Plot or Bust in 5 Easy Steps

by New York Times Bestselling author Marina Adair

The feud between plotters and pantsers in the writing world is as old as that of the Hatfields and McCoys. I fall squarely on the side of the plotters, driven by the beauty between the spontaneity and creativity that falls within the framework of a structured story. While pantsers have their arguments in favor of their strategy, it’s ultimately up to each writer to decide which approach works best for them. Over the years, I have refined my methodology into five simple steps that help me produce my best work.

Get to Know Your Characters

A character bible is a great place to compile descriptions, traits, quirks, and personality types for easy reference when writing. This will answer the most important questions about your characters that will make them unique and three-dimensional. It is essential to know each character’s motive entering the scene. Their back story, what drives them, their external goal, and what they are afraid of (the emotional struggle they overcome by the end of the book) are all essential.

Don’t be afraid to get creative. List ten distinctive traits that make your character stand out. In my book, You’ve Got Male, the heroine is a Professional Organizer whose personal world is one Xanax away from going under. The hero is a former banker whose life is one big wrinkled, rumpled dirty-diaper filled mess. The descriptions should give a vivid, visual of who each character is to the reader. 

Flaws Make for Compelling Characters

Good qualities in a protagonist are admirable, but their shortcomings make them relatable and human. A character’s flaw that is deeply embedded within them not only drives their actions and arc but usually leads to their downfall. Before I start my first chapter, I layer my characters’ flaws from minor, to major, to fatal.

A minor flaw is a small quirk that adds uniqueness to the character’s personality, such as being squeamish about eating anything green. A major flaw should actively prevent your character from achieving their goal throughout the story. For example, if you’re writing a romance, choose a flaw that negatively impacts them from falling in love. Lastly, a fatal flaw is so extreme that it drives the character forward through the story and tears them down at the end. In You’ve Got Male, my hero lives in the moment, allowing him to be present for his kids, but in the rest of his life it leaves him unreliable, unpredictable, and unable to commit to more than the present when it comes to lasting love.

Creating layers of flaws that are dual-sided, with weakness and strength being two sides of the same coin, creates compelling and complex characters.

Beat Sheet for the Win

A beat sheet consists of a sentence or two summarizing each chapter of the book. It focuses on the physicality, point of view, motivations, and goals for each of the two main characters in the scene. This gives conflict as well as establishes the purpose of the scene. Both are needed or the scene can be cut from the story. The beat sheet works as a great map to refer to as you are navigating your story and it will make it easier fleshing out the book as you’re writing.

Partnering up to Plot

Over the years I have learned that it takes a village to write a bestseller, and that’s where my plotting partner comes in. I’ve had the same partner for over a decade and she is brilliant. Not only is she my sounding board but she points out plot holes and helps keep me focused on the emotional arc of the story.

In my latest book, though, I decided to switch things up. You’ve Got Male follows a single mom who is forced to move home and work in her parents’ coffee shop. It’s an inter-generational and LGBTQ cast so I decided to reach out to my Gen Z daughter, Boomer mother, and gay father-in-law and use them as sounding boards and plot partners.

I knew my daughter, a bestselling author in her own right, would be extraordinarily helpful in nailing the Gen Z struggles, but never in a million years did I imagine that two non-writing boomers would take to plotting the way they did. Not only did they share stories that lent an authenticity to my book, they also shared what their generation is scared of, what’s affecting them in the world, and helped me with scenes that had nothing to do with the grandparent characters of the story. It was adding something new to my routine that made You’ve Got Male one of my best.

Write Consistently Every Day

The best piece of advice I received from my mentor in grad school was, “Writers write. Authors write every day.” My method is to consistently write at least one scene a day, seven days a week. Other authors write an hour a day, in the mornings, in the evenings, or when the kids are in bed. The point is to pick what works for you and then commit to it every day without fail.

Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, writing is a journey that involves careful planning, creative thoughtfulness, complex characters, and consistency. By following these five simple steps, and preparing yourself for the actual writing, it’s possible to produce high-quality storytelling that resonates with readers. Seasoned writer or just starting out, this structured approach can help you navigate the writing process with confidence and ease.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marina Adair is a New York Times and #1 nationally bestselling author whose fun, flirty contemporary romances have sold over a million copies. In addition to the When in Rome series she is also the author of the Destiny Bay series, the Heroes of St. Helena series, the Sugar, Georgia series, and the St Helena Vineyard series, which was the inspiration behind the original Hallmark Channel Vineyard movies: Autumn in the Vineyard, Summer in the Vineyard and Valentine in the Vineyard. She currently lives with her husband, daughter, and two neurotic cats in Northern California.

YOU’VE GOT MALE

She has zero time for a relationship. A fake one will have to do―in New York Times bestselling author Marina Adair’s new romance that brings the humor and the heart…

Evie Granger’s life is one crisis away from a complete meltdown.

Between single-parenting a sixteen-going-on-forty daughter, managing a mom living her best life way out loud, caring for an ailing father, and keeping the family’s struggling coffee shop afloat, Evie hasn’t looked after herself in far too long.

So naturally her best friend chooses this moment to post a video of Evie describing the ideal man…and sends it stratospherically viral.

Now Evie’s an overnight social media sensation and every eligible (and otherwise) guy in a five-state radius is turning up with his “I’m the one” credentials. But Evie can’t bring herself to let any Prince Charming into a life that’s barely holding together. A life she doesn’t even recognize as hers.

So she strikes a bargain with her sexy―if equally overwhelmed―neighbor to convince America she’s taken. But can a faux fairytale start to feel real…or is it just as doomed from the start?

Marina Adair’s clever, uproarious story captures the utter chaos and irrepressible joy of balancing kids, parents, love, and finding a spare minute for yourself―while the whole world watches every disastrous minute.

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Tags: featured, women writers

Category: On Writing