Lost Without a Map: The Importance of Having a Plan
I don’t know about you, but I need a map! I need to know where I am going before I leave the house, or I’ll get lost. I have absolutely no sense of direction! And I can promise, as soon as I get lost, I will turn around and go home in a huff of anxiety and frustration.
Hilarious, right? And I know I am not the only one! And if I’m being honest with myself, I’m the same way as a writer. I need a roadmap. We can have big ideas swirling in our heads, but get lost in the process of trying to get them onto paper. If you read one of my older posts, “Stop Stalling,” then you know how I feel about writing without knowing how the story ends. Start without the ending if that’s what it takes for you to get started. Don’t use not knowing as an excuse to not do it.
But, if you’re like me, and you need a map, here's a truth for you: there are no strict rules for plotting your story. It doesn’t have to be as detailed as a real map. In fact, story plots are just a guide, an outline, and guess what? You don’t need to know the ending to draft one. As a matter of fact, I have purposely deviated from an original plotline just to see what kind of trouble my character could end up in (plot twists). So, despite the claims that plotting your story can make it boring or too textbook, remember: it is just a tool to help keep you organized.
Why This Matters
Even a loose map that’s missing the ending can keep you steady and curious about the journey your character makes. Jotting a beginning, one or two midpoints, and a few scenes you want to see prevents your draft from wandering into aimless territory. It shows you which scenes matter and which will be distractions. A short outline turns a huge, vague project into tiny, doable tasks you can chip away at all night or -for my parents and 12-hour shift workers- in five or ten-minute bursts. It also makes it easier to spot logic holes or pacing problems before they become discouraging mountains.
A Classic Technique
Here is a method I’ve used time and time again: the Three-Act Structure. Here is a quick breakdown:
Act 1: Setup – Beginning, Inciting Incident, Second Thoughts, Plot Point One
Act 2: Confrontation – Rising Action, Midpoint, Plot Point Two
Act 3: Resolution – Pre-Crisis, Crisis, Failing Action
Act I
The exposition (introduction) is all about setting the stage: who is your protagonist? What’s missing in their life right now? What is their greatest desire? Depending on how many characters your story has (and the roles they play), this is also the place to make at least ⅔ of your characters ’ introductions.
The inciting incident is the catalyst that sets the protagonist’s adventure in motion. This step proposes or triggers a journey for the protagonist that could help them change their situation and achieve their goal.
The First Plot Point represents the protagonist’s decision to engage with whatever action the inciting incident has triggered. Think about The Hobbit: plot point 1 is when Bilbo Baggins decides to join Gandalf and the band of dwarves for an epic adventure.
Note: your ‘inciting incident’ and ‘plot point 1’ can happen in one full swoop.Act II
This is typically the longest section, the journey itself, and the protagonist’s arrival at the crisis point. Here, during the ‘rising action, is where the protagonist’s journey begins and where they first encounter roadblocks. This is also the part of the story where you should better acquaint readers with the rest of the cast, all remaining characters not previously introduced, and the primary antagonist(s)
Note: the antagonist’s doesn’t have to be a person, specifically, but I’ll get into that another time.The Second Plot Point is where your poor protagonist has fallen on hard times. Here, feelings of defeat flood in from all the other roadblocks they’ve already faced. But, it wouldn’t be much of a story if they quit here, now, would it?
Act III
Pre-Climax: Your protagonist has been gearing up to meet the antagonist head-on; their main foe has also been getting stronger and is now ready for “battle.”
The Climax signifies the final moments of your protagonists’ fight to reach their goal. The antagonist has wounded your protagonist already, but they must face off again. The conflict must end one way or another. Your protagonist either reaches the goal… or they fail.
The dust settles in the failing action phase. If the protagonist’s end result is not immediately shown during the climax, the failing action is where this should become apparent to the readers.
Final Takeaway:
Plotting is less about knowing every twist and more about noticing the threads already around you. The benefit of using a plotting technique like the three-act structure is that it helps you start and end each scene with a clear purpose and direction. Plotting doesn’t have to be rigid. You don’t have to fill in every single detail in your outline. You only need the bare minimum. And you don’t even need to know how it ends yet. But you can get started with a guide. Start today. Why not?
