Hi friends!
So, I'm planning/prepping for my Nanowrimo story for this year, and I'm having a bit of trouble.
I have the setting and stuff pretty figured out, I'm really excited about that aspect, but...I can't seem to think of a good enough plotline. It's going to be modern realistic, which is definitely outside of my usual 'zone'. I normally do something with magic, or fantasy, or scifi. However, this story has a strong cultural theme/message, and I feel like I really need to stick to a realistic setting to convey that properly.
So...how do you guys come up with themes for stories that are not magical?
I can't do any kind of detective-y series, I'm not that good at mysteries, so unfortunately that's out.
So, I'm planning/prepping for my Nanowrimo story for this year, and I'm having a bit of trouble.
I have the setting and stuff pretty figured out, I'm really excited about that aspect, but...I can't seem to think of a good enough plotline. It's going to be modern realistic, which is definitely outside of my usual 'zone'. I normally do something with magic, or fantasy, or scifi. However, this story has a strong cultural theme/message, and I feel like I really need to stick to a realistic setting to convey that properly.
So...how do you guys come up with themes for stories that are not magical?
I can't do any kind of detective-y series, I'm not that good at mysteries, so unfortunately that's out.
Hi fellow nano-er! 
Hmm. Well, when it comes to modern realistic, oddly enough I tend to look at soap operas. A lot of the drama and conflict in them are well, dramatic; but are easily able to be rewritten into being a little less glitz and gasping. Since all of the conflicts in it are things that have happened to people in real life and fairly common they are just portrayed in a very intense and dimly lit manner.
The types of conflicts when it comes to modern realistic truly depends on if there is a romance subplot or if it's a romance in general. A LOT of plot depends on that. If it's not a romance, then thousands of plot and conflict options are no longer an option.
In general I like to write with one really big plot conflict and two smaller ones.
For example in one of my modern romance novels:
Big Plot Conflict: Someone tries to kill the female protagonist, the male protagonists new wife via arranged marriage. This spurs her being in a coma, her forgetting someone pushed her down the stairs, her remembering, them knowing that it was plotted but not knowing who it was until the person tries again. This is not as intimidating as it might seem, it doesn't include any detective or mystery work really; because it's not from a detective or police officers POV. Any thoughts about what happened are from a regular persons realistic POV.
Smaller Conflict 1: The mans best friend is crushing on his new wife. Obviously this causes tension.
Smaller Conflict 2: The womans long lost mother shows up in the midst of the big conflict and takes attention away from it.
My best advice I can give is when it comes to plotting is find a good plot structure guide. I use this one specifically. You don't have to follow it to a T, and can move things around but it's very helpful for getting something laid out.
I'm sorry if I couldn't give any better advice, it's a little hard to give advice on plot ideas because plot depends on the characters themselves. Basically what you do to get plot is think: where is the character? Why are they there? Who else is there? Why are they there? What could be happening to or within either of their families that is negative or positive? (ie illness or wedding/marriage) What is happening in the general setting that would bring people together or drive them apart? A holiday? A storm?
The biggest thing is to think of the biggest conflict in the book first what you want to have the most impact and drive the story and then work around it, think of things that could set the characters passions or career or schooling back, or something sudden and unfortunate happens to a parent/grandparent and they need to re frequently visit the hospital until they recover. or they need to frequently drive to a nursing home to visit them.
Things like that.
Hmm. Well, when it comes to modern realistic, oddly enough I tend to look at soap operas. A lot of the drama and conflict in them are well, dramatic; but are easily able to be rewritten into being a little less glitz and gasping. Since all of the conflicts in it are things that have happened to people in real life and fairly common they are just portrayed in a very intense and dimly lit manner.
The types of conflicts when it comes to modern realistic truly depends on if there is a romance subplot or if it's a romance in general. A LOT of plot depends on that. If it's not a romance, then thousands of plot and conflict options are no longer an option.
In general I like to write with one really big plot conflict and two smaller ones.
For example in one of my modern romance novels:
Big Plot Conflict: Someone tries to kill the female protagonist, the male protagonists new wife via arranged marriage. This spurs her being in a coma, her forgetting someone pushed her down the stairs, her remembering, them knowing that it was plotted but not knowing who it was until the person tries again. This is not as intimidating as it might seem, it doesn't include any detective or mystery work really; because it's not from a detective or police officers POV. Any thoughts about what happened are from a regular persons realistic POV.
Smaller Conflict 1: The mans best friend is crushing on his new wife. Obviously this causes tension.
Smaller Conflict 2: The womans long lost mother shows up in the midst of the big conflict and takes attention away from it.
My best advice I can give is when it comes to plotting is find a good plot structure guide. I use this one specifically. You don't have to follow it to a T, and can move things around but it's very helpful for getting something laid out.
I'm sorry if I couldn't give any better advice, it's a little hard to give advice on plot ideas because plot depends on the characters themselves. Basically what you do to get plot is think: where is the character? Why are they there? Who else is there? Why are they there? What could be happening to or within either of their families that is negative or positive? (ie illness or wedding/marriage) What is happening in the general setting that would bring people together or drive them apart? A holiday? A storm?
