I've been writing for the Open College of the Arts Creative Writing Degree again.
This time, I've been looking at plotting stories.
Plots are sometimes defined as quests, but you can invert that; your first quest is to find your plot.
All good quests need a map, and so do you. Not just any map, either – a treasure map, which will hide the plot secrets, lay the clues, and guide your reader through the dangers and dramas of their journey to a wealth of satisfaction at the end.
I have a foremost tip in the quest for the next plot idea…
But you'll have to read the original blog to find out what that tip is, and the other practical, questing suggestions I've found useful myself, such as wall charts…