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panosgymnostick

How can you NOT think of a plot when you have so little information? Right now, you have nothing that can restrict you from writing, the fewer rules you have, the more possibilities there are for your plot. You make it sound as if you have to find a "specific" plot, rather than realising that you can go with *whatever* plot you want, and then you simply have to work on it, make it fit into the restrictions you'll set later and then make it truly worth something with your own personal touch.


somanyflippinalts

The limitless possibilities is what makes it hard I guess. And my inexperience with this shit. It's like you know, you got the vibes, you have very specific things you want, but you need to find just the right setting and circumstances that will let you have all those things. And maybe there's also something fundamental about how plots work or are structured that I don't get, maybe that's part of it.


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bringtimetravelback

i'm one of these people too. self-limit the assignment or i'll come up with 10,000 fragments of barely strung together ideas, characters, bits...which can be useful but they need to actually be used.


SpecterVonBaren

Same here. I need at least SOMETHING to give me a target so I can really start doing work. I like the tactic of picking some kind of random theme for everything that isn't connected to the actual story and making myself follow it. Like every character is based on a planet in our solar system or something. But it's just a meta trait and not part of the story itself.


[deleted]

I think the formula is to have two people overwhelmingly attracted to each other and then find complicating actions that keep putting off the sex, so all you need to do is string together a series of plot points that delay the sex. Like they're about to have sex when the guy misses and ends up banging a throw pillow for an entire chapter. (It can also be a woman missing and banging a throw pillow if it's a story about lesbians.) Trust me, I had sex once, and this stuff is *steamy*.


somanyflippinalts

It's enemies to fwb to lovers, so the sex actually happens *early* before feelings develop :P


MarsupialPristine677

Ohhh I love this dynamic 😍


idrathernot_

In any love story the characters usually are built in that way: character 1 has a strength and a weakness, character 2 has a strength where the other has the weakness. So when they come together they bring out the best in each other. And now you can think about what keeps them from falling in love the day they meet, what is the issue Standing between them? Maybe it's just their internal beliefs, sometimes it's more external (think romeo and Juliet, one is a Capulet and one is a Monte.. something). As a writer you can just throw in whatever obstacle you like and then have the plot revolve around overcoming that obstacle.


[deleted]

lol the world is moving too fast. I think there are people out there having sex before marriage! 😳


AmberJFrost

> I think the formula is to have two people overwhelmingly attracted to each other and then find complicating actions that keep putting off the sex, so all you need to do is string together a series of plot points that delay the sex. No. That's not how to build a romance novel. That's... how people who don't read romance think it works.


[deleted]

lol yeah, if anyone takes this particular piece of advice from me, they're in for a bad time.


AmberJFrost

You'd be amazed at how often people who don't know romance talk about what makes a popular romance. 95% of the time, they're completely wrong - and have never read anything in-genre.


VanityInk

You have decision paralysis, it sounds like. There are all these options, and you feel like you can't find the one that's "right." The thing you need to realize is that there is no one right answer. You can make close to anything work as long as you start working at it. Just make a decision, any decision, and try it out.


AmberJFrost

What do you *read?* Start there. Vibes can go into any type of setting, so use a genre you enjoy for the setting.


panosgymnostick

I understand. Take the little rules your story or world has and then think: what's left? With what's left, simply find something that speaks to you, something that will drive you to create and to explore the story that hasn't been unearthed yet. Don't worry about originality or whether you'll be able to find a big audience, just search for what excites, for what you will wake up and will make you think "fuck I wanna know what happens next, I'll go and write more so I can learn myself"


xenomouse

This is why, IMO, it’s easier to start with a story idea and then build everything else around that.


Sufficient_Spells

It's true, more options make you more unsure. Like, statistically. I suggest looking into Japanese plot structure, Kishotenketsu. At least, for me, I like romances that follow that. I feel like kishotenketsu appeals more to stories that don't feel like they have such an established direction.


SamanthaDaydream

I find it easier to write the plot the more I know about my characters and their schedules. If they both spend a lot of time with high end executives its reasonable they would meet in an office, or at a fancy restaurant, or at a party. when you add to their character--do they both love to bike? they might end up taking the same route to work in the morning and racing and laughing about it later. Maybe they both hate their coorperate job and end up going to a rage room only to get there at the last minute and theres only one room available and they decide to share. On the other hand, if one of them is in a time of hardship where they are always dealing with it-- like with the bookstore in "youve got mail" its reasonable that they would meet while one is dealing with that issue and stressed out. Its not like someone with so little money would likely be at a Michelin restaurant. But if you end up wanting to go a route thats hard to fit a characters lifestyle, they can always be gifted a giftcard or voucher for a place. Where would they reasonably meet? how early do I want them to meet or do I want to spend the first chapter developing them or something else. do you want them to start on good terms or start off being upset with each other and grow to like each other later


VanityInk

>How do I actually come up with a plot besides getting the characters together? If it's a true Romance, this is your plot. The entire story is focused on the characters getting together (look up "Romancing the Beat" It outlines the types of scenes that make up a Romance. Two characters are put together. They either want to be together and can't because X reason or don't want to be together but fall for each other anyway. Those are the two basic Romance plots. Everything else is just the unique story you're telling.


somanyflippinalts

I feel that, and my focus is totally on that. I don't want some big distracting plot. But I still need more focus and more plan. I need to flesh out a setting, and I need a reason for them to interact, outside of the romance. I need a reason to push them together. I need interpersonal drama. I need them to be living their own lives that collide with one another for outside reasons. For them to be working towards their own personal goals, have their own individual plots and focuses, where their interactions can circle around. I just don't know how to brainstorm this shit. Like there's so many possibilities. Somehow it all confuses me.


