Steps to Thicken the Plot:
Start with the Original Idea:Reflect on your original prompt or idea from Day 1. You may have some elements of narration, character, genre, or plot in mind, but everything might still feel disjointed or incomplete.
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Identify One Key Theme or Situation:Instead of trying to address all aspects at once, focus on one central element to build upon. This could be a situation, a theme, or a question that feels particularly compelling.
Example:
Yesterday’s example was the prompt "A Rose Between Three Thorns". Today’s new example is "Finding Steve". From this, the focus could be on the theme of seeking someone who isn’t there — maybe it's about a literal or metaphorical search.
Pull Out One Key Aspect: Once you’ve chosen your theme or situation (e.g., the idea of “finding Steve”), start exploring it in more depth. Ask yourself:
What is the emotion behind this theme?
What situation does this create for the characters?
How does this idea make you feel?
What images or memories come to mind when you think about it?
Develop from the Theme:Using the theme of “Finding Steve” as an example:
Imagine a spiritualist trying to contact a spirit named Steve.
The theme here could be about searching for the unknown or discovering what’s hidden.
This leads to potential plot ideas like Steve being alive but misunderstood, or perhaps he’s in another dimension or simply hiding in plain sight.
Start Building the Plot: With your key theme identified, start to break it down into a beginning, middle, and end. Even at this early stage, start imagining:
Where does the story start? What happens to initiate the search for Steve?
What happens in the middle? What obstacles or clues will characters encounter?
How does the story resolve? Does Steve turn out to be alive? Is he in hiding? Or is there a supernatural twist?
Expand and Adjust:As you thicken the plot, don’t worry about perfection. Just allow the story to unfold naturally. You can always remove or change elements later, but you can’t expand a plot without having enough material to work with.
Genres and Tone:Consider what genre might work best for your plot. Is "Finding Steve" a comedy, a mystery, a supernatural thriller, or something else? Experiment with different tones and approaches before settling on one direction.
Further Plotting Tips:
Building Your Story: As you expand on your plot, think about the length of your story. Will it be a short story, a novella, or a full-length novel? The length will help guide how much you need to build your plot.
For a short story, focus on a simple beginning, middle, and end with one central plot theme.
For longer works (like a novella or novel), you can explore more layers and subplots, but the core plot theme should remain clear.
Plotting is Flexible: The beauty of early-stage plotting is that it’s not set in stone. You can try multiple variations and approaches before deciding on the final direction. If your plot feels too thin, add more ideas, twists, or themes. If it feels too bloated, trim things down to focus on the core essence.
Recap of Day 2:
Tip #1: Focus on getting your ideas down without worrying about grammar or structure. Let your creativity flow.
Tip #2: Now that you have some ideas, it’s time to thicken the plot. Pull out one key aspect of your story (e.g., a situation, theme, or genre) and build upon it. Expand your plot by thinking about the beginning, middle, and end.
Final Thoughts:
Don’t get stuck trying to perfect everything at this stage.
Start small but allow your ideas to grow. Plotting should be about building and expanding, not about perfection.
Tip for Next Steps: We’ll dive deeper into character and plot development soon. But for now, keep expanding and thickening your plot! You’ve got this!
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