Plotting out a novel is outlining and mapping out the events in a story before drafting the manuscript. It is the shortest step in my writing process behind drafting and editing the novel, but it’s crucial. Without a robust plotting process, the editing process would be a nightmare. In most projects, I have three critical steps in my plotting process: brainstorming, outlining, and time-lineing.
Brainstorming is the beginning of the plotting process, and for me, that starts with using Apple’s Freeform app. I covered Apple’s Freeform app in detail a couple of weeks ago. The Freeform app is my go-to mid-mapping and brainstorming app. It allows me a blank canvas onto which I throw ideas that may or may not make it into the draft of the final novel. I often have ideas here that move the characters in one direction, but when drafting the story, I will find that the characters are calling me in another direction. I throw all ideas into Freeform to flush them out.
Once I have the ideas on a page, I build the outline. I hate to do outlining, but again, if I don’t do it, I find the writing process to be a confusing cluster of ideas rather than a comprehensive story. My outlines are fundamental, just the critical points of the chapters with some dialogue that comes to mind while I outline.
The next step in my plotting process is to build a timeline. I use the Aeon Timeline app to create a timeline of the character’s actions. I document every activity the characters do so that I have continuity of the content from beginning to end. I find this step helps with the flow of the novel in the future.
I lastly take all the data and use it to draft my manuscript in Ulysses.
In conclusion, I have three critical steps in my plotting process: brainstorming, outlining, and time-lining. These are the steps to a successful draft. Can I write without the plotting process? Of course, but I find that the novel’s flow and continuity struggle, leading to a longer drawn-out editing process. What is your plotting process?