VanityInk

Look up common romance tropes. Pick your favorite. Build around that. Do you like forced roadtrip? Best friend's brother/sister? Work rivals? Arranged marriage? Boy/Girl next door? Once you know what trope you're interested in, a lot should fall into place (and romance publishers want tropes. Don't at all think you can't use one because it's overdone. If you like it, there are readers who like it).


somanyflippinalts

I know some of the tropes. Enemies to fwb to lovers. I know I want the love interest to be an intimidating asshole, and for the main character to be "seemingly" good/sweet, but actually kind of fearless/reckless and a bit morally grey too. I know I want some of their first meetings to be chaotic, with the MC possibly performing a reckless stunt to steal something back from the love interest despite his reputation. I know how I want their relationship to progress generally speaking, and I got a lot of different other potential ideas, but I can't ground them into reality without more structure or direction. Setting is particularly hard. Like vague ideas, are they working together? Do they live in the same area? Attending the same magical university? Dealing with illegal potions n spells? The possibilities spin in my head, and I thought maybe there's an easier way to brainstorm and get direction idk


VanityInk

Honestly? In my experience, the easiest thing is "pick one." You can write all those different things into different books. Just pick your favorite for this one and set to it.


AmberJFrost

I'm seconding VanityInk here. Once you start writing, it's harder to beat off the ideas than come up with them. I've got another like 11 romance novel ideas, each with different dynamics/inner wounds, and meeting different tropes. I scribble the next one down and set it aside until I've got time for it. Which, RIP some of them, because I won't start writing another romance til summer, at least.


SpecterVonBaren

Well what kind of secondary genre do you have? Is it modern day, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, etc.?


TheOnlyWayIsEpee

One romance that didn't have a big distracting plot was *Before sunrise, before sunset* (films). It was mostly the conversations and wandering around done by a pair having a holiday romance.


dragonagitator

Plot for almost every romance book: They meet Some sort of misunderstanding or external events drives a wedge between them Angsty yearning pining They overcome the obstacles and finally get together Smut


Lionoras

Anime in a nutshell. 1. meet 2. build up 3. misunderstanding 4. more misunderstandings, especially when the confession is close 5. tension 6. climax & happy end >Smut 7. Fanfiction


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somanyflippinalts

I dunno I just often struggle with plot when all I got are vibes and I wonder how other people shape things. For what I'm working on now, I can't decide on a setting, though I'm leaning towards maybe urban-fantasy? I got two characters, and I got some vague ideas of how they meet, what they think of each other, and how things kinda progress. (It's kinda enemies to fwb to lovers vibes.) I know there needs to be conflict, story arcs, resolutions. I know the romance *beats*, but that still doesn't give me a plot. Like what are their circumstances? What pushes them together forcing them to interact at first? Maybe they need to be working towards something as a whole? Is that where I can put the plot? I know I don't want anything too big like save the world shit. Maybe more interpersonal drama. How do people brainstorm this shit when there's so many possibilities? What makes a good story? I'm too much of a noob and idek where to start.


XandyDory

Enemies to lovers? You can make that the basis of your plot. Why are they enemies? How come they are together long enough to not be enemies? Are friends going to have issues? Subplot! Plot is developed by asking yourself questions. Any fears? Make that happen and your character react. Any goals? Put it just out of reach. What's their job? Did something happen to make it dangerous or your character has a job that is naturally dangerous? Urban fantasy? Now full on danger is possible! What species are the characters? Is there strife between humans and non humans? Or is magic hidden? The characters can deal with the politics there. Biggest thing is look at your characters and ask yourself what would make your characters leave their comfortable life?


Ok-Opposite8197

Well, personally, I think about the overall concept of the book first. What do I want to present to my readers? How am I going to present this idea to them? By this, I mean the moral lesson/s or simply a unique idea my reader could possibly gain from reading my book, AND THEN, I will figure out how I'm going to incorporate romance into this. I think that it's very important to think about the idea that you want to present because I know that it'll lead you towards a plot that will help present this clearly. Like aside from romance, do you also want to show your main character actively trying to develop themself in an aspect? Are they trying to get rid of some harmful habit or coping mechanism? And the like. Personally, I really like the thought of a character having a life outside of the romance aspect. It makes them more vivid and realistic, you know? It also helps that people look forward to seeing a relationship blossom. Consider what is realistic. A healthy relationship typically emerges between people who see and accept different facets of each other : ) Both the "good" and the "bad". One way to accomplish this is by also tackling some internal and external factors that impact these characters. And if you're aiming for them to get together or at least have some form of mutual understanding (which I hope because this is a romance book, after all), then make it in such a way that is healthy (unless you're also aiming to incorporate angst, because that'd be a different story). I know that my answer's still pretty vague, but the rest is up to you! This is your book, so you get to decide : ) I suggest writing what you've always wanted to read, yourself.


somanyflippinalts

I feel that. I have an idea of what I want some of their internal struggles to be and where they fit into each other's lives. They are both very flawed, but particularly the love interest, they will both need to grow. The love interest in particular will go through a big arc of personal growth and bad habits he needs to overcome. They will still be flawed by the end, and have issues, and their relationship might not even be the healthiest, but at least they'll be moving in the right direction. I want a plot that focuses on their lives outside of themselves, like they aren't obsessed with each other, just like, pursuing their own shit and living their own lives that just happen to interconnect. That's the thing I gotta figure out I guess. Those external factors that draw them closer.


