#plot outline

[dungeons-and-dictions]

[corruflood]

Choking (On Grave Dirt)

Revived GN!Darling x Necromancer M!Yandere x Knight M!Yandere x King M!Yandere

Summary: You were murdered years ago, soul never put to rest waiting for retribution that will never come. That is until a necromancer finds your body, chaos, love and obsession ensues.

TW / CW: Gore, Death, Blood

If you want to use the idea -> TERMS OF USE [basically tag me so I can read it and if your okay with it I'd love to add the link to this post! Also have fun and change whatever you want to]

Up to chap 5 complete will be finishing soon.

------ Plot outline ------

ೃ⁀➷ 01 : REVIVED

Dead, buried and suffering. Soul slamming into the dirt above over and over again clawing and begging for some sort or reprieve.

You died unjustly and painful, phantom pains of death ricochet against the confines of your nearly faded spirit.

Magic courses through the ground similar to lightning in water, scouring the earth in search of something, panic and delirium threatening to fracture your remains you desperately cling onto a stray bolt tugging it towards you.

Buck was anti - social. He didn't like talking to anyone and became uncomfortable around any living sentient thing.

It's why he chose to become a necromancer most undead were barely coherent and just did what he said. It was perfect well it was until he needed help with something that needs more of a delicate touch.

Honestly it was just his luck that the new tome he found specified a sentient, coherent person with the ability to memorize and adjust according to the spell itself. He hated chaos magic almost as much as he loved it.

It's why he's trudging through the forest resource gathering so he didn't have to go out and find a poor sod with okay ish understanding of magic to drag back to his home and force to do a powerful and deadly ritual because that would be so fucking easy.

What he didn't expect to find was something latching onto his magic like a lifeline, following the pull lead him to a patch of vibrant flowers and moss, the feeling of dread curls around Bucks spine a tell tale of a body near by. A body underneath his feet.

Well if he had to choose between a desperate soon-to-be revenant and talking to a person well he might of been too eager in the resurrection process.

You didn't need to breathe anymore, being dead does that to a person if only your body understood that, instead it insists on heaving on dirt and worms.

There's a man passed out beside you, all choppy hair and the beginning of scruff on his chin, he's passed out, brows furrowed. You can smell the magic on him were it pools in his skin and how it stretches still beyond him. Apart of you wanders if that's normal to just know when magic is afoot. The other apart of you groans at what must be done. He saved you after all.

ೃ⁀➷ 02 : WHAT ARE YOU REALLY?

Darling drags Buck back to his cove in the mountain, they found it by following the magic back. Darling can't remember anything except that they died and it hurt beyond death.

Darling takes care of Buck for days and cleans the place up a bit, they go hunting at some point and find themselves dangerously well acquainted with a bow and arrow, the weight of a dagger firm on their side a comfort with a fuzzy memory.

Buck wakes up in a panic and tries to attack Darling who finds themselves dodging before their brain catches up with it. Darling explains that they are the one that took care of him after he was passed out for atleast 7 moons.

Buck is shocked downright flabbergasted at the situation. A dead with no memories and a level of humanity he's never seen before and him passing out and slipping into an impromptu coma for over a week as his body tried to fix himself.

Expirements and research is in order immediately, Buck throws out boundaries and anxiousness. Darling is a shiny new thing and he needs to understand it as soon as possible.

Another week goes by Buck wrotes down everything, they try a few things out making Darling do exercises, math, poetry eventually they try magic and it's stunning.

It flows from his darlings arms in crashing waves breaking on shorelines. He doesn't even realize when he started considering Darling his.

Another week passes Darling remembers faint things, while eating they get a memory of a dining hall, they hear faint laughter some times. There's a whole life just underneath the surface and Darling wants to know who they were.

Buck isn't as happy about it. He starts keeping Darling closer and closer, a hand always resting on them, grabbing them to cuddle, relishing in the fact that no one is around and it's just them away from everyone. This is good this is great! There's a knock on the door. This is bad.

ೃ⁀➷ 03 : COMFORT ZONES.

Regretfully opening the door stands none other than Kures one of the knights of King Likin both of which unfortunalty call Buck a friend. He doesn't mind them. He likes them far more than any other people but this is his place and his darling is right there and this is really annoying until the glass shatters.

"Y/n?" The knight speaks almost afraid they would dissappear if he blinks.

"Kures?" Darling asks confused, pain tinged their face as much as shock does, despite knowing the knights name it seems they can't remember anything else.

This is troubling.

Kures rushes inside and everything is explained, MC can't remember shit, Kures came because Buck missed a meet up explains MC went missing years ago, MC still looked pretty much exactly the same as the last day he saw them.

Kures talks about life before. Buck continues to get more upset by the end of the convo Buck is practically wrapped around MC extremely displeased.

