#Plot

[thechekhov]

I've had this little idea in my head for a while now, so I decided to sit down and plot it out.

Disclaimer: This isn't meant to be some sort of One-Worksheet-Fits-All situation. This is meant to be a visual representation of some type of story planning you could be doing in order to develop a plot!

Lay down groundwork! (Backstory integral to the beginning of your story.) Build hinges. (Events that hinge on other events and fall down like dominoes) Suspend structures. (Withhold just enough information to make the reader curious, and keep them guessing.)

And hey, is this helps... maybe sit down and write a story! :)

[orphicrose]

Beneath the beast Chapter 1. Marigold

Cursed with a titan, you find yourself on the island of devils - Forced into the ranks of the scout regiment. But as you fight to control the beast, one man threatens to unravel everything… Levi Ackerman.

18+ • Explicit content, blood, swearing, gore, smut • Angst, Slow-burn, Titan shifter AU, Enemies(?)to Lovers, Hurt/comfort • Plot focused • Canon timeline •

w/c . 1.5K

( Wattpad . Chapter overview )

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Oil lamps flickered in the small hallway that lead down to your cell, a dim but warm haze that casted over the bricks cracked with time. Your hands stretched over the rusted bars that separated you from the rest of the world like cattle. Waiting to be allowed freedom.

Hours had dragged on down there, hours since they tossed you into this inhumane pit of self-pity.

You had thought the people of the walls may have offered you some grace when you had saved one of their soldiers, but they treated you like a criminal.

Above you was the council house. A large area that stretched across half the building, littered with chairs and long tables full of greyed men. Each scratching at the bald patches on their heads, questioning how the hell a young woman had made it outside their menagerie. Let alone survived it.

God, how you missed your bed. The warm, clean sheets that held scents of your mothers cooking. The wallpaper on the East wall peeling with time, that you and your brother would pick at mindlessly while you spoke of your day. The damp patches that drowned your ceiling in a black mold. Your father always claimed he would fix it. He never did.

But - oh, it was your black mold. And you'd do anything right now to be picking at the yellow, flowered paper with your brother, complaining about it all.

The memory stung, shunning itself into the corners of your mind. Shadowing itself from the light of the present. It was gone. All of it. There was no point to dwell.

Leaning your head into the bars, your eyes flutter shut. Bursting back open when a noise from above startled you.

A door at the top of the stairs had flung open. Followed with the sound of footsteps creaking down the old wood, forcing splintered shards to rain down from the ceiling braces.

You spun on your hands, eyes trailing up to a tall man standing with a commanding authority. Looming over you.

His blonde hair was neatly combed into a side parting that framed his slender face , with blue eyes that locked onto you with a vicious intensity. His uniform matched with every other scout you had come across. Yet, you could tell he was a higher ranking officer. The way he carried himself with sureness, the confidence extruded in his steps without a word having to be said.

It was intimidating, to say the least.

Eyes trained on you, not wavering even for a split second, he took a seat on the rickety stool opposite. Looking as if it would crumble with any added weight.

"They informed me you haven't said a single word since your arrival. Is there a particular reason?" He finally spoke with a sharp tone. Leaning forward with his hands locked in his lap.

You remained silent, still. Almost defiant as you stared at him back.

His lips tightened into a line with his pupils dancing across your features. Studying you.

"I'm Commander Erwin Smith." He spoke again, shifting back in his seat. "I just want to know what you were doing outside the walls."

Erwin waited for a response, watching as you turned your back to him with a deep sigh following through your parted lips.

Nothing.

"You're not a scout. You're not registered in any division. So, who are you?"

"Does it matter?" Your voice was gruff from the lack of use. Erwin's exhale forced you to turn your head, his blue eyes cutting through the lucent orange, glaring at your form that was retreated into the darkness of your cell.

"It does," he almost mused. Reaching into his cloak, you half expected him to reveal some sort of hidden weapon. Torture the information from you. That's what they would have done.

Instead, a journal with a knitted cover was pulled into his hands. Every page in between the wool was stained with a yellow tint, full to the brim with illegible scribbles and detailed sketches. He flicked through with his thumb, air from the fast turning paper stirring some loose hairs on his forehead. "Especially when this was found on your persons."

You swallowed, hard, when his focus abruptly flickered from you to one of the pages. Stopping his finger at random and clearing his throat as he brought the book closer to his face. Shielding whatever thought he held from your sight.