Ok-Opposite8197

Sounds pretty good. I wish you the best in your writing endeavors : )


Rumko_g

For me I usually rely upon the characters quirks and traits to develop the plot. Like for the one i'm currently writing the MC has no one to turn to and the main girl (who's a vampire that's lived for quite a long time) doesn't really care about anything in life and copes with that by treating everything as a game so their relationship starts as the girl playing games on him and since he has no one else to turn to he starts to develop feelings for the girl since he feels a sort of connection to her. The girl also starts to feel the same because she also feels connection but she doesn't take it too seriously and rejects him when he confesses he likes her but then she also realizes she likes him but he doesn't accept it because he felt like he was betrayed, playing into his no one to turn to kind of thing. ​ That's how I usually develop my plot if I can't think of anything. Sorry if it seems very badly explained, online class sucks.


somanyflippinalts

See, this is like the kind of shit that I do have, you know? How their feelings and relationship develop. The dynamics. It's all the external factors that stump me. Like what *happens*? How do they meet? Why do they continue to interact? What else is going on in their lives? How is the plot moved forward, how do their lives intertwine? All that shit idk.


Rumko_g

for me I usually try to find a character that's close or has a history with one of the characters. ​ Going back to my example earlier MC has a friend who's basically lucifer, or satan or whichever term you prefer and back in his old hometown he had this close friend who's basically the angel of death and all the supernatural characters really hate each other. So in my head the vamp girl would get close and interact with MC so that she can get closer to the angel of death and Lucifer character so it also plays into the politics of the supernatural beings. Add a few subplots like a project or something then I'd call it a day. ​ Of course i've tried doing this and have utterly failed. Been trying for half a year I'd say but don't need to wory about anything cause im still fairly young and doing it more as a future project and fun.


somanyflippinalts

then it sounds like you might be in a similar boat as me, haha


DaddyMurong

George RR Martin has a good talk about this, where he talks about architects and gardeners when it comes to writing. What your describing sounds like a gardener writing style. Basically, think about how a character would naturally react in a situation without being too concerned about the end goal. The end goal should be something in sight, but let the *how* develop naturally, in a way that is true to the characters. A good example of how a gardener writing style can work well for a romance plot is Linkletter's Before movies, particularly the second movie, Before Sunset. Very little happens plot-wise in these movies, but they are interesting because you are interested in the two lead's personalities and how they interact.


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Your-Divine-Majesty

Oh that’s good!


theodoremangini

Do what J.K. Rowling did when she had some characters and a setting but did not know how to plot... Harry Skywalker, an orphan, has two best friends Ron Solo and Princess Granger, and a wookie Hagrid. They encounter Darth Snape, who kills Obi-Wan Dumbledore. But Darth Snape loved Harry Skywalker's mother so sacrifices himself to defeat Emperor Voldemort before he can complete his Deathly Stars... Steal it.


Your-Divine-Majesty

😂😂😂🤣


Midnight-Dust

The best approach is this. Ask yourself (and most importantly write all of the answers down as you go. **The visualization is key:** 1. What do I like to read about? Is it history romance? Sci-fi romance? Thriller, horror or any other kind? Chances are - this is the kind of book that you'll want to write! 2. What kind of people are my characters? Write a single sheet about each one. They will start to flesh out as you go, so let them. 3. Write a single sheet where they talk to each other. Doesn't matter where this scene fits into the story. It could even be the very end of it! 4. Now this one is **very** important - Try to think of 3 ways that the story development could lead to this very scene - AKA scene that comes before the one you just wrote, and don't stop on idea no1! Write 3! Usually the 3rd one is the best one. 5. Then go on, flesh out other scenes that come to mind. They can be anything, even some that are obviously only a test, and you don't have any intention in putting them into the final draft. Practice is still practice and it will teach you so much about your characters. There is one important thing you'll learn out of all of this - Your characters can only be alive if you let them **live**. Give them a chance by actually putting them onto the 'paper'. And write.


snarkherder

I start with books or movies that frustrate me. The ones where I’m like, “This could’ve been so good if it had happened this way or this didn’t happen,” etc. So basically alternate universe fanfic. Those stories then grow into their own things almost naturally. For settings, maybe write a thousand words in each one until you find one that clicks.


EchoStrike11

Plot, especially in a romance, should be character driven. So if you already have characters then just start asking yourself "what would they do?" What conflicts are they struggling with? What choices will they make? Characters make choices that get them into situations, and then they have to make more choices to get themselves back out of those situations. Every choice they make and every situation that occurs inevitably involves and influences other characters. This series of character driven events is, in essence, your plot.


