A few months ago, I invited you to join me while I began working on my new WIP. I posted about how I decide on my novel structure first, by arranging note cards on a large bulletin board. Then, I make myself a workbook to discover my characters and plot. I offered some tips for brainstorming ideas, and hope they helped you complete your planning. If you’re not quite there yet, don’t worry. It took me several weeks to finish plotting my chapters. You can’t rush it! But if you’re ready to move on with me, it’s time to fill in those notecards you made in your first week of planning your shiny new WIP. 

Today, I want to share an example of how I plot out a chapter using a method that boils down to three parts: vibe, heart, and stakes. If you’ve done a workbook like I have, you’ve already figured out the vibe and the heart. The third part, stakes, is where the index card comes in. Now, if you haven’t done any prep-work (or have discovered that you are more Plantser than Planner) you can start here—as long as you know your character’s motivation. 

Vibe: When I have an idea for a scene, I start with a blank sheet of notebook paper. I just write whatever comes to mind. The location I picture, what the characters are doing, and any bits of dialogue I imagine them saying all go down on the notebook page. It can be very specific — an actual line of dialogue — or it might be more in “that’s a problem for future me” territory — like (insert some witty banter here). The goal of the notebook page is not to be specific. That comes later. The goal is to shape a vague scene into something with a beginning, a middle, and an end. For me, it’s like watching the scene play out in my mind — sometimes in a dozen different ways — and writing down which way I think I want it to go. 

Heart: After I’ve filled a page or two with my scribbles, I want to dial in the scene further. This is where I turn to Lisa Cron’s Story Genius. I pull out a scene worksheet and I break my notes out into cause and effect. X happens in this scene, so then Y happens. I ask myself: why does this matter to the characters in this scene? I find that this is usually where the vagueness lies, and where I have to pause and really think. Does the character make a choice in the scene, or are things just happening to them? What are they trying to get out of the scene? Do they have a goal? What does it contribute to the story? 

Later, when I sit down to compile the index cards into an outline, if a scene doesn’t feel right I find that a vagueness of story detail is usually the culprit. Now, I’m not talking about details like physical descriptions, but details that matter to the plot of the story. A character should have a reason for taking an action, and unfortunately, moving the plot forward for the poor author who has written herself into a corner, again, is not a reason. 

The final piece of the scene worksheet is taking what the character has achieved in the scene and asking yourself: What do they do next? This should lead you naturally into that character’s next scene, where you get to repeat the process all over again. 

Stakes: Once my scene worksheet is complete, I move on to my actual index card. My goal is to fit the scene on a single 3×5” card (okay, fine, sometimes I go on to the back) by boiling it down to the essence of the scene. I include what happened (the action of the scene), what it means for the characters (the emotion of the scene) and the conclusion (what will happen next). 

A quick way to double check I’ve got the information I need is to make sure my index card has a who, what, where, why, and what now? (I personally only use “when” if there’s been a time jump, a flashback, or in the case of my time travel book, if I have a specific date and location in mind).  

When I’m ready to write the scene, I sit down at my laptop with my notebook paper, my scene worksheet, and my index card. As you read yours over, you should notice that each piece has a different level of information, uses different language, and explores the scene from a different angle. Together, they will guide you through your next step: drafting a compelling chapter.