Creative Writing Tips –

Our plotting stage is our testing area.

Everything in the plot should be tested for its effectiveness before we put in into our stories. If you believe something in your plot could be better, make it better.

Figuring everything out in your plot will save you time rewriting later.

So how do you test your plot?

Start with everything that has gone into it.

For example...

• Are the events interesting?
• Does your plot contain problems for the character to solve?
• Have you given your character a goal?
• Is the conflict strong?
• Is the resolution of the conflict interesting?
• Is the character interesting?
• Is the setting of the story interesting?
• Will the incident or situation be interesting to your readers?
• Etc

Make a list of what your plot contains. Comb through it carefully and tick off each item. If you find that some things need to be worked on some more, work on them.

I know to some this might be tedious work, but…

“Every one-minute you spend in planning
will save you at least three minutes in execution.”
Crawford Greenwald

This article was posted on August 24, 2004