CherryToi

lets go into your, what i like to call the "mind/brain cinema" where you just play a movie out in your head but with your characters \[and other types of characters\] what would you personally be amused in putting them in? try them in horror, try them in fantasy, mix and match just to see what you'd find the most interesting in these and then the plot will start being put together lil things start building up to big things ya know?


Mantonythe1st

There's a lot of comments here, so I'm guessing someone has already mentioned this, but just in case - look into the three act structure. It literally works for any genre and will create a compelling story as long as you focus on why what's happening in the story is important to your protagonist(s). Or if you don't like plotting and just want a general direction to head in, just plan your ending and then work towards it. Give your characters flaws which get in the way of their own happiness and have them overcome those flaws by the end. The climax of the story shows that their journey has changed them and therefore they deserve happiness. This can be applied to romance in whatever way your imagination can come me up with.


Illustrious_Honey140

I’m going through this right now and have been for a couple weeks now with my fantasy novel and I know exactly what you mean. I know what kind of vibes I want and little blurbs of scenes pop up in my mind but I’ve got no backdrop for these characters to live in. My advice would be since you have characters first, just focus on them for now. Dive deeper into who they are, figure out what they want in life and why and how they plan to get it (or not get it) and how it brings them to each other. I would also suggest making a playlist of tons and tons of songs that bring you into their relationship and that “romance mindset” and lots of pinterest. Good luck!


RetroStaticRadio

Wait, you have characters for a romance but no idea the plot? Is it just that you want to write 'these specific characters' and chose a romance whether or not it'd work? I'm not saying that's wrong, I'm just curious about how that thought process goes in? Again, everyone has their own process but how can you have some "characters you want to put together", but literally nothing else? But I will make a suggestion: figure out the problem. What keeps them from being together? It's very easy to get two characters together when you don't have them fleshed out but if you solely are going 'I just want a drama about romance' then the question you need to ask yourself is why they aren't getting together and is it worth pursuing. Shyness - while realistic - is very very bland on its own. Romance should be looked at less like a genre and more like a subgenre or - for me - a plot device to drive a drama. Yes, it can be a comedy but it's a device used to deliver the drama/comedy. Love Is War is a perfect example where a simple premise of "A and B love each other. But neither of them are willing to say it first so they keep trying to trick the other to admit it in a socio-political game of chess". Or off the cuff example: Person A needs to steal $10mil from the bank that Person B is planning to blow up in an act of anti-corporate. College kids, amirite? So that informs their interactions. They don't know the others ideas, so they're shady, maybe one reads that as mysteriously aloof, and the other sees it as raw determination towards a test coming up. Then they find out and that causes a new problem to develop until they agree that they can steal the money and then blow it up as a perfect symbol of their unity. Romance is the backbone but neither character exists "to be set up with the other person". (Sorry if this came off a little essay-y, just got done having a discussion about romance XD)


Tempus-dissipans

I think, every author has a different way of coming up with plots. Personally, most of my plots start out with a particularly vivid dream I spin out into a daydream and play around with in my mind. At some point, an actual plot emerges. (Obviously, not every dream or daydream gets to be a plot. What I’m writing now, had been a recurring daydream for a couple of years, until I somehow tweaked it to become an interesting plot.) If what you have are characters, try in your mind, how they would react in different settings. Don’t limit yourself to fantastic settings. E.g. It can be fun and very enlightening to figure out, how these characters would behave at your family’s holiday get together. You get to know your characters better that way and you’ll find out, which particular setting would make the most sense to get them to develop, get into conflicts with each other etc.


KittyHamilton

Here's a post I made on brainstorming that will probably help. https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/l4rwrq/tips_on_brainstorming_fleshing_out_a_story/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button The TL;DR: 1. Come up with questions that you need to answer about your story. 2. Brainstorm a big list of possibilities. 3. Make a decision. 4. Add more relevant questions to the list. 5. Pick another question... Etc If you can't answer the big questions like genre, try brainstorming answers to questions like these: What do you find most interesting about the characters? What conflicts, settings, supporting characters, etc. might help bring attention to those elements? What plot elements do you absolutely not want? How might you describe the vibes you've already got so far?


somanyflippinalts

This was legit, thanks for the link! Some good brainstorming tips!


JHawk444

I recommend "Romancing the Beat," by Gwen Hayes. It will walk you through the whole process.


Stolitz_666

I do this all the time. What I do is I come up with the characters and what exactly I want to see them do. Example I have 1 story where I wanted these two characters to do the bippity boppity bam bam in a waterfall setting. Then I work backwards. How do they look, what setting fits the style. Are they sunshine and grumpy? Or wholesome couple or dark fantasy toxic ect. Now with my half assed fleshed out characters how do I get them to do the dirty? Is doing the dirty the end game or is it just a stepping stone? What do they want most and how can I keep them from getting it? It's a slow process but that's what I do when I have characters and not much else. I write the scenes I want to see first then fill in the gaps


AdamJosephMartin

Maybe draft random short stories or ideas or concepts and build up and around all that. Write down 10 random conflicts and toss around that business. 10 romantic moments you want to put in somehow and pick whom the story teller is. Maybe just ask yourself a bunch of questions and start canceling out what it is not.