"'Subject showed signs of cognitive delay post-transformation. Possibly linked to exhaustion?'" He paused for a moment, shutting the journal with a loud thud. "These are not the notes of a frightened civilian. They are written by someone with extensive knowledge, possibly firsthand?"

The jig is up. You've been here for three hours and they've already sniffed out your betrayal, the stench of an oppressor.

"Just theories," you countered. "I've been piecing things together. I've seen enough titan encounters to know we're missing something."

Erwin hummed, reluctancy to believe you present in the way his eyebrows twitched. "So, you're a survivor? A witness? But not a name, not a file, not even a viable story that fits." He didn't miss a beat, rising to his feet and taking a daunting step closer. Lowering his voice in a way that made you shrink into your shoulders. "If you are hiding from something, or someone, I suggest you choose your allies wisely."

"I'm not your enemy." It came out as barely above a whisper.

"I know, Miche filled his report this morning."

"Miche?" The question was genuine, your brows tugging together in a confused scowl.

Erwin nodded. "He claims you saved his life. He believes you had every opportunity to run. Yet, you didn't."

He watches you for a moment, silence overwhelming the area once more. Quiet tapping of footsteps barely audible above you, distant murmurs of jurors and men of an important standing.

Finally, you spoke up, "what happens now?"

Erwin took a step back, the light flooding back into your cell as he retook his seat. "I have an offer for you..." His voice was even, but edged with something sharp. Steel. "Give me your name, and join the scout regiment. No secrets. From this point on you'll be one of us. Or you can spend the rest of your short, watch-listed life in this cell."

Lowering your head, you felt his glare on you. Burning through the invisible guard that was orbiting your mind. You swallowed ,hard, as you considered his offer, while simultaneously wondering why.

Why would he give you a chance at something so... meaningful. Especially considering you are behind bars, at present, being tried as a criminal.

"You'll be monitored closely. But we will put your mind to use. Your knowledge, instincts, it could save lives." He spoke again, eager for your answer.

"You don't even know who I am."

"Not yet." He held your gaze, unwavering. "But I know who you're not. Ordinary, reckless. And you're not untrained."

"What makes you say that?"

Erwin's lips curl, a broad smile forming on his face. "Most people run away when faced with a titan. You ran towards it. That's enough to earn you a chance."

You shift slightly, considering. Your body still aching from the previous hours, but your mind sharper than ever.

The walls are closing in around you, threatening to engulf you in a timeless prison. Prison means staying still. Staying still means losing control, means letting everyone down.

You didn't make it this far just to be cut off.

"You offer freedom like it's a favor," you mumble.

His expression doesn't change. "Is it not?"

Goddamnit, you think to your self. Becoming a scout is a high profile role, you're practically drawing yourself over as a target. But what choice do you have?

"Marigold."

Erwin doesn't flinch, he just raises a curious brow. Like you just made up a nonsensical word.

You repeat yourself, adding your first name into the mix. "But most people call me Marigold, or Gold."

Hesitancy struck the oceans in his eyes like lightning, his lids twitching. He didn't buy it. But he accepted it.

"You'll ride with the next outbound patrol to the headquarters. Squad leader Hange will ensure you know what you are doing. Levi, as you've met, will oversee your training. You'll need it in the field." Erwin stood abruptly, dusting his cloak of the filth that was this damned enclosure. "You'll be watched, but not caged."

You had tensed up at the mention of the runts name. Levi. He was the one who initially brought you to this retched place, the one who spat names at you on the journey back. Not a single fiber of him trusting you.

Though, who could blame him.

"One more thing." Erwin spun towards you, pausing at the bottom of the stairs. "If you aren't who I hope you to be..."

"Then I won't come back," you interrupt with a cold voice.

Erwin nodded, just once. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

He began his ascent up the stairs, the room tremoring with every step and movement. Shaking the metal bars of their rust when the door slammed shut behind him.

Your cell felt wider, not freer. But open enough to move.

This was your starting point. Your opening to rid yourself of this thing. This curse. Your opportunity to give your father everything he ever wanted out of life.

Humanity. 

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(Continue reading)

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Me, infodumping about all the characters, plot points and intricate plot twists to my friends: *writing at 10000 words per second* Me, actually trying to write the story: *staring at a blank word document for 3 hours* Do you have a cure for such a condition?

It gets a lot of flack (not unjustified), but the Save the Cat Beat Sheet is truly great for figuring out how to get a plot on paper. You do not have to follow it to the letter, but it does give you definite goals to meet when trying to figure out where to go next.