They talk and chat for a long time and settle on a plan to make there way into the castle so more people can figure out what is happening. Buck attempts to deny everything but Darling is barreling through. They want to know what happened.

Buck and MC pack and MC promises it will be okay and makes sure to stay close to Buck.

They travel a week together comradery pulling them all into a tight knit group and as they make it into a town MC finds out first hand how much Buck doesn't play nice with anyone else.

ೃ⁀➷ 04 : A LITTLE MURDER BETWEEN FRIENDS

One of the staff at the inn tries to flirt with you laughing it off and head to bed, I'm the morning you here some of the other staff complain about him bunking work again.

A stall owner berates you after you bump into there crate, later in the day Kures comes to you with a couple of (insert thing that was in the crate)

Both Buck and Kures barely leave your side at least one of them is on you at all times, it's usually you and Buck in the inn room as you wait til dusk to head onwards, being subtle is key here.

You brush off the clinginess as nerves of being around people, Buck is severely anti social and Kures is a knight who is tasked in getting people back alive it's not his fault for being overly cautious.

Except the edge never dwindles ever when you all are way out of town with no one able to touch you, they stick as close as they physically can, Buck always has a hand on you, Kures is within touching distance more likely to follow you around than direct contact.

It leaves you on edge but it's fine, there nice and Buck helped you. He saved you and Kures someone you regretfully don't remember but most definelty know is risking everything to help you. You can only imagine how much it would tank reputation if they knew to be helping a random undead because that's what you were now and it's painfully obvious in the right light. So you stay close for them.

As soon as you cross the cities borders, memories twirl and spin out of reach. Your from here, not born but defiantly spent most of your life. Your feet unconciously carry you to a small bakery. The owner looks like theve seen a ghost before giving you the biggest hug.

It's the same story. Fine one day. Missing the next.

Mc thanks them and leaves with a fresh loaf of bread.

ೃ⁀➷ 05 : A KING AND HIS MEN

pending...

[flannelepicurean]

YOOOOO!!!

WAS NOBODY GONNA TELL ME FOOLS WAS OUT HERE SHIPPING MOTHAFUCKIN SAMURAI JACK AND JOHNNY FUCKING BRAVO?!?!?!?!?!

Granted, I have been summarily informed, and driven further insane than I already am. But FOR REAL!!! I'm upset that it took this long. Or maybe not, maybe I wouldn't have been ready. 😂😂😂

And like...AAAUUUUGGGHHH💖💖💖

You know for a FACT that Jack would see Johnny throw like three poses and be like, "😳 Fuuuck, he's so fast, so precise, his hips are like lightning..." And Johnny would see Jack do LITERALLY ANYTHING and be like, "Hey now, that's pretty keen! Is that a real sword?"

Next thing you know, they're basically riding a tandem bike through the park. And then Johnny invites Jack over for dinner because, well, Mama's gotta meet his special friend, and when Mama opens the door she's like, "Oh. Uh...I thought you were gonna be a lady, for some reason," and they're both like, "HAHAHAHAHAHA, NOOO, WE'RE JUST...uhh...hmm...HMMM...😳" and then Mama's like, "Let's eat!"

And she adores Jack because he's so sweet and polite, and maybe he's not as handsome as Johnny, but he's a darn good-lookin' kid. And eventually someone points out to Johnny that he and Jack are basically dating, or at least that Johnny's acting kinda like an awesome boyfriend would. And Jack obviously likes him, because he's started acting like a total doofus dork when Johnny's around--it's subtle, because of course it is, but trust me, dude.

And at some point they're, like, playing Donkey Kong Country 2 or something, and Johnny's just like, "Hey, are you into guys?" And Jack's like, "...wut.😳" And Johnny's like, "'Cause everybody thinks we're dating." And Jack's like, "...Uhh...is...that...?" And Johnny's like, "I think I'd be okay with that. You're hella cool and I like you a lot. And Mama was right." [SUNGLASSES/EYEBROW] "You're a good-lookin' guy."

Which, indisputably, it's a perfect moment for them to kiss, and they both know it. But Jack's like, "So, uh...I've...I've never," and Johnny's like, "Yeah, y'know what, me neither." And they decide to do some research, and start watching a ton of cheesy romance movies together, and agree to just take it slow.

THERE. DONE. PRINT. BOOM.

😂😂😂😁💖

[let-me-iiiiiiiin]

Okay, you know what? Fuck plotting, fuck plot generators, fuck all those stupid "story ideas" that were written by commercial master-of-mainstream authors, and take a look at my

Plotting Dice.