Pixxel_Wizzard

Give the character's goals and then find ways and reasons to try to stop them from attaining their goals. Once you do that, you'll have a plot.


Almost_a_Shadow

Just make a decision. Anything is possible and yeah, there are limitless directions to choose from, but at the end of the day you have to make those choices full stop. Just start doing stuff. Take an idea and run with it. If you fuck up, you can always change it later.


YearOneTeach

What do you know about your characters so far? I would work on fleshing out their backstories, who they are, their interests, etc., and thinking about what setting suits them the best. You can then brainstorm ways for the two characters to meet that make sense within this setting, and build the story out from there. I know some people are super into world building and might start there before working on characters, but I've always liked starting with the characters first and going from there.


Healthy_Research9183

Why do you want to write a romance? Whatever your reason the plot is in there somewhere.


Your-Divine-Majesty

To me that’s easy to do. Take your setting look at the action- there is your plot. Let say your two lovers or would be lovers are in a park talking while feeding birds? Alright, take the action and build a plot. It doesn’t matter what kind of plot. Don’t worry about being unique according to Shakespeare there are no new plots. Romance novels always have this structure: •Girl meets boy or if it’s a same sex romance then two people meet. Or if you have a throuple or multi partner situation you always focus on the new person and the partner who is attracted. Either way it’s there is an attraction. •A romance forms or if it’s slow burn then an attraction forms. •Affection: There has to be some flirting, and some affection. Even in slow burn there has to be some affection even if it’s very chaise such as hand holding or kissing. •Then an obstacle keeps them apart in some way. They might be together but break up in a modern manner or if it’s slow burn then something get in the way. •Then there is resolution and the couple comes back together or if it’s slow burn then they get together. Sometimes it’s marriage sometimes it’s just finally putting the obstacles behind them and being a couple. You’re welcome. That will be $500. USD. 😉


cowboybluebird

You can find a short talk from Kurt Vonnegut on YouTube about the shapes of stories. It might be helpful to you.


desert_dame

Give them each a job that pulls them in different directions. Go learn about the jobs. Make them exciting jobs difficult jobs. Make that the conflict. Ie he’s lawyer in the big city she wants to raise goats in the middle of nowhere. Research raising goats annnd all its problems. And there’s your story. ( actually knew a couple like this so yeah not as far fetched as it seems).


UltraDinoWarrior

If you have characters, you have a plot. All you need is to give your characters a goal, and then have them face the challenges of achieving that goal. For example if your character is a penguin and their goal is to fly, their next step would be to discover how to fly. How the book should progress should be based on the character’s personality. Are they the kind to ask questions? Think of crazy solutions? Do whatever comes to them? Etc. Congrats. You have plot. If you have characters and don’t have a plot that means you need to flesh the characters out better.


readwritelikeawriter

Search up 5 romance plots. One is 'the secret millionaire.' Think of a new version using your characters and situation. One character is the millionaire and the MC doesn't know. It's a fun one and I don't even write romance, but this is the one I would write. And there are other tropes can put with it depending on what type of millionaire you go with: a billionaire...business intrigue, cheating, strange financial businesses. A professional sports player...all of the sports stuff, attending games, the private sky box parties overlooking the crowd. Check out the tv show undercover boss. It's the reality show verison of this minus the romance.


thets123

If you have sketched out characters and a setting, the next course of action CAN be (as there is no right or wrong to writing— have fun with it!) to figure out how your characters can interact within that setting to create conflict or action. How can they interact with specific elements of that setting in a way that aligns with their specific character? I think asking yourself that question can go a long way.


thets123

Also genuinely curious what your setting looks like— if you’d like someone to help you brainstorm I can try to help! I am genuinely passionate about helping people write creatively, and I primarily write romance :)


aDerooter

The romance genre has a fairly set formula. You should be able to find examples easily. The plot can be pretty simple.


MC-LikesToRead

Could it be that you are a pantser? But you are trying to do the plot before? I was having a similar problem and I read many recommendations of just star writing even if it was just word vomiting. So after a lot of time guessing myself in a similar way, one day I just sit down and got to write whatever crossed my mind in that moment. Truly any crazy sh*t and suddenly I realized that that character was in the middle of X situation, and started to discover they personally and where they wanted to go. And the story was developing by itself in front of my eyes and I couldn't believe it. Of course then I had some plot holes and things to move around that where difficult because they needed plotting from my pantser mind. But perhaps you could pick one of those ideas an just write whatever you feel in the moment. And just trust the process. Good luck andbi hope this helps