Other popular plot outline structure's include:

Dan Harmon's Story Circle

The Snowflake Method

The Hero's Journey

Dan Wells' 7-Point Structure

And many mooooooore. Any plot structure that works for you is great, but keep in mind, you might have to try out more than one.

Save the Cat worked great for me and that's what I recommend the most, but my final draft isn't rigidly structured to its beat sheet. What I really needed was a starting point, and once I got a first draft down, I was able to figure out where to go.

[bl-mitchum]

Writers are like a protag who resists the plot hook. We are tired, we don’t have the motivation most of the time, and we certainly don’t have the time. However, we have to write because otherwise our lives go into utter disrepair.

[askthehoenngods]

Susano belongs to @/askstormscall

[ask-a-silvy]

[ ID: A grayscale drawing of Shauna frowning slightly, looking somewhat wary and holding the note in question. She's shown from the shins up and directly facing the viewer. Shauna's appearance is as described here. End ID ]

Shauna was very quick to write the above and shake her head, with a look of shock.

[ ID: A grayscale drawing of Shauna similar to the previous image. She's smiling with a ":3" face, but with a tinge of unease. End ID ]

Shauna: [Like Valiant says, I'm a friend. But I'd like to be your friend, too! It's nice to meet you, Rock.]

[Reply to this - Shauna belongs to @ask-a-silvy]

Not long after he began, Valiant paused from his explanation. His gaze was drawn to something swaying behind Shauna.

"Oh, you're back." He chirped, just as he did, the mysterious Pokemon jumped from behind the wall, rushing towards Shauna.

Oh no! A wild... eevee? has appeared! It used Headbutt!

It's not very effective. False alarm. It seems like it was just a Roggenrola keen on getting Shauna's attention. Determined, it continued to bonk her as Valiant stared on. "I think it likes you!" He said, happily. Though the tiny Pokemon's intentions looked more murderous than friendly. Not that he could tell the difference.

→ ROCK's profile has been added.

[literaryvein-references]

Writing Notes & References

Alchemy ⚜ Antidote to Anxiety ⚜ Attachment ⚜ Autopsy

Art: Elements ⚜ Principles ⚜ Photographs ⚜ Watercolour

Bruises ⚜ Caffeine ⚜ Color Blindness ⚜ Cruise Ships

Children ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ Childhood Bilingualism

Dangerousness ⚜ Drowning ⚜ Dystopia ⚜ Dystopian World

Culture ⚜ Culture Shock ⚜ Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism

Emotions: Anger ⚜ Fear ⚜ Happiness ⚜ Sadness

Emotional Intelligence ⚜ Genius (Giftedness) ⚜ Quirks

Facial Expressions ⚜ Laughter & Humour ⚜ Swearing & Taboo

Fantasy Creatures ⚜ Fantasy World Building

Generations ⚜ Literary & Character Tropes

Fight Scenes ⚜ Kill Adverbs

Food: Cooking Basics ⚜ Herbs & Spices ⚜ Sauces ⚜ Wine-tasting ⚜ Aphrodisiacs ⚜ List of Aphrodisiacs ⚜ Food History ⚜ Cocktails ⚜ Literary & Hollywood Cocktails ⚜ Liqueurs

Genre: Crime ⚜ Horror ⚜ Fantasy ⚜ Speculative Biology

Hate ⚜ Love ⚜ Kinds of Love ⚜ The Physiology of Love

How to Write: Food ⚜ Colours ⚜ Drunkenness

Jargon ⚜ Logical Fallacies ⚜ Memory ⚜ Memoir

Magic: Magic System ⚜ 10 Uncommon ⚜ How to Choose

Moon: Part 1 2 ⚜ Related Words

Mystical Items & Objects ⚜ Talisman ⚜ Relics ⚜ Poison

Pain ⚜ Pain & Violence ⚜ Poison Ivy & Poison Oak

Realistic Injuries ⚜ Rejection ⚜ Structural Issues ⚜ Villains

Symbolism: Colors ⚜ Food ⚜ Numbers ⚜ Storms

Thinking ⚜ Thinking Styles ⚜ Thought Distortions

Terms of Endearment ⚜ Ways of Saying "No" ⚜ Yoga

Compilations: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding ⚜ For Poets ⚜ Tips & Advice

all posts are queued. will update this every few weeks/months. send questions or requests here ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[escespace]

To whoever first wrote that Merlin is only clumsy because he has to make a conscious effort and always invest a lot of energy to not allowing his magic to be instinctive : Thank you! That concept always lives in my mind for free

[sonic-pja]

A door left ajar | 01

// Next

Right after this prologue

Something has been bugging me since the beginning of the story, so I want to dive a little deeper into these two.

