I am not a plotter or a Plotter, but a PLOTTER. Before I put hands to keyboard to draft, I have to know what my story’s ending. The beginning, inciting incident, and major plot points have to be planned. My brain needs a road map to follow or I go chasing squirrels and never find my way home.
Once I have my general outline, character web, and main character’s journey, I build an extended outline of scene cards. The original idea came from Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder. I then found the novel version of Save the Cat! by Jessica Brody and expanded on my scene cards. (I think novelists could benefit from both the screenwriting and novel versions.) With my original DIY MFA thesis, these scene cards were physical index cards taped to the back of my office door in order. Now, the scene synopsis and scene card template have expanded and require Scrivener to fit everything together.
I read Truby, KM Weiland, James Scott Bell, and countless others.Then I listened to critique partners’ feedback. GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon and helpful suggestions from B.C. Krygowski influenced the addition of the GMC (goal, motivation, conflict) chart. Alexandra Kiley and Melody Gibson pointed out the importance of scene linkage, character agency, and resolution. Kerry Evelyn introduced me to T Taylor’s 7 Figure Fiction and the idea of Universal Themes. And Susan Dennard’s website gave the gift of magical cookies.
Like any engineer would, I iterated my process, over and over. The writing process is fluid, ever changing. There’s never one perfect template that works for every project. I didn’t chisel my template into stone. It may morph to match each project, but below I have included my scene card template as it stands today.
[SCENE DETAILS]
This portion includes all important beats in the scene, as well as details I know I need (symbols introduced, breadcrumbs to lay for future chapters, character and plot reveals, even snippets of dialogue I love and hope to include.)
How is this scene an effect of previous ones: I force myself to consider how this reaction is an effect of the previous scene or scenes to make sure my story flows well. And I make sure critique partners point out if the connection doesn’t show on the page.
Resolution to drive into the next scene: What decision or decisions does the main character make that propel this scene into the next scene, linking them together to keep the novel from feeling episodic?
Scene objectives (minimum of three required!): Here is where I list my goals for the scene, the overarching things I want this scene to accomplish to help mold my plot and my character’s journey. I have critique partners point out if I accomplish these or if they need to be fleshed out more in the narrative.
| External | Internal | |
| Goal | ||
| Motivation | ||
| Conflict |
Setting: I tag each scene with the setting to make sure I have a list of all the settings I need descriptions for. This also helps me track the frequency of key settings, as well as “throwaway” settings.
Characters Introduced: I track the introduction of characters in each scene. This allows me to not only check pacing/flow, but to make sure I don’t introduce any characters too late into the story.
Universal Fantasies/Themes: What are some universal themes/tropes/fantasies present in this scene that I can incorporate and twist to add a unique spin to?
Magical Cookies: What in this scene am I the most excited to write? What part of this scene is going to help me through the multi-year slog and help me remember to love each scene?
Timeline: This helps me keep track of story pacing and overall story timing. I’ll include an entire blog article on my timekeeping process. (Since I write novels with sports subplots, timelines are crucial to me for plot realism.)
OST: What song or songs epitomize this scene? Which song can I listen to on endless repeat to channel this scene’s vibe?
What information do you have to have planned out before you start drafting?