For most people, writing isn't really that hard. However, writing a novel and coming up with a believable plot is something else entirely. It often amazes me how people who have never written much of anything before, can think that they should be able to just sit down and write. Just because someone knows how to take medicine for a headache doesn't mean that they should assume that they can now be a doctor. Both professions take time to learn. It's possible to learn how to write a novel, and even a great novel, if you are willing to put in the time and hard work. This is where Five Steps to a Tighter Plot, will be able to help you. But remember, the two most important aspects to becoming a published writer, is to read a lot and to write a lot. Every novelist will tell you this; there is no shortcut.

Step One: Think about the villain first. It's often easier to think about what the bad guy is going to do before thinking about the protagonist. When coming up with a tight plot, there has to be the element of risk and by thinking about the risk and dangers first will make it easier to develop the plot.

Step Two: Brainstorming the plot is crucial before writing anything. Think about anything and everything that you can, no matter how ridiculous you may think it is. Often, a nugget of a great idea can be found in the most insane ideas.

Step Three: Once you have as many ideas as you can think of for the plotline, weed out the ones that aren't going anywhere. You will be able to tell this by the plot line ideas that don't stimulate other ideas. They just sort of lie there on the screen or paper and lack any sort of creative imagery. Put those to the side for now, so when you are making up your plot you can look back to any of these discarded ideas to help further develop your plot, if they happen to mesh well, or a little, with what you have so far.

Step Four: Detail the plot ideas that you've created. Think about what sort of ramifications are going to come from the bad guy doing this or that. How will that affect the main character and those he or she cares about? What would be even worse? Take that thought and twist it even more to make your plot tighter and more compelling than before.

Step Five: Now this is where you start to think about your main character. They are usually going to react to any situation. Think about it, they are going along through life without a care in the world until a problem or danger present themselves. Without this crucial element to the designing of plot, you don't have much of a story.

This is where you're going to plug in your protagonist and start to strengthen the plot and tighten the plot to make sure that the whole novel is as concise, compelling, and page turning as possible.

You can find more information on writing; the writing life; how to become a published novelist, and the fantasy story, "The Book of Mengel," wholly complete and ready for down load at Creative Writing for the Rest Of us. http://www.creativewritingfortherestofus.blogspot.com

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