Actions vs Choices: Crafting Better Plots

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

I was updating an outline of my WIP one day when something interesting hit me. I had a line of what was going to happen in a chapter, but it was written as if this was an inevitable event.

Protagonist defies her superiors.

I realized this was a common phrasing for my outlines, because I know roughly what’s going to happen. But by stating it so clearly, in a “done deal” kind of way, I was robbing the story of the mystery of wondering what would happen. To remind myself to put the mystery back in, I changed the line to:

Protagonist has to choose between superiors and friend.

A simple fix, but this edit made it a choice my protagonist had to make to achieve that outcome, which made the scene more unpredictable. Sure, the outcome was going to be the same, but when I wrote it, I had that struggle to choose firmly in my mind. I didn't write it as if it was a done deal--and that made a world of difference.

When plotting, we often know what happens, so we might write it without the necessary suspense.  But if we look at it as a choice, we can shift the focus to a more plot-advancing and suspenseful goal--a choice to defy vs. defiance. It’s one of those subtle things I love, because it really works to put us in the right mindset to add the tension and keep the scene interesting.

After this revelation, I looked at all my scenes again and asked:

How many choices did I offer my protagonist? 

Obviously not every actions is going to have options, but I wanted to see how many times I gave my protagonist a choice that could either raise the stakes, the tension, add unpredictability, or take the story in an unexpected direction. The scenes in which I did offer choices were far more compelling scenes.

(Here's more on revising your outline for better plotting)

How many clear outcomes were there? 

The scenes where it was obvious I was working toward something happening, an “action without a choice,” were less compelling. They were still good scenes, but they didn’t have the same drive as the ones where it wasn’t as clear what was going to happen. The scene was about getting the protagonist from point A to point B, not if they were going to get from point A to point B.

(Here's more on avoiding predictable plots)

Where could I add more choices? 

Some scenes had to let the action drive them. The whole point of that scene was to get from A to B (and that’s okay since this will happen from time to time). But other scenes could be strengthened if I included what choice my protagonist had to make either at the end of it, or during it. Sometimes those choices were related to the plot, other times to the internal conflict, and sometimes it was just a choice that allowed for some world building or setting.

(Here's more on character choices)

Events are going to unfold as you want them to, but approaching those events in a slightly different way can help you think about the details that can create mystery and tension. It's the difference between watching a re-run of your favorite movie and seeing it for the first time. 

Do you think about choices or do you write what you know happens?

For more help on plotting or writing a novel check out my Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure.

Go step-by-step through plotting and writing a novel. Learn how to find and develop ideas, brainstorm stories from that first spark of inspiration, develop the right characters, setting, plots and subplots, as well as teach you how to identify where your novel fits in the market, and if your idea has what it takes to be a series.

With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure offers ten self-guided workshops with more than 100 different exercises to help you craft a solid novel. Learn how to: 

• Create compelling characters readers will love
• Choose the right point of view for your story
• Determine the conflicts that will drive your plot (and hook readers!)
• Find the best writing process for your writing style
• Create a solid plot from the spark of your idea

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure also helps you develop the critical elements for submitting and selling your novel once it’s finished. You’ll find exercises on how to: 

• Craft your one-sentence pitch
• Create your summary hook blurb
• Develop a solid working synopsis And so much more!

Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure is an easy-to-follow guide to writing your novel or fixing a novel that isn’t quite working. 

Available in paperback and ebook formats.

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book. 

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

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