Ingredients:

Dice. You'll need 3 of these at minimum. My regulars are two 6 sided and one 20 sided dice. The 6 sided ones were empty and I painted some images on them, but you can just assign keywords to the numbers. For the 20 sided dice any will do, and if you want greater variety just get a dnd 7 dice set. Preferably, the dice will be real, physical dice, but it's fine if you're more comfortable with digital ones.

For the two 6 sided dice: Assign one of these as the "doing" dice, and the other as the "thing" dice. The thing dice will generally give nouns, and the doing dice will give adjectives, adverbs, and verbs. It will depend on your interpretation.

The "Thing" Dice

Assign these words to the numbers:

1 -> Environment

2 -> Secret

3 -> Artifact

4 -> Monster

5 -> Character

6 -> Magic

These are not "rigid" definitions. You will have to interpret them depending on the context. Keep this in mind.

The "Doing" Dice

Assign these words to numbers:

1 -> Old

2 -> New

3 -> Weak

4 -> Strong

5 -> Legendary

6 -> Dead

Remember: flexible definitions. Nothing is set in stone.

And a regular old d20. Alright, now let's talk about:

The "How" Of The Plotting

Take your half-assed stupid WIP. Or if you don't have one, create it. This will be the framework, the starting point. Make sure to have some vague setting and a few characters.

Take your "doing" and "thing" dice. Roll them. The result will usually be in the format of "adjective + noun". Try to understand what it is referring to, related to your story. [Roll the d20 to confirm you're thinking about the correct thing if you're insecure and indecisive.]

There are no rules. This is a very flexible method, so you can either ask yes/no questions to the d20 to learn about the thing OR throw the "doing" dice to see what the thing does (the result will usually be a "verb", and added to the previous roll it will become a proper "adjective + noun + verb").

That's it. Repeat as required.

However, you might get stuck at some point, or the dice might tell you something batshit crazy. Do not panic. This is normal, the dice are not going mad. Rather, you've stumbled upon...

An opportunity.

This is where interpretation comes into play. It is a very thought-heavy process and requires some creativity, but it is where the dice method gets to shine.

A knot in the dialogue between you and the dice means a plot twist, an exposition-related plot point, or a major incident. Think of it like a big gulp of information that hurt your throat to swallow. (Ignore dick joke.) The best thing to do at this stage is to ask more questions.

Don't be afraid of getting confused or being too stupid in the face of cosmic forces. You will need the 20 sided dice here— yes or no questions will help you determine what is certain and what is not. My standard for the results are:

1-9 || No.

10 || Not no, but not yes.

11-14 || Not quite.

15-18 || Yes.

19-20 || EXACTLY that, yes.

If it's a "no", there's no point following this line of thought. Discard it.

If it's "10", you're not on the right track, but the answer is related to what you're thinking.

If it's "not quite", try a different angle, but know that you're on the right track.

If it's "yes", well, it's a yes. But there might be more to it, or you're missing some minor details.

If it's an unequivocal "YES", congratulations, it's exactly what you think. Write it down, you've solved the mystery.

You might need to use the "doing" and "thing" dice here in harmony with the d20. Usually it will be used to ask questions that aren't yes/no, or when you're too stuck to come up with a question. Think of it as a clue to help you get on the right track.

Extra Q&A

What if the dice results don't make sense?

It might be that you're focusing on the wrong thing. Ask the dice, "Is this what you want me to ask?" and the result will usually be a "no". Try changing your angle, or switch to a different part of your WIP. If it answers "yes", it just means you're on the wrong track. Try asking with a fresh, blank perspective.

My dice is telling me one thing, then when I ask it again paraphrased, it tells me I'm wrong.

It might be that your dice is trying to draw you to a particularly specific answer, and the word choice might affect your understanding of that answer greatly, or steer you down the wrong path. Write down what it has given an extremely positive 'yes' on and try asking something derived from that.

The "thing"/"doing" dice doesn't make sense.

As I said, they are adaptable dice, and can mean something different than the word's exact definition. It's always good to ask the d20, "Is this word literal?" For "Monster", it can also mean a beast, an animal, an antagonist, or a sentient being that isn't human yet behaves in a humanoid way. For the adjective "Old", it can also (and usually does) mean "from the past". "Dead" can mean "disappearing" or "removal" or "diminishing". Words have associations, and as dice have limited vocabulary, they're going to force the limits of creativity to tell you what you need to know. You can also switch the roles of the dice (making the "doing" dice the "thing" dice, though this is kinda weird for me) or ask the d20 whether something means a verb, adjective, or adverb. There are no hard rules here.

My dice is deliberately provoking me (by telling lies/giving contradictory answers/taunting me for being stupid)

First of all, stop asking your dice what it thinks about you. This is dice. It is an inanimate object that doesn't have sentience. THE DICE IS YOU. You're the one doing the interpreting by choosing to find meaning in something ultimately random. It's not that deep.

