"Members Helping Members: Plotting" with John Wimbish

The distinction between Plotters (those who design their plot prior to writing) and Pantsers (those who let the plot unfold as they write) is not entirely black and white. Most plotters find themselves adjusting their structure as they write, and most pantsers begin with at least a general idea of where the story is going. There are many valid ways to skin the novel cat, and I present what is working well for me. I take a top-down approach, where I start with my "big idea", and develop a high-level structure around it. I use a structural framework that fits the story I want to tell, choosing from the many options out there that have a proven track record in both print and cinema. Once this high-level design checks all the boxes, I move down to the next level of detail. This is done via a grid, inspired by …