Professional writers will tell you that it isn’t normally inspiration that keeps them writing every day. It’s discipline. It’s a routine. It’s their schedule. But even if you’ve perfected your writing routine, that doesn’t mean the muse won’t still visit at the strangest times, in the strangest ways, with the strangest web of thoughts for you to untangle.
So, when all your muse has given you is a few scenes that may or may not be related, what do you do?
It’s time to open up a fresh document or break out the index cards. Follow along as I walk you through how to turn your handful of scenes into a book you’ll love writing.
Don’t have any scenes yet? If all you have to work with is a title, try this blog post instead!
Jot Down the Bullet Points About the Scenes
Before we can comprehend the story your muse wants you to tell, we need to understand what she’s whispered to you so far. The easiest, fastest way to do that is by taking some time to get a sense of what the scene is at its core. Here are a few ideas for bullet points to jot down on index cards for easier arranging and rearranging in the next step:
- An instantly recognizable title for the scene
- Where and when the scene takes place (or note that the setting is flexible)
- Who appears in it (have some placeholder names decided on or call characters by their archetypes)
- What’s happening externally (the actions the characters are taking)
- What’s happening internally (how does your character struggle?)
- Any sharp details (a dialogue exchange, a prop, etc.)
Depending on when and how it hit you, you might feel ready to write out an entire scene in all its glory. If you’re moved to do so, go ahead, but I hesitate to advise that you fully write out the scene if your pen isn’t already vibrating in your hands. In my experience, scenes that come early can become darlings we’re extremely reluctant to kill. We’ve had so much longer to become attached to them, after all.
Order Your Scenes (or Identify the Part of Story Structure)
If you are well-versed in a particular school of story structure, finding each scene’s place is a great way to get a sense of the direction your story is heading. If you aren’t, simply numbering them can do wonders for making the scenes feel like they’re part of something bigger. (Quick tip if you’re not sure how to start: generally speaking, your story should increase in drama as you go.)
During this process, you might also find that one or more of your scenes don’t quite fit. Don’t worry—that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to say goodbye to it forever. Always save those bullet points or snippets of story that don’t make it into the final product. They could become either a fun exclusive for your newsletter subscribers, a reader magnet you place in the back of your book to entice people to sign up for your newsletter, or something else entirely. Or they could actually fit, and you’re just missing some context that makes the whole thing make sense.
If you’d like to feel more comfortable working within story structures, you might be interested in this blog post on how to learn story structure or this one that introduces Story Planner, a website that’s gathered dozens of character arc templates, plotting tools, and more. You might also want to look into our course, Plotting Your Prose with Amy Christine Parker.
Ask Yourself Who Would Get Themselves into This
Now that you’ve got the bird’s eye view of the scenes and more or less arranged them, you’ll have found a few common elements. One of them is probably a character who keeps making appearances, and they could very well be your main character. You can tell who your protagonist is by asking yourself two questions:
- Can I see this character undergoing a major mindset shift during the story? (That confirms they’ll have a character arc.)
- Can I see this character taking the most action during the story? (That confirms they could be a protagonist—someone who does things in the story rather than letting the story happen to them.)
I’ve worded these questions this way for a reason. You will likely not have an immediate understanding of the external and internal journeys your character will take throughout the story. You’re still in the very early stages, after all. These questions are more meant for you to “feel out the vibes.” If who you think is the main character doesn’t seem like they’re going to actually be doing much—if most of the scenes you have them in are reactive—you might not have your main character. If that’s the case, try flipping the scene’s POV around. You may just be looking through the lens of a protagonist’s ally (or enemy!).
If your character has started speaking to you, you might be ready to read this blog post on four steps to a can’t-miss character arc!
Ask Yourself Where this Kind of Story Would Take Place
I suggested earlier that you write down the settings your scenes take place in, and now’s the time to review! No matter how generic your notes were, you will probably at least have a sense of the overall setting—a small town, a big city, another planet, a fantasy kingdom, or anywhere else your mind can conjure. Decide what it will be called for now and try to stick to that setting (unless your story involves them physically leaving where they are entirely). We do this because creativity loves limitations. Limiting yourself in this way now can give you better ideas later.
Another reason to land on a setting now? Setting plays a big role in determining the genre! If you haven’t gotten a sense of which genre this story fits in before, you should have one now!
Ask Yourself What Else Might Fit Well in this Story
Brainstorm some tropes that would mesh well with what you already have. Come up with a few books, shows, or movies that remind you of this story and re-familiarize yourself with them. Revisit past plot bunnies and character sketches to see which jump out at you as potentially belonging in this story.
In short: beg, borrow, and steal to flesh out the bones of the story you have now. I’m not giving you permission to plagiarize, but there’s no harm in searching for inspiration from sources you know will be overflowing with it.
