How to Build Your Storyline

Do you ever feel like this caged lion when you are trying to put together your story?  (That's editing for me.) To me building a story is fairly easy.  The editing is what consumes most of my time!  That's why Meg goes over everything I do with regards to editing.  But story line??? I've got this...

So I thought what could I write as a 'how to'?  Try something different.  I'm always doing opinion posts.  Let's try a 'how to'.  Then I met a couple different writers that weren't sure how to pull their stories together.  That gave me an idea...

So here's the scoop on story line...

1. I always start at the end.  Even when I read a book I always start at the end.  How do I want my book to end?  If you can get the ending right then you can back build, or even start the beginning at that ending point (as you will see in one of my next books--- but I am not telling you which one.)

2. Make a timeline.  What happens when?  This helps me decide my order.  In another of my books (again not saying which one because want some surprise when I publish it.) I work with a dual timeline.  Part of it is memory and part present story time.

3. If you've already started writing, make an outline of each chapter and detail what happens in each.  This helps me see where I have gaps and if I need to change it I can write the changes I want to make on the outline in a different color then change the color when I rewrite it in.

If you haven't started writing, still make an outline.  You can build it more as you are writing.

4. This should probably be number 1... I have to really know my characters.  They are like real people to me and I am telling their story.  Even evil evil Wolffe I know exactly what turned him evil and just what would happen if his intentions were complete and what would happen if he won his battles with Anna.  One time Meg and I were brain storming on a scene because I was having such a problem with it.  So we started saying "Well what would happen if he got his way?".  From there we developed an alternative scene where Wolffe wasn't stopped, and that opened the door to realize what the problem was with that scene.  It also made me understand his motivation so much better!  You should know everything about your characters even the stuff that never gets written-- the back story...  It is more important than you think.

5. Figure out how you are going to proceed.  Only real life is linear.  Fiction can go in any progression you want. Once you figure this out it will be fairly easy to write your beginning.  Then you have both the beginning and the end...  The middle though is the hardest part for me.

6. Go back to your outline.  Look for your gaps.  Does your story jump?  Think about the progression you would like.  Write details into your outline then try them.  If you have to delete then save the old copy of your story until you've tried it out.

7. Read your story to someone you trust, or if it is close to being finished have them read it and tell you what they think.  I use to read The Key To Her Heart to my older teens and get their feedback and thoughts.  Then I would have a better idea of how it sounded, and it would help me see the problems and figure how to fix them.

8. Where is your climax?  You should have 1 or 2 real big turbulent events, but then at least another 1 or 2 smaller climatic events.  The first part of your book is build up, but it should not be boring.  Your reader needs to feel the tension.  Otherwise what reason should they keep reading?  Around a third to half way through should be your first big problem.  The second should be close to the end.  Then the smaller ones stick right in the spots it's starting to drag-- A little surprise, you know, to wake everyone up!

9. Do you like what you are writing?  If you don't then figure out what is bothering you.  You need to be passionate about your story.  Except don't ask me about chapter 6 in The Key To Her Heart-- I hate that chapter with passion!  You don't know how many ways I tried to avoid writing that scene and leaving that scene in there!  Oh my goodness!  Meg had to convince me after deleting it twice and me rewriting it more times than I can count that it had to stay for the sake of the story!  Believe me I wanted it gone.  But when I finally could sit down and read the whole of my work I realized it was a very necessary scene.  It makes Wolffe's threat real which the whole story hinges on.  So in the end I am still passionate about chapter 6-- I passionately hate it!  But it is still there.

10.  KEEP WRITING!!!!  Never give up!  Even when you feel like you are going in circles WRITE!  You will get something good even if you have to delete 100 pages for 1 (I've done that before!).  That 1 page was amazing!  The more you write the better you become and the better your story becomes.  So never give up.


So there you go.  Hope you liked my 'how to'.  If you did please subscribe to my blog or visit me on Facebook, or on Twitter.  Tell me what you think... I like trying new things.  I also like to find what others think.  Anyway this is Cat out... Hopefully I helped a few other struggling writers and gave some thoughts to those not struggling so much.