How to Fix a Story Plot

A story is based on plot, right? If you're a beginning author, then you've tried so many plots that you've lost count. Here are a few pointers for getting through the plotting process and come out the other side with a great plot!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Whether you saved your ideas into a file or just have them in your head, go back and review them.
2. Read them through. What happened? Find the part where your mind begins to wander. Stop. What went wrong? If it was wrong from the beginning, then start over. But not from scratch. You still have a good idea and good characters. You just used them at the wrong time.
3. Who are those characters with so much spice that you couldn't bear not to have them in your story? I'm sure they're good characters, but maybe they were introduced at the wrong time. See if you can successfully introduce a character at a different point int he story. This could make all the difference.
4. What's that scene that keeps playing at the back of your mind? You can't get it out of your head but it's too early in the story to use it. Did you use it anyway? A lot of times this is what goes wrong. Someone had a good idea but couldn't wait long enough to build a structure so they could use it. The solution: wait. Put that idea aside and say to yourself 'What needs to happen before I can use this really cool scene?' Then start to type.
5. You've gotten rid of your last story but you have the same plot. You're waiting for the really cool scene to come into place but you're getting bored of waiting. STOP. Never type if you are bored. This is your idea. If you 're getting bored with this story then think how drop down dead, drooling bored your reader will be. Get up and do something else. Read a book. Maybe you're distracted because it's getting near lunchtime and the hunger pains are kicking in.