To Plot or Not to Plot?

Lessons from Stephen King

Something frequently talked about in the world of writing books is plot.

Plot this, plot that, plot plot plot.

If I had a dime for every article, video, or TikTok discussing how to craft a good plot, the key elements required, ways to outline one, etc., I would have a lot of money right now.

When I started writing my first book, I didn’t think about the plot too much. I just started writing. My characters weren’t fully formed, the major turning points were amorphous, and the conflict was still murky in my mind. At the time, I had a kernel of an idea, and I was content to pull on the thread and watch it unravel beneath my fingertips.

Then I finished my first draft. When I began editing, I realized my draft was full of plot-related issues. No sweat, that’s okay. A first draft is supposed to be messy.

I felt out of my depth holding a document of roughly 104,000 words and having no idea how to balance what I created versus what I envisioned.

So I turned to the internet. I took a Manuscript Academy course about how to edit a novel and read countless advice articles. I also downloaded the Save the Cat Starter Kit from Jessica Brody’s website.

I turned to outlining, something that’s never come naturally to me when writing fiction. And the entire time I was outlining, I was also fretting over my plot. Did it have enough tension? Action? Character development? Self doubt started to creep in.

I was writing a contemporary romance, so the events of my plot were less action-packed than an epic fantasy or thriller with shocking twists. I read romance book after romance book hoping osmosis would help me understand what my draft was missing.

I tried a lot of different things. I’m now on draft 3, and I’m putting this book in the proverbial desk drawer for the foreseeable future. I’m not abandoning my first fully written novel because of the plot. I’m letting it breathe until it’s ready. I couldn’t explain it as I was struggling through the revision process, but upon refocusing my creative energy, I’ve come to a realization. Something hasn’t been working, and while it could be the plot, it’s also something else too.

It isn’t the book I’m meant to be writing right now. And here’s how I came to this realization.

I recently read Stephen King’s On Writing after avoiding it for many years. It was one of those books that was so talked about, and so frequently recommended to me, that reading it felt like a major task I simply couldn’t complete. I didn’t want to read one more book full of writing advice that felt like the antithesis of the kind of writer I am.

Let me take a moment to state the obvious. Stephen King is an emblem of success. He’s the kind of author writers aspire to be, with a loyal following and 65 novels/novellas in the marketplace. So clearly, he knows what he’s doing.

At my wit’s end with my novel and all of its plot problems, I finally pulled my head out of the sand and picked up a copy.

On Writing wasn’t at all what I expected (in the best way).

For starters, the first chunk of the book was about King’s early life and how he became a writer. It was fascinating to learn about his childhood, his early ideas, and what kind of barriers to publishing existed when he was first starting out. I won’t go into the details of his childhood and adult life because those can easily be found online.

What I will go into detail about are two of his thoughts about writing that took me completely by surprise.

Sometimes, when I read advice from other writers (published or unpublished, novelist or otherwise), imposter syndrome starts to dig its claws into my confidence because their processes seem so different from my own. Obviously, every writer’s process is going to be different. But mine felt much less common. Which made me wonder: was I doing it wrong?

That’s why I consumed all the content I mentioned earlier. That’s why I tried every new technique to mold my book into what I know deep down it can become one day.

None of those things were working for me because they took the joy out of writing.

This brings me to the second surprising fact I learned in On Writing. Stephen King writes simply for the joy of it. I assumed someone as successful and smart, with the kind of complex and existential books that he writes, would have an analytical writing process. A kind of formula to keep him on track and churning out books for the masses.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn Stephen King’s process is nothing like that.

He doesn’t outline. He doesn’t plot. What’s more, he abhors plot! For King, writing is all about the story. Story above everything. A good story, and characters that come alive on the page, will naturally lend themselves to a good plot. King believes books that over-rely on plot can feel forced, belabored, or unoriginal.

Instead, King compares writing a novel to digging up a fossil. The writer is the excavator and the fun of writing is the process of uncovering the story, dusting off the characters, and letting them take you where they want to go. As writers, it’s up to us to dig for the stories we’ll ultimately tell and to listen to the characters we create. That imagery will live in my head forever.

There were many more pieces of advice, but for the sake of brevity, I’m going to keep it to those two. If you’re interested to learn more, I highly recommend the book. It’s not going to be like any other advice book you’ve read before.

Those two tidbits were validating to the type of writer I am. I don’t outline my entire book before I start writing it, I don’t have all the plot events defined, and my characters reveal more about themselves the more pages I write.

I think this is the first time I’ve heard of a writer as successful as Stephen King have a similar process to me. Or who at least looks at writing in a similar way. It was a weight