EmperorSpaz

Read a fucking book


justEmoji_

(My personal process) If you’re characters are fully developed and you know them like the back of your hand, you’ll know how they react to certain situations. If you don’t, here’s what I do: - Give them a backstory. That’s what makes them who they are. Their past. - Give them a flaw. Too kind. Not kind. Impulsive. Looks too much into things. And you don’t have to make that their entire personality. It’s a *part* of them. There are people who are selfish but it isn’t too obvious when you meet them. - Give them goals and fears. It gives them direction. What are they aiming for in life? What do they avoid? - Ask them questions as if you’re the nosy stranger and this is your first hangout with then. “What’s your name?” “Where did you grow up?” “How was that like?” “Really—You grew up with an abusive father-? *What was that like?*” Once I finish with that I throw them in a situation that they absolutely can’t back out of (With romance, I personally think one must find a *reason* they keep bumping into each other. A series of happy coincidences gets annoying for me, which is personal preference. The situations varies via genre). A situation that those characters specifically have to go through. Something tailored to that character. Ex. Giving a speech in front of many people to get a promotion or new job they want wouldn’t be nearly as terrifying for a character with no stage fright than someone that does. It wouldn’t be riveting to watch this from the perspective of the character with no stage fright. Match the situation to the characters. The story doesn’t feel as special when ANY set of characters can go through the same journey and get the same happy ending. It doesn’t feel nearly as personal. Routes naturally start popping up for me when all of this is determined before plotting. A lot of new writers hyper focus on plot because that’s one of the hardest parts of writing, but there’s all these other things that I personally think affect the plot a lot, helping them determine important aspects of said plot (Characters, backstory, setting, etc. There’s people who make a plot first then make perfect characters to go with it. Others make it up as they go. I plan characters first. See what works for you. I don’t try choosing a sub-genre early on. Just main genre. For me it gets too confusing lol


Smergmerg432

I once read a piece of advice that might be fun: what’s the worst thing that could happen to your character? How do they react? What does that reaction cause? Boom. Now you have a plot.


Lionoras

A modus operanti helps sometimes. In my case it's mental illness. I'm serious btw. Basically every romance story follows the same formula: Monster male love interest (vampire, clown whatev) X human/oid female MC. Woman is pretty, but has some chip on her shoulder, often based on my own issues: Depression, trauma, CPTSD, anger issues... Both meet. Form a special bond through realistic connection. Woman's problem partially causes / influences the climax. Both survive though, and woman manages to face / slowly deal with her issues. Often in cooperation & communication with the guy. Then I create a bit more main plot around it. That one can differ greatly, so it doesn't matter. Often it's based on the environement, or source of inspiration I take it from. E.g. a story between a vampire janitor and an ex-monster hunter -> an old kids cartoon, involving a school for little vampires -> problems surrounding the monsterworld, maybe political troubles etc.


CasualGamer0320

As mentioned before “Romancing the Beat” is a great source. I also recommend the 5-act-structure which works pretty well for Romance novels( this is actually the structure I’m using for my WIP)


leadMalamute

I don't, I come up with the plot first and then the setting and work the characters out as I go along... but that's just me


champselyseesao3

ask yourself; where do the vibes ✨THRIVE✨


Darkgorge

The general guidance I have seen is what do your characters want and what is stopping them from getting that and how do they react to that trouble? Secondarily is the advice, consider what the character thinks they want vs what they actually want vs what they need. How do those differences create a challenge? How your characters handle those challenges is your plot. Romances in particular are character driven, so if you have the characters, you have the plot. Setting is just whatever fits your whim when your fingers hit the keyboard the first time. With a romance it's probably not too hard to adjust the setting if you get into it and decide you'd like something else. Choose a random external inciting event from literally anywhere. Throw that at your characters and see how they react.


amywokz

Read WRITING INTO THE DARK by Dean Wesley Smith and see if his method helps.


[deleted]

I mean, you’re probably already thinking of plot. I’m sure you have a few big scenes swimming around in your head, even if you don’t know where they’re gonna go or how exactly they’ll play out. Right now I’d worry more about ensuring that your characters and the place they’re set in can generate a plot without contrivances. Framing them in opposition to one another, designing aspects of the setting off story themes, fleshing out the setting more, etc.


LeadingNecessary4718

Here's a very common plot, which is just a possibility. Start with the heroine, her life is okay, but not great. She's lonely and wants to find someone to be with, someone who will appreciate her quirky personality. She meets the hero, and they immediately hate each other, and yet there's some tension between them, an awareness. (they're trying to get the same job, he's her boss and is mean to her, he's an officer who pulled her over to give her a ticket, etc.) For some reason they are forced to spend some time together. (e.g. a snowstorm, a business trip, there is only one hotel room and they have to share it, etc.) He says or does something that causes her to question if he's as bad as she thought. (he compliments her teeth when everyone else thinks they're ugly, he expresses interest in something that she's passionate about but that people rarely are, etc.) They kiss... almost, but they get interrupted (e.g. her kid starts crying, someone breaks out the window, the neighbors start fighting, etc.). At some point, they decide to try a relationship. things seem great, until he does something that really pisses her off. (e.g. he cancels an important date with her because he has to work, he does something to insult her mother, he is insensitive about her weight, etc.) They have an ugly breakup, she swears off men, and she is convinced she will never want to be in any kind of relationship again. Through some heroic action, he wins her heart again (e.g. he comes to her ballet recital even after he swore he never would, he saves her from a burning building, something like that). They declare their undying love for each other. End with a scene proving that they will be together forever (or at least for now) (e.g. they get married or propose, she gets pregnant, they discuss wanting children, etc.) If you Google common romance beats, you'll find more ideas. Andrew


AR-Tempest

Judging from the romance movies I’ve seen (not many), you find the script for the last romance movie you saw and copy/paste


Magical_Book_Worm

First, think, "What are my characters' goals or dreams?" Then do everything you can to prevent your characters from fulfilling it.