Secondly, if the answers are contradictory, ask "Is this what you want me to ask?" Because most of the time, it is not. Stop being stubborn about a plot point. THE DICE ISN'T AGAINST YOU, THE DICE IS YOU.

Finally, stop asking your dice whether it is lying. Would YOU appreciate someone asking if you're lying when they previously asked for your advice? No? So don't. Trust your dice. For the last fucking time, THE DICE IS YOU.

I've asked the same question twice, and it's given me contradictory results.

Well, since the results are random, of course the chance of you getting the same result twice will be random. And as a rule of the thumb, it's better to note and keep going than to get stuck repeating the same question over and over. If something is dubious about the roll, asking "Should I roll again?" is enough. If the dice says "no", there's no point getting stuck for no reason.

Isn't this basically dice divination?

I don't know, I don't particularly care. It is what it is. If it fits I sits. So long as it works, the label isn't important.

(And since we're on the topic, I don't think it's divination. You're not "divining" anything. Anything that came out, came out of you, and additionally it all came out because you were trying to make a bunch of randomised results make sense. I don't think that's divination. But I do think that it's your genius at work.)

My WIP isn't in the fantasy genre, there's no magic. Can I use a different keyword in its place?

Whatever floats your boat, go for it. Though it doesn't matter what genre your WIP is, the keywords aren't just themselves, they are ASSOCIATIONS. "Magic" can mean magic or it can mean "deus ex machina", "free will", and so on and on. Depending on what you associate with magic, the associations might change. I chose these keywords after reading Lazy Dungeon Master and its categorization of worldbuilding, because they were simple and I could fit them in a 6 sided dice. THERE ARE NO RULES. Do whatever suits you.

I have another question/my question isn't covered in the post.

Ask!!! I insist! I'm always happy to clarify. My asks are open and the anonymous is on.

And with that, I hope no one has to resort to "plot generators" ever again. Happy writing.

[skyrimsimmer]

Hey writers and authors!

Hello there, I'm a writer and working towards to being an author. However I am having a huge writers block issue when it comes to planning out my book and writing it out properly. I already have research dealt with for historical accuracy but i am needing more help. Can anyone suggest what I can do next? I am open to all advice!

[thesorcerersapprentice]

Habemus the first fully functional Act One outline since I began the big re-write! I'm so excited! I went through about 50 of these before one of the plots finally passed muster. A huge shout-out to @sodaliteskull for their incredibly helpful suggestion on this post. Everything clicked into place after reading your advice! Thank you ♡ P.S. The image is blurred so I don't give the game away too soon for potential future readers out there ♡

TAG LIST: (ask to be + or - ) @the-finch-address @achilleanmafia @fearofahumanplanet @winterninja-fr  @avrablake @outpost51 @d3mon-ology @hippiewrites @threeking @lexiklecksi @ashirisu @thelaughingstag

[talefoundryshow]

We’ve all seen a story of revenge that starts out with good intentions before devolving into a cautionary tale of morality. Justice is a tricky thing, isn’t it?

[amnenome]

Sabezra high school au where Sabine is also the heir to a mafia crime family so it’s just like

Ezra: Kanan do you think Sabine ever thinks about me??

Meanwhile Sabine: I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse

[lemonsrosesandlavender]

Planar Tears, pt. 3//Rolan x Human Isekai

more of the plot bunnies. They follow me. 🐰. In the face of seemingly insurmountable language barriers, would Rolan react with grace? Probably not.

4

What would he write, if he was trying to teach a foreigner his language? Most likely the alphabet, Rolan thinks. Start with the elements, and derive the alchemy from there. And sure enough, all the symbols they’ve written look different, exactly like an alphabet would. But, Gods, this is all so futile. The weight of obligation drags his fingers through the dirt to write the first letter of Common, and then he stops. What is the point? Without magic, it will be years before they understand each other. And by that point - they must be gone.

The stranger looks at him, pleading. They put their hand on their chest, say a word. A name? A plea? He doesn’t know, but he repeats it back as if it were their name, his hand opening towards them. They nod, and smile. So it is their name.

‘Rolan,’ he offers, in return. They echo it back once, then twice, and on the third time Rolan’s skin prickles, as his stranger looks searchingly into his eyes for - something? Rolan. Rolan.

No. He’s leaving. Again. The stranger reaches out for him anxiously, and when he brushes them off, they follow him, until he has to block the door of the cave and beg them in the most ridiculous gestures to stay where they are. Danger, he signs, his finger running across his throat. Wherever they’re from, a slit neck is a slit neck. A death sentence. And they do seem to understand, though they don’t step back until Rolan says their name once more, and promises in determined mime that he will come back.

