The Basics of Plotting Your Novel
- Jenna Moreci
- 6 days ago
- 6 min read
HelloOoOo everybody!
Today we're tackling the fifth episode of my course, How Writers Become Authors: A Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Novel. We're talking about structure. If you followed my channel for a while, then you already know that I've talked about structure in a few videos. I also cover structure in my first writing craft book, Shut Up and Write the Book. And I cover the standard fantasy, romance, and romantasy structures in my second writing craft book, How to Write Romantasy. But this course is all about tackling the basics of writing a novel, which means today we're talking about the basics of structure.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to also subscribe to my YouTube channel for more writing tips, sarcasm, and of course, more of Princess Butters!
Step 1: Definition
Structure is the framework of your book. It arranges the plot of your story in a natural order that makes sense for your timeline and entertains readers. When plotting a story, your goal is to establish a sequence of events that build on one another to create a coherent whole. That's what structure does. It creates a logical beginning, middle, and end. That way, readers can understand what's going on and enjoy the reading experience.
Step 2: Why Is Structure Important?
Structure is such an important part of the writing process, but it's one a lot of amateur writers neglect, and that's a huge mistake. Stories without structure meander. They go off on random tangents, and then the plot and the subplots are left hanging with no resolution. Have you ever spoken with someone who rambles endlessly and never gets to the point of what they were saying? That's what a novel without structure reads like.
Whether you're the type who likes to plan your stories out ahead of time, or whether you like to write on the fly, it doesn't matter. Every story has a structure because without it, the plot caves in on itself. It doesn't have any support.
Step 3: How To Structure Your Story
Now, there are a million different structural templates out there, but the structure that started them all is Freytag's Pyramid. Freytag's Pyramid originally began as a template for writing tragedies, so it used to look totally different from what it looks like today. Since then, it's evolved to fit the standard plot line of pretty much all stories, not just tragedies. You'll see some differences with terminology depending on who's sharing it, but basically this is what Freytag's Pyramid looks like today, and we are going to be covering each step of the pyramid one by one.
Step 4: The Introduction
First we have the introduction, which is the beginning of the novel. Sometimes you'll see this written as the exposition of the novel, which I don't particularly care for. It encourages writers to exposition dump at the beginning of the book, which is not a good idea. The introduction of a novel typically contains three main parts.
First, we meet the main character, who is the central character of the novel. We are following their experiences and their journey. If you want a refresher on crafting main characters, pop back over to the second episode of this course.
Second, we're introduced to either the main character's problem or goal, or both. Often there's some type of problem in the main character's life, and we're usually introduced to that at the beginning of the book. If we don't see a problem, we may instead see a goal. Maybe the main character wants a promotion at work, or they want to win a beauty pageant, but these goals are usually a result of something negative in their life, like poor self-esteem or body image. And obviously these issues count as problems.
Lastly, we have the inciting incident. This is the incident that launches the story, the event that causes the main character to take action toward their problem or goal, or forces them onto their journey.
Step 5: The Rising Action
Next, we have the Rising Action, which is easily the longest part of your novel. It's also the part a lot of writers struggle with. The rising action covers the series of wins and losses that your main character experiences throughout their journey. It's the series of events that build on one another, bringing your character closer toward their goal. The idea is to further escalate the conflict until the main character can address it head-on.
Of course, you want to propel the main character forward, but you don't want them to reach that moment so quickly that their goal is achieved or their problem is sorted out in one scene. It needs to be a series of events that slowly move the character forward, or move like a dance: two steps forward, one step back.
The main focus is that each plot point needs to move the character forward in some way, either bringing them closer or farther away from their goal. There are specific plot points you can use in this section, which we will talk about in a later episode. But ultimately your goal is to further character development, build tension, and of course, progress the plot of your story.
Step 6: The Climax
Next up is the climax, which is when the conflict of your novel comes to a head. The climax is typically the most exciting part of your book. This is when the main character faces their conflict or goal head-on. They either achieve victory, face tragedy, or there's a partial victory or tragedy that leads to a continuation of the story, at least if you're writing a series. Usually the climax occurs around 75% of the way through the book, and it is fueled by the rising action. And it may not be your readers' favorite part of the book, but it should be the most exciting part. Tension is high, and all the stakes are on the line. Will the lovers get together? Will the nerd stand up for herself? Will the astronaut defeat the aliens?
Step 7: The Falling Action
Next we have the falling action, which I would argue is typically the shortest part of the novel. The falling action is when the dust settles. This is the aftermath of the climax. This moment is usually used to answer questions that came up during the climax. If the main character learned their love interest's secret identity during the climax, they may discuss this revelation during the falling action. If the main character learned that their dead father isn't actually dead during the climax, they may get some answers to their questions about that during the falling action.
The point is, this is the moment when the characters regroup and digest what has happened. The soldiers are retreating from battle, wounds are getting mended, and of course, questions are getting answered.
Step 8: The Resolution
Lastly, we have the resolution, which is when the conflict of the novel is resolved, as the name suggests. If you're writing a romance, this is when the main characters experience their happily ever after. If you're writing a sci-fi adventure, this is when the universe is finally at peace once again. This is also the point in the story when the main characters may reflect on their journey and what they've learned along the way.
Of course, not every novel ends with a conflict resolved. Sometimes it ends with a tragedy or cliffhanger. But the idea is to end the story, or at least this part of the story. If this is book two of a seven-book series, readers may know that more is coming, but this leg of the story feels settled. If the story ends in tragedy, your readers may be weeping, but there's a sense of finality and closure. Or maybe you're just a jerk, and you want readers squirming when the book is over. I don't know, I'm not writing the story for you.
Either way, the resolution is supposed to settle the story at hand, and however you choose to do it is up to you.
So that's all I've got for you today!
That is the most basic structural method for writing a novel. You can be a planner or a pantser. Either way, it behooves you to understand this general structure and implement it so your readers can digest and enjoy your story. And if you need any additional help, I've got a worksheet right here just for you.
Follow Me!
Buy My Books!
CHECK OUT THE SAVIOR’S CHAMPION:
CHECK OUT THE SAVIOR'S SISTER:
Bathroom Vanity Canada options are available in many common widths, making it easier to find suitable cabinets for powder rooms, ensuites, and larger bathrooms.
Reading through community feedback on Australian gaming clubs, the most useful insights rarely come from promotional-style reviews. Instead, forum-style comments tend to highlight long-term frustrations or stability patterns that aren’t visible at first. People sometimes bring up Big Candy Casino in these discussions as a reference point when talking about mid-tier platform behavior, but the stronger signal is always consistency over months rather than isolated experiences. If a platform quietly maintains stable UX and clear terms, that usually outweighs any short-term bonus appeal.