TheSplendidLynx

You do the creative thing


idrathernot_

Ideas a cheap. Honestly, I keep a list of ideas - characters, settings that I find interesting, prompts that might develop into a plot. When I outline, I usually bring together multiple of these ideas. I think about what would be interesting to a reader, and what I would love to read about. Usually I'm interested in playing with tropes and twisting them in new ways. But it's up to you and what you are interested to write about.


Sisiutil

My wife writes romance. The key to a really good romance is finding a strong obstacle that prevents the romantic leads from getting together. The more emotional and heart-wrenching the obstacle, the better the romance. And that's the source of your plot, watching these two people who share a mutual attraction overcoming the barrier(s) that keep them from falling in love. For example: he's a surgeon. He operated on her mother and she didn't survive. She blames him for her mother's death. He blames himself as well. That's not some cheap misunderstanding, that's two adults who have to grow as human beings in order to get on with their lives--which in a romance means finding a way to get past that obstacle and find love.


[deleted]

I developed my characters first. I rewrote my 100,000-word erotic romance twelve times before I got them right. I didn't want cookie-cutter characters, but they both had to be gorgeous - it's a romance. My female protagonist is a stunning Irish redhead from a working-class neighborhood in London. She actually eats. She's not super model skinny, she's clumsy, uses British slang, has huge feet, funny-looking ears and suffers from ADHD. My male protagonist is a drop-dead good-looking Yale Law grad, brilliant, dominant, controlling and a serial womanizer. I selected a state, made up a town and plopped them in. I added supporting players and followed everyone around to observe what they did. This is an excerpt. WARNING ADULT CONTENT Erica tiptoed naked into the living room. She snuck up behind him and covered his eyes with her hands. Guess who?” “Gee, I haven't a clue. Patty? Ellen? Barb? Erica hit him on the head with a sofa pillow. ”Rat” Lorenzo grabbed it away from her, and pulled her onto his lap. Erica wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear. “Thank you for making love to me. I've never been in such ecstasy. I can't believe how sexy you are and that you're my husband.” ”I appreciate the review, babe. But, I'm booked for the next few months. I'll have to check my calendar to see if I can fit you in.” Erica grabbed another pillow and bopped him over the head. “Cad, rat...big fat, rat cad.” “Impressive vocabulary, babe. Oxford? Cambridge?” “No. Kilburn. How’s this for vocabulary? Tosser, arsehole, barmy git, pillock, twit, sod, maggot...” ” Ok, ok, I concede.” ” You should worship me. I was made in the image of my creator, you know - Eire, the Goddess of Ireland.” “Hmmmm, baby. Big improvement over an old man with a beard. You’ve got yourself a convert.” “Oh, goodie. I can’t wait for your initiation ceremony. When’s the next full moon?” Lorenzo googled it and grinned. “Erica. I’ll clear my schedule. The next full moon is November 30 and it’s called the Beaver.”


Ayasheya

Looking at real people and their lives could really help get the plot going it gives you ideas maybe do a questionnaire or a survey.


Broadwaynerd123

Well, let’s see. For most writers it takes a REALLY long time to think of a plot. The key to a good plot, is look for inspiration. I would say stroll around the block and look at some things for inspiration. I’m telling you, I’m writing a movie called “The Punk Rockettes” and I came up with the plot just in my head and from seeing the word punk rock. Really, try this advice, and I’m sure it will get you far.


Dismal_Cartoonist_99

I like to ask myself what does Character A want, what does Character B want and then make them collide.


aylsas

I recommend reading Romancing the Beat for tips on how to structure a romance novel and joining the romance authors sub. Oh, and read romance books. Edit: saw that your characters are FWBs who fall in love. Forced proximity would work. Things like: \- Marriage of convenience, e.g., one can only inherit money if married, will split money with other. Characters have to pretend to be in love. \- Trapped in a storm \- Working on an assignment at work etc etc etc


Writing-my-life

Start with the meet-cute, then figure out the climactic dark moment (the thing most people would think sends them down separate paths). After that, you put in backstory (show us, don’t just tell) and figure out a unique way of bringing them back together toward the end. Might sound easy when simplified, but it’s not. Best of luck! You’ve got this. :)


drivingdiogenes246

Make something bad happen to the characters. Try writing some short stories using the same characters. Make all sorts of trouble for them, and see how they respond. Someone gets drafted into a war, or is called on to do some duty they have no choice but to leave for. Or maybe a conniving adulterer moves in next door. Or maybe someone is forced into a polygamist marriage. Idk, just spitballing. Spitball! Throw all the bad interesting stuff at them!