[elumish]

I think one of the most fundamental plot failures I see across a lot of books is that the person chosen to solve a problem is not a person who it makes sense to choose to solve this problem.

This ends up being true for a lot of YA books where the teenager is the chosen solution to a problem because they need to be for plot reasons, but there is no actual logical reason why anyone would be relying on them to solve this problem (or often even letting them get close to this problem). No, this kid can't work for the FBI or the Secret Service. No, this twelve-year-old won't be a more accomplished soldier than a fully-trained servicemember. No, this kid isn't allowed to practice medicine.

And you can work around this by presenting a reason for them to be involved despite being less qualified--usually that they put themselves in a situation, despite the adults around them, but also that there is something else that makes them suited to a job/role despite their other lack of qualifications (we need someone who can blend in, etc.).

But it's also true for a lot of adult books. I'm reading a book where the ER doctor/medical professor First Gentleman is going to lead the response to a plane full of people who potentially have Marburg virus, and even ignoring the fact that he wouldn't be allowed within a thousand feet of that plane by the Secret Service, that also fundamentally just does not make sense with how U.S. pandemic and quarantine response work (or even how medicine works--an ER doctor is generally not an infecious disease specialist). It's waved away for plot reasons--but it also represents a failure of the plot as a whole.

Why is your character the one who is trying to solve this problem? Is it their job? If it's not their job, what does it mean for the story for them to be trying to solve a problem that they aren't qualified for, may not have access to, and/or aren't allowed to deal with?

If your only answer is "it works because it needs to work for plot reasons" then it doesn't work at all.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing References: Plot

Basics: Plot Structure & Narrative Arcs

Basics: Plot & Other Elements of Creative Writing

Plot Methods: Save the Cat! ⚜ The Story Circle

Plot Development: The Transformation Test

Plot-Driven Story ⚜ Plotting a Novel ⚜ Plot-Planning Worksheet

Plot Twists ⚜ Types of Plot Twists ⚜ Subplots

Ten Story Genres ⚜ Elements of the 10 Story Genres

The 3-Act Structure: History & Elements ⚜ A Guide

The Shape of Story ⚜ The Shapes of Stories by Kurt Vonnegut

Tips

From Margaret Atwood ⚜ From Rick Riordan

Before Writing your Novel ⚜ Burying Information

How to Get "Unstuck" when Writing your Novel

Editing

Chapter Maps ⚜ Editing your Own Novel

Plot Holes & Other Structural Issues ⚜ Structural Edit

Self-Editing ⚜ Novel Editing

For Inspiration

Archetypal Narrative Arcs ⚜ Character & Literary Tropes

Snowflake Method ⚜ Ways to Generate an Idea

More References: Character Development ⚜ World-building

Writing Resources PDFs

[ask-cupbros-parents]

How to destroy the Soul Contract ?

Burn it with HELL FIRE 🔥

Some context:

Walter successfully tricked the Devil to destroy Utena’s Soul Contract.

[parasolladyansy]

DxP REWRITE - A Most Precious Gift

Call back to “A Gift” in the Prologue as we come full circle. I thought about how I was going to express this moment - hoping I did it justice. ;u;

🔼 Diamond x Pearl REWRITE 🔽

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[askcupsandcasinos]

(i swear the next one will answer an ask. just gotta get through all this plot (: )

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[goddessofbees]

Sup, after some long hard poll decisions, It has been decided that my DanDad AU is a DC crossover and with the additional Dan x Jason Todd! So in the spirit of that I made more DanDad AU with some explanation of where I was going with it, ( yes I did draw Dan pregnant, if you hadn't thought the implications of that then oh well)

If anyone wants to add on to this you're welcome too!

This is the night they met! Roy and Kory took Jason out to a bar and that's where they met

I imagine after the whole death of the Fentons and the GIW, the portal has been shut down and Dan hasn't seen Frostbite after he started incubating Danny and Dani, so without realizing and after gaining a second set of DNA Danny and Dani now have Jason as their parent. Dan figures this out after seeing Frostbite for the first time during his pregnancy.

Jason is now even more willing to murder if you touch his kids!

They kept their original names but I thought Jason should get to name their middle name (Jason took Dan's last name)