEryNAcgyNWqwKzxl5n0fOzvkotuAExpo: Apple adds productivity features to iWork/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMacworld/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-4fd=Rurl=http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/01/06/apple-updates-iwork-web-based-document-sharing-and-more-productive-pricecid=1287230517ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNFEZc66lWjwl1A1mbBqmCg47zlwSwnobrThe Industry Standard/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-5fd=Rurl=http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/jan/07/the-odd-world-of-the-cult-of-apple-ask-dave/cid=1287230517ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNG-dUtxpOwmB8evTq0SwYVbILdcOgnobrDaily Camera/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287230517hl=ennobrall 2,861 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Manhattan Public Library holding art and writing contest for MLK ... - KTKA.com

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9i-0fd=Rurl=http://tri-statedefenderonline.com/articlelive/articles/3482/1/A-Call-to-Serve-on-Dr-MLK-Jr-Day/Page1.htmlcid=1287567128ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNGx7PdN3i5fZs-BRMKidl7zd3OFQQimg src=http://nt1.ggpht.com/news?imgefp=iaHGz36FEtgJimgurl=www.tri-statedefenderonline.com/articlelive/content_images/2009-01-08/20090108mlk01.jpg width=80 height=73 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Tri State Defender/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.ktka.com/news/2009/jan/07/manhattan_public_library_holding_art_and_writing_c/cid=1287567128ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNH_VjH25qYquYSueKci39SjnSos2wManhattan Public Library holding art and bwriting/b contest for MLK b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fKTKA.com,nbsp;KSnbsp;-/font nobrJan 7, 2009/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Write down your experience or the story of someone you know and submit it to the annual Manhattan Community Martin Luther King Jr. Art and bWriting/b Contest. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-1fd=Rurl=http://www.marionstar.com/article/20090107/NEWS01/901080321cid=1287567128ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNF9MEMdG4pTTe9O6Uj24mDXbIPi4QKing#39;s #39;Peace#39; theme puts youths#39; skills on display/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarion Star/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-2fd=Rurl=http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S23/13/67G96/index.xml%3Fsection%3Dannouncementscid=1287567128ei=jodmSYq4CcjcmQevx6zDBAusg=AFQjCNFZ9ca8u-e_JRZR3tHo5BfHjrA_FgAmerican presidential transition is theme of King Day event/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrPrinceton University/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1287567128hl=ennobrall 166 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Writing - Google News

RELATED ARTICLES

Seven Suggestions To Develop a Superb Writing Style
Every writer eventually develops her own unique style of writing. As you struggle to create your own voice, while focusing on the required standards, you may want to consider the following tips for improving your style and establishing a professional formula for success.

English Grammar - Seven Outdated Rules You Can Ignore
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar "rules" no longer apply. The style mavens of our day all agree that the ability to communicate clearly and concisely takes precedence over archaic grammar rules.

Italics Part 1 - Do You Need to Use Italics?
Next time you're tempted to use italics for emphasis..

How to Break In and Succeed as a Screenwriter
Screenwriting is a competitive trade. To distinguish yourself as a prize-winning writer you need to master organizational skills, take creative risks, and learn how best to present your final product.

Revising Your Manuscript: Fourteen Questions to Ask Yourself
1) Can you summarize the story in about a sentence or two?Example:Three daughters try desperately to save their father from his conniving new wife.A cop has to fight a losing battle with the bottle and discover the identity of a serial killer.

How to Have an Effective Reading Group
Writing leads to reading. Therefore, it's only fair to supply my readers with sufficient information on creating an effective reading group, since the last article was based on writing groups.

A Writers Life
Ever wonder what an author's life is like? What that breathing, sweating, hungry, weary, bona fide guy does when he's not at the keyboard? How does his "day job" affect his writing? When he's mowing the lawn, grocery shopping, or babysitting grandchildren - what goes through his mind? Is he sucking up every sensation as he moves through his day, tucking tidbits away for a future piece? Or, does he simply journey through life, just - doing - these things?How do I define myself? Am I Aaron Paul Lazar, with the obligatory middle name, author of the LeGarde Mystery Series? Sometimes. At book signings, indeed.

Why Book Writers Need A Running Mate
By far, I have found that the lack of discipline is the biggest hindrance for most people, when it comes to writing a book of any kind. Although I urge you as a would-be writer to develop a theme because once you are clear on "why" you want to write a book, your motivational level will shift into a higher gear, I also urge you to get an accountability partner.

6 Tricks To Squeeze Your Letters Onto One Page
Anyone who has read any of my articles on the subject ofletter writing or resume writing will know how important I believe it is to minimize the number of pages, preferably limiting them to one page whenever possible.And, we all know how tacky it looks when we put the finishing touches on a letter and it overflows onto the second page by one or two lines.

10 Tips To Help You Pack More Power Into Your Business Writing
1. Before you write anything down define not what you want to say, but what your message must achieve.

Which Comes First - Short Story Or Novel?
A writer writes. Bet you've heard that one before.

Becoming the Total Package
Being a great writer is no longer enough if you plan to score a big publishing deal, especially as a nonfiction author.Particularly if your book idea falls into the how-to or self-help categories, you not only have to sell your terrific writing, but you also have to sell yourself as the books conduit to the world.

Slow Pokes: Short Story On The Changing World Of Writing
"No one will ever know who I am, I'm a nobody-writer from nowhere? I've had a thousand rejections from all the major publishers. It seems my destiny is never to be read, another nameless soul lost to the sands of eternity.

Local Knowledge: Background and Historical Setting in Novels
You're writing a story set in your local city, but one hundred years in the past. How can you recreate the feel of the past in your words of the present? Local knowledge, that's how.

Write That Down! Compulsively Collecting Content for Your Writing
Have you ever read someone else's writing and thought one of the following things:Where did he get such great stories?Why can't I think of examples like that?How does she always develop amazing illustrations?The answer is: content.In writing, content is KING.

The Three Cs of Writing an Excellent all Purpose Headline
Since the headline is the first contact your readers have with your message, it must reach out to them. Promise them a benefit.

How To Be A Published (Non-Fiction) Author
1. Turning your idea into a bookWith non-fiction books the question of whether or not to write one has to be a business decision, rather as you would take over any new product or service.

10 Secrets For Writing Killer Complaint Letters
Complaint letters aren't always fun, but sometimes they needto be written. In many cases, if people don't complain, the problem agency at fault (i.

Pages: Your Book of Life
Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.

Retail Margin, Trade Discount, and What it Means for the Author
DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale price and your book's retail price. For example, a book with a cover price of $10 and a wholesale price of $5 has a 50% retail margin.