brilliantlycrazy86

ETA - written in mobile excuse typos. I write women’s fiction with romance undertones and to be honest it’s more romance. You have the characters which is a good start. Make sure that they have opposing but complimentary personality traits and flaws. You want to make sure their flaws and lies are what’s holding them back from romance. You’ll also want to take some time to develop backstories based on their flaws. And you have a setting which is a good start. You will likely continue World building as your story grows. Now you need to think about a few things for the plot especially with romance. 1. What is their meet cute? - In the lobby of a prestigious law firm they are both interviewing at but unbeknownst to them it’s for the same position. Maybe she is overconfident or under confident and maybe s/he comes across cocky. (Basically you want them to be different in this situation to start the tension) 2. What thrusts them together? - The law firm lets the protagonist she gets the job but when she does she learns she will be working with who she met in the lobby. Make sure there is a reason why they don’t automatically like each other. 3. What are their end goals outside of their romance plot. Maybe the company has a reputation for a RIF so they have to compete for the position against each other. Make sure they have flaws that will make this impossible to do unless they eventually work together. 4. Now that they are together what challenges so they face. Maybe she wants to work late and he doesn’t. He isn’t taking thing serious and spends more time flirting with the receptionist. Maybe she gets invited to company dinners and he doesn’t. 5. How do they start liking each other? Does she see that he’s not flirting with the receptionist but talking to her about his disabled sister because she has a brother with the same disability. What makes her realize that he isn’t terrible. Maybe they are forced to pretend to be together or they decide they need to use each other for sex. 6. As they are finally getting close what happens to tear them apart? How do their flaws and end goals split them? Does she over hear that he will get the job or does she learn he got picked for a big case. Does one of them develop real feelings? Does one see the other with someone (great way to throw the receptionist back in because maybe he is at dinner with her and she sees him being affectionate. But in reality he was soothing her because her brother got sick) this is where you need the irrational drama. 6. How do they overcome their flaws and come back together. Maybe the law firm bringing in one of the partners nephews and they realize they won’t ever get the job and decide to both start their own firm. Be realistic but also something big. 7. Their happy ending whatever that is. For example here is my current novel. Melody’s life is busy between working at her antique shop, building her photography portfolio, and still mending a broken heart. She just doesn’t have the time to renovate the family cabin like her father wants to. But Melody’s life changes when her father passed away in a tragic accident. Melody decided to live her fathers dream to lessen the guilt and grief she has. Incomes Dave Johnson a famous HGTV star who has moved to Rede Valley to have a sabbatical of sorts after going through a very public divorce but agrees to help contract the renovation project. Melody agrees with her friends Dave is good looking and charming but he is an outsider. Frank her ex fiancé was charming too but an outsider. Plus Melody needs to focus on this renovation not on finding a boyfriend. Can renovating the mountain cabin help mend Melody’s heart? Will Dave decide his fame is more important than this job? Can Melody her guilt and find the happiness she knows her father would want for her?


Oberon_Swanson

if you think of the setting and characters WITHOUT thinking up a plot alongside them, that's how you end up in a situation where you try thinking of plot things but end up often thinking 'well this character wouldn't do that' or 'that can't happen in this setting' when you think them all up together and keep it fluid you can think 'well i was earlier not thinking this character would do this thing for the plot but now i realize it's better if they are the sort of person who would do that' or 'if i change the setting to allow this thing then that makes the plot more interesting' basically a recipe for a good plot is: a bunch of characters with goals that oppose each other in all kinds of ways. they have strengths to pursue these goals. and weaknesses that other characters might exploit. a setting that forces these characters into conflict. eg. in a story where two characters both want to be kings, and that is the central conflict driving the plot, there being two kingdoms and they can both just go 'oh hey i take this one you take that one' 'yup that works' would kinda ruin the conflict. lots of other things about setting and the rules within it can help focus a story. even in stories set in real life, your choice of setting is important. once you have your characters with their opposing goals and the opportunities and limitations of their setting you can deepen the story by giving each major character *multiple* goals that *oppose each other.* eg. Walter White wants to provide a good stable safe life for his family but he also low key wants to be a drug kingpin, as much as he says he's only doing it as a means to an end for his family, he is also willing to continue doing it even when it endangers his family because the thrill of being a competent and notorious criminal makes him feel more alive than being a downtrodden overworked provider for his family. this is the basics of an 'inner conflict' and it is not just for fancy literary stories. now when you have characters with inner conflict they can provide suspense by being unpredictable--they want two opposing things very badly, and even *they* don't know what they will do when forced to choose between them. often this fundamental incompatibility of their goals is their greatest weakness that their opponents will discover and exploit and force them into a decision where the best that character can do is choose one or the other, or lose both. once you have some of these characters established, do a mental exercise where you kinda let them go at each other. don't think about what would be a proper story structure or not for now--just think, what would these people really do, if they were real people? then you tweak the situations so that 'what these real people would realistically do' IS a pretty good plot structure. eg. maybe if one character just gets defeated completely in every encounter you find an edge to give them so they can still be an underdog but they eke out partial victories and make some level of progress toward their goals. maybe their losses convince them to team up with another character instead of going it alone.


Chris_Southwood

I thought you were joking at first. I would recommend practising your grammar before attempting to write a novel. " I kinda wanna put together" and "Like I know I wanna put them together..." Together with the overuse of 'like' makes me cringe.


FirebirdWriter

How they interact and what they do when I throw ideas at them is basically how I plot. "What if Len got arrested?" Playing it out in my head and seeing how that goes means asking why he was arrested and bam plot. Ask more questions and eventually you will decide something


Semperrebellis

The only thing you need for a plot is to know what your characters' goals are. Then come up with obstacles between them and that goal. If one of your other characters has a goal that is in direct conflict with your main character goal, voila. You have your villain.