The biggest thing is to think of the biggest conflict in the book first what you want to have the most impact and drive the story and then work around it, think of things that could set the characters passions or career or schooling back, or something sudden and unfortunate happens to a parent/grandparent and they need to re frequently visit the hospital until they recover. or they need to frequently drive to a nursing home to visit them.
Things like that.
That's actually very helpful, thank you so much!
CelestinaGrey wrote:
That's actually very helpful, thank you so much!
Always Celestina! 😊
damnationfromafar wrote:
Hi fellow nano-er!
Hmm. Well, when it comes to modern realistic, oddly enough I tend to look at soap operas. A lot of the drama and conflict in them are well, dramatic; but are easily able to be rewritten into being a little less glitz and gasping. Since all of the conflicts in it are things that have happened to people in real life and fairly common they are just portrayed in a very intense and dimly lit manner.
The types of conflicts when it comes to modern realistic truly depends on if there is a romance subplot or if it's a romance in general. A LOT of plot depends on that. If it's not a romance, then thousands of plot and conflict options are no longer an option.
In general I like to write with one really big plot conflict and two smaller ones.
For example in one of my modern romance novels:
Big Plot Conflict: Someone tries to kill the female protagonist, the male protagonists new wife via arranged marriage. This spurs her being in a coma, her forgetting someone pushed her down the stairs, her remembering, them knowing that it was plotted but not knowing who it was until the person tries again. This is not as intimidating as it might seem, it doesn't include any detective or mystery work really; because it's not from a detective or police officers POV. Any thoughts about what happened are from a regular persons realistic POV.
Smaller Conflict 1: The mans best friend is crushing on his new wife. Obviously this causes tension.
Smaller Conflict 2: The womans long lost mother shows up in the midst of the big conflict and takes attention away from it.
My best advice I can give is when it comes to plotting is find a good plot structure guide. I use this one specifically. You don't have to follow it to a T, and can move things around but it's very helpful for getting something laid out.
I'm sorry if I couldn't give any better advice, it's a little hard to give advice on plot ideas because plot depends on the characters themselves. Basically what you do to get plot is think: where is the character? Why are they there? Who else is there? Why are they there? What could be happening to or within either of their families that is negative or positive? (ie illness or wedding/marriage) What is happening in the general setting that would bring people together or drive them apart? A holiday? A storm?
The biggest thing is to think of the biggest conflict in the book first what you want to have the most impact and drive the story and then work around it, think of things that could set the characters passions or career or schooling back, or something sudden and unfortunate happens to a parent/grandparent and they need to re frequently visit the hospital until they recover. or they need to frequently drive to a nursing home to visit them.
Things like that.
Hmm. Well, when it comes to modern realistic, oddly enough I tend to look at soap operas. A lot of the drama and conflict in them are well, dramatic; but are easily able to be rewritten into being a little less glitz and gasping. Since all of the conflicts in it are things that have happened to people in real life and fairly common they are just portrayed in a very intense and dimly lit manner.
The types of conflicts when it comes to modern realistic truly depends on if there is a romance subplot or if it's a romance in general. A LOT of plot depends on that. If it's not a romance, then thousands of plot and conflict options are no longer an option.
In general I like to write with one really big plot conflict and two smaller ones.
For example in one of my modern romance novels:
Big Plot Conflict: Someone tries to kill the female protagonist, the male protagonists new wife via arranged marriage. This spurs her being in a coma, her forgetting someone pushed her down the stairs, her remembering, them knowing that it was plotted but not knowing who it was until the person tries again. This is not as intimidating as it might seem, it doesn't include any detective or mystery work really; because it's not from a detective or police officers POV. Any thoughts about what happened are from a regular persons realistic POV.
Smaller Conflict 1: The mans best friend is crushing on his new wife. Obviously this causes tension.
Smaller Conflict 2: The womans long lost mother shows up in the midst of the big conflict and takes attention away from it.
My best advice I can give is when it comes to plotting is find a good plot structure guide. I use this one specifically. You don't have to follow it to a T, and can move things around but it's very helpful for getting something laid out.
I'm sorry if I couldn't give any better advice, it's a little hard to give advice on plot ideas because plot depends on the characters themselves. Basically what you do to get plot is think: where is the character? Why are they there? Who else is there? Why are they there? What could be happening to or within either of their families that is negative or positive? (ie illness or wedding/marriage) What is happening in the general setting that would bring people together or drive them apart? A holiday? A storm?
The biggest thing is to think of the biggest conflict in the book first what you want to have the most impact and drive the story and then work around it, think of things that could set the characters passions or career or schooling back, or something sudden and unfortunate happens to a parent/grandparent and they need to re frequently visit the hospital until they recover. or they need to frequently drive to a nursing home to visit them.
Things like that.
Wow, this is interesting. I learned something from this too.
Abigail_Austin wrote:
Wow, this is interesting. I learned something from this too.
Yay! Always happy to help. I'm still learning new things everyday myself.
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