Cal interrupts him, as he searches the tiefling party’s supply crates for some lunch the stranger might find acceptable.

‘Hey, I’m supposed to be guarding these.’

Rolan thinks he’ll finally have to explain himself, but no; Cal seems to think he’s just too hungry for manners. Slightly offensive, but he lets that slide in favour of not revealing the truth.

A commotion sounds, shouts spilling down through the caves from the direction of the gate. The shouts start diffuse and begin to condense, crystallise - goblins. Rolan shoves some food in his pocket and sprints towards the entrance, with Cal hot on his heels.

The three siblings arrive at the gate just in time to hear that the threat has been defeated, by a group of intrepid adventurers no less. Rolan tries to make his escape, back to the stranger, but first Lia begins an interrogation - where has he been, why has he been acting strangely? Why hasn’t he been nagging them to leave, like he has every day since they arrived? It’s getting ridiculous, trying to hide this, but he just can’t say it. Not when Lia is disappointed enough in him as it is.

Then the rumour goes up that one of these adventurers is none other than Gale of Waterdeep. Mystra’s chosen, Rolan dimly remembers reading years ago, who must know every spell there is. When he pushes through the crowd to ask if he is indeed that Gale, the man laughs ruefully.

‘Not for some time now. And if you’re expecting anything impressive, I would ask that you spare yourself the disappointment.’

5

Gale’s words are easy to dismiss. After all, Rolan isn’t after Wish. He just needs one simple spell, that Mystra’s former chosen could probably do in his sleep. (As Rolan will be able to do one day, some time in the not-too-distant future). So when Gale tries to shake him, he’s insistent. He needs the help of another wizard, and Gale must come with him right now. Secretly.

Slightly baffled, Gale agrees anyway, mindful of his duty to help a younger wizard without a master. Or with a master, he hears, far away in Baldur’s Gate. Rolan is much quieter on the subject of his magical skill than usual, because he knows that when he explains the situation to Gale, the reaction will be -

‘What? You mastered a few cantrips and thought you were ready to cross the planes? Do you understand how irresponsible that was?’

It is pure agony, being talked down to by another wizard, worst of all when he knows that he deserves it - but that has to come second. Gale can’t send the stranger back, but he does search deep in his spell book to find the spell that Rolan’s asking for. Tongues.

Rolan takes him to the stranger, has him cast the spell on them - and when it works, when his stranger says hello and sobs with the relief of finally understanding their words, he begs Gale to stay in the Grove and teach him how to cast it himself.

Absolutely not, Gale tells him. They’ve sworn to protect the whole Grove, not just one person, and Gale has pressing matters of his own besides. But with a regretful rub of his chest, he draws a knife from his pocket and does the unthinkable: he neatly cuts the Tongues page from his spell book, and gives it to Rolan.

With that parting gift, Gale leaves, and the stranger begins to speak.

[ryukang1995]

Mortal Kombat (2021 film AU) - plot summary/outline part 1

The story begins with a prologue showcasing the battle between Goro and The Great Kung Lao. GKL puts up a good fight, but he is ultimately no match for Goro, and ends up being brutally killed by the Shokan, who then offers his soul to Shang Tsung.

After the title card, we cut to Liu Kang waking up from a nightmare of the time his family was murdered. He and Kung Lao are preparing for the Mortal Kombat tournament. Kung Lao wishes to honor his ancestor GKL and become a great hero like him, but Liu Kang wants nothing more than revenge for Shang Tsung murdering his parents (and possibly his brother Chan). We get to see the dynamic between the two monks, with Liu Kang being rather rebellious and Kung Lao being much more reserved and noble. Knowing that Liu Kang can’t compete with vengeance on his mind, Raiden tells Kung Lao to look out for his cousin.

We then cut to Hong Kong where we see Sonya Blade and Jax chasing down Kano and his Black Dragon gang. We get to know about Sonya and Jax through some dialogue about how Jax was the partner of Sonya’s father before his disappearance, and how she wants nothing more than to live up to his legacy. We also see how Kano and Kabal are working with Shang Tsung to lure both Sonya and Jax into Mortal Kombat.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, we see Cole Young partaking in a cage fight where he wins, but the money he earns is not enough to pay the bills. We also see Cole bonding with his wife Allison and daughter Emily, who continue to support him throughout their struggles. Cole then gets an invitation to Mortal Kombat from his old fight coach (actually Shang Tsung in disguise). Allison shows concern for Cole and expresses how the tournament seems rather suspect, but he tells her not to worry, and he goes in order to provide for his family.

We then cut to the Lin Kuei temple in China where we see Bi Han (codename: Sub-Zero) approaching the grandmaster, who tells him about the tournament and the mysterious deaths of certain clan members. Bi Han has been assigned to kill Shang Tsung, but he also wishes to find out what it is that has been wiping out his fellow Lin Kuei. We also get dialogue about Hanzo Hasashi and his Shirai Ryu clan being murdered.

To be kontinued…

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Steph's Crew: Plot Outline (for the sequels)

I'm finally posting this now! If I miss anything, I'll just do a part 2.

Also, I know it says sequelS (plural) but I think I'll focus more on book 2 than book 3 (considering the fact that I've done more of 2 than 3 lol).

Enjoy!!

___

"Unreported Violent Crimes" is the name of book 2 (fun fact - I was contemplating titling this whole series "Violent Crimes" as a reference to the Kanye song lol. It's one of my sister's favourites).

It opens in November 2011. So a little over a year into the future (as book 1 ends in August 2010). A lot has changed since we last saw these characters - they've been in the real world outside of school for some time now, and they've grown up a lot. But they're still the same old people we know and love. They're still friends and they keep in touch in spite of mostly going their separate ways (Elise and Dylan are both in university, Alice is doing a degree apprenticeship, and Bret is working. Pretty sure he got one of the jobs he applied for in book 1).

None of them have seen or heard from Stephanie in all that time.

I'll quickly fill you in on the ships before we go into the plot (since people seem generally more interested in that stuff lol).

Stephanie and Ben are still living together, and their dynamic is more or less the same as it was in book 1 to begin with. The main thing that's different between them now is the fact that they are now married (they eloped at some point between books 1 and 2). They're also not at the same place they were in book 1 - they're now in a much nicer house. And they both have jobs they like a lot. Ben's a chef at a hotel, and Steph, I believe, is a receptionist at a law firm or something like that. So their relationship seems perfectly ok on the surface. But things go wrong for them in book 2, so that's not good (their relationship suffers a lot due to a lot of secrets, lies and infidelity).

Bret and Elise break up at the start of the story, although it's not exactly for the reason you may think. (El found out about Bret's kiss with Stephanie, but not through him exactly. It's kind of hard to explain in a concise way… let me try. You know how Dylan and Bret ended up getting into a fight at the bar? Well, it got quite vicious, and it ended with Bret having to be hospitalised for a head injury. This lead to him kind of forgetting that he and Steph kissed… or, he thought it was a dream or something, so he ended up not telling anyone about it. However, some school friends who were also at the bar at the time were taking lots of pictures and videos of their time there, and they decided to post some online, and Bret and Stephanie were hanging out in the background. They were caught doing their thing... and Elise found out that way. She kept it to herself for a while before eventually telling B that she knew) Alright, so it's partly the reason you may think, but they'd also been dealing with problems in their relationship for a while, and eventually, El couldn't take it anymore and decided to end things. On her surprise 20th birthday party that he organised. They're both devastated, and this leads to one of my favourite parts to write in this sequel - seeing the different ways they both deal with the break up. It's fun lol. But also really sad… and it also introduces some of the other alternative ships/partners for both characters (Stephanie and Charles).

Dylan and Alice still aren't together lol. But Dylan has found someone new! A really cool new girl named Aisha Brown. He wasn't prepared to wait around forever for Ally, I guess. But anyway, he's happy with his new girlfriend and Alice struggles to deal with this. In the meantime, there's this other guy she works with (Joe Sanchez! You'll love his scenes, they're so fun) who appears to be interested in her (and everyone ships them there lol), but she's just focused on Dylan and how he moved on so quickly.

Ok, now that we've set up the relationship dynamics here, let's get into the plot.

The main plot kicks off with the news of a tragic local death. Nobody knows how it happened, it's a huge mystery. Investigations were taking place, but they didn't seem to go anywhere. Stephanie hears about it, and she immediately believes she knows who did it. So she eventually decides to do her own investigation and get to the bottom of this herself. And as she reconnects with her old friends, they kind of get into the mix as well. We also get into the family lives of the crew even more (we meet Alice's cousins and Ben's family. Btw Ben becomes an important character here lol. We actually hear things from his point of view and he is present for most of it this time around)

There are multiple side plots as well…

El's friend Connor returns, and he falls in love with his lecturer, Daisy Sommer. This was just a funny background thing lol. He's the only person Elise knew when she got into Cambridge, so they naturally ended up spending most of their time together there before they started making other friends. So his subplot mostly consists of him and El hanging out and him only wanting to talk about how cool and smart Daisy is, and how much he loves her lessons, and how good of a teacher she is, and how he could listen to her talk all day, and how "She's single, I'm single. We're both adults. Apart from her getting in trouble and maybe losing her job, what's the problem?!" (Pretty sure that's an actual line of his lol) It's supposed to be some funny side character shenanigans, not meant to be taken 100% seriously.

Rachel and Gordon decide to give their relationship another try, and it doesn't go too well. However, Rachel does find out why Gordon hurt her so much when they were married, and why he eventually left her. So she got some closure, I suppose. After the breakup, she decides to put herself first and do all the things she wanted to do (like start her own business, have a family, etc) on her own. This is where the adoption storyline comes from.

There's this news/commentary blog that's increasing in popularity, called "The Looking Glass." Steph and the others have been following it for some time, and it is known for it's unique and insightful takes on trending topics. However, Stephanie starts getting suspicious on it when she starts noticing that a lot of her findings and developments from her secret investigation are included in some of the posts related to the mysterious death (like, she's seeing a lot of parallels with her investigation and her life in this blog, and it freaks her out a lot). It's around this time that she's started experiencing break ins and weird situations (scary/strange messages, her car getting keyed, etc) which leads her to believe that she is being stalked. That's another ongoing mystery in the book - who's stalking Steph? Who's the writer of the blog? (mild spoiler/hint: It's someone we know)

Stephanie and Ben start having problems in their relationship. Ben is beginning to realise that he doesn't know his girl as well as he thought he did, and he doesn't know how to deal with that. In the meantime, Steph is sleeping with Bret (a mutual friend of theirs!!!), who is still hung up on Elise, his own ex, and is struggling to find ways to cope. This plotline was hard to write… it's a weird balancing act, trying to make all these characters sympathetic to a degree. Although, it does lead to some funny moments (seeing how some of the others react when they find out about it). When Ben eventually does find out, he is understandably shocked and outraged, and he decides to leave. So they no longer live together at this point. This isn't where he and Steph actually break up, though. That's not till much later on.

Elise struggles with breaking up with Bret (understandable, since he was her first love and everything). The both of them find it hard to move on completely from each other, and they spend the majority of the story in this weird place of being broken up, but not completely being able to let the other person go... and this situation begins to change when El starts getting closer with someone in her university course that she never really got along well with previously (Charlie O'Brien!) after being forced to work on a project with him. She ends up confiding in him with a lot of things and grows to trust him a lot. He ends up helping the crew out a lot with the investigation due to his connections. Bret notices this, which further pushes his downward spiral, since he doesn't know how to deal with potentially losing El for good.

El eventually finds out about Bret and Steph (she's one of the last people to find out about it, I think), but she appears to mainly be angry about Stephanie cheating on her husband more than anything else (like her ex hooking up with another girl almost immediately after she broke things off with him. Which kind of surprises everyone lol. But it show that she's healing somewhat from the breakup with Bret, and is starting to move on, which contrasts with how Bret's handling it). This is where the once close bond between Steph and El starts to get strained... and it only gets worse from here.

Alice's sister Mary tragically dies (I'm not going to say how, it's a huge spoiler lol). The Johnson family struggle a lot with this… Alice especially. Dylan tries his best to support her through this tough time, and the fact that he's spending so much time with Alice starts to put strain on his relationship with Aisha. Eventually, the two break up.

The Summer Formal is a big part. Let's talk about it now:

There's a summer formal coming up in Dylan's university, and he's invited all his friends.

Alice asks Dylan, and he says yes (and this is where things start looking up for Dalice haha).

Elise asks Charlie (because she admitted to Alice that she wanted to go with Bret, but she didn't believe he still wants her after his past involvement with Stephanie right after her breakup with him. Alice advised her to ask Charlie in order to make Bret jealous. And it works very well lol).

Bret thinks about asking Stephanie to get back at El (at this point, Ben is still not around), but he ends up agreeing to the formal with Angel (Charlie's cousin in first year, who couldn't find a date). This doesn't really affect El in any way, but it does make Charlie mad lol (for reasons that I won't go into right now, cuz it'll take forever). However, he eventually gets over this and he and Bret join forces (because at this point, Charlie is beginning to fall for El, and he initially was excited to be going on a real date with her. But he can also tell that she and Bret aren't over each other, and that she'd probably much rather go to the formal with him. He hatches a plan that ensures that Elise can have a night of fun with the guy she truly wants, and he can keep an eye on his cousin and make sure she doesn't get into trouble).

On the night of the formal, Elise expects to be picked up by Charlie, but instead opens the door to be greeted by Bret. He tells her that he and Charlie agreed to "swap" dates (so, Bret is now Elise's date, and Charlie is going with Angel). Elise is initially confused and annoyed by this (asking why the girls didn't get a say on the matter), and Bret suggests swapping back, but Elise dismisses the suggestion and takes his hand, saying she'd be happy to go with him. Bret humorously remarks that she has a weird way of showing it, but he's happy to be going with her, too. (Things are beginning to look up for Brelise at this point, too!)

And I think I'll leave it there for now. Making a part 2 to this, because this story is far from over...

[dungeons-and-dictions]

Here’s how I keep my stories and their notes organized. Since I’m a hot mess, I figured out a low-maintenance “system”.

Each story has its own folder, by the story’s title. Because I can’t be bothered to type out the title again, I break it down into initials for files. In this case, my title is a single C-word:

C is where I write the story itself

C o3s is C’s out-of-order scenes

C Outline is the plot outline, and other important notes a la Brandon Sanderson.

C Header Excerpts is my compilation of epigraphs for chapters, like in Diana Wynne Jones’ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, but focused on world and lore.

I’m in the process of transferring notes to the Obsidian app rn too! 🤞

[cepheusgalaxy]

🔆Ein Plotline🔆

Ein is one of my trhee current projects

Kaiki sucks (initial situation)

Ari saves Kaiki (spark)

Kaiki goes to infirmary (hurt)

Kaiko goes onemia (magical landscape)

Kaiki goes training (magic school)

Meets Lis

Kaiki and Lis get in trouble. QG wants to see them (Ari has to go too)

Alli gets in Kaiki's mind (villain manipulations)

Kaiki meets Simba (the prince)

Shit goes crazy (?)

Kaiki has to go get shit fixed

Ari gotta fix the shit. They end up in this together

Lis sees it *smashes window* gotta help *grins*

Simba joins

Gotta find Villain

Who's Villain (spoiler, it's Allen)

Villain kills

Another country (traveling around da world)

Kaiki sucks (fall)

Okay I kind of that love u (that's Simba)

Gotta rise

Lis shines (Lis rocks)

Gotta kick everybody's ass (rise, pt 3)

Goes to Villain

Gets a little cocky with Alli

Rocks

Open up new thing (new begining potential)

This may seem a little crazy

(Because it is)

Kaiki uses he/him

Ari (Arielle) uses she/them

Lis uses she/her

Allen (Alli/Villain) uses they and he

[doug-lewars]

Changes

It is not necessary to slavishly follow your plot outline. If your story wants to wander down some unexpected path, let it do so. It’s always possible to let the new thread become a subplot unto itself and run its course; however, if the change alters the basic structure of your story, make a few notes so you’ll know what scenes you need to alter going forward. Keeping your plot outline up-to-date can save considerable frustration later on.

[lexiklecksi]

WTW Pumpkin Palooza - Day 3: crystal ball & Day 7: skeleton

My favorite plot structure is The Hero's Journey by Christopher Vogler. It's simple and overused, but a good way to start creating an outline. My main character Enya is an anti-hero, but the hero's journey still applies to her story. As I continue to write my wip, I might structure the plot differently. For now, I settled on the following vague plot outline for Enya's journey, inspired by The Hero's Journey by Christopher Vogler. It would mean the world to me if you read through it. During NaNoWriMo I'll figure out which chapters sound interesting, need more development, or don't quite fit into the plot outline. Originally, I divided my wip into four parts, but there are only three acts, so part two and three would be in act two.

Act 1

Aus der Asche in den Wind (from the ashes into the wind)

Ordinary world: Enya's life in Trevena

Call to adventure: Enya wants to flee from Trevena to find other dragon-breeds and learn more about her origin

Refusal to the call: Enya is held captive in her room by her adoptive parents but flees through the window

Meeting the mentor: Enya travels through the forest Avni and meets Dietbert Siegfrieden (and later other characters) who teach her about survival and kindness

Act 2

Vom Himmel gefallen (fallen from the sky)

Crossing the first threshold: Enya discovers the fairy Queendom

Test, allies, enemies: gets chased by a harpy, falls in love with the siren Meara Kailani, curse of the evil fairy, gets hunted by a bounty hunter, befriends elafid Talib

Approach to the innermost cave: fire ritual of the burning witch goes wrong and Enya gets fire powers (near the turning point of becoming the villain of her own story)

Bis zum Meeresgrund (deep dive into the sea)

Ordeal: Enya faces her fear of becoming a monster and meets Meara's siren family

Reward: Enya is torn between choosing love (Meara) or seeking revenge (set her home town on fire)

Act 3

Wie alles Feuer fing (how everything caught fire)

The road back: Enya travels back to Trevena through the high mountains of Zaltana and discovered the breeding place of the dragons

Resurrection: Enya battles her emotions and is faced with the ultimate decision

Return with the elixir: Enya returns to Trevena and sets it on fire, killing innocent people; or returns as a grown woman who stands up for herself and brings change into the old ways of the town people (I haven't decided on the ending yet)

WIP only tag list (comment + if you want to be added or - to be removed): @matcha-chai @callmepippin @zettelkaestchen @silversynthesis @ladywithoringes @stargazingandpoetry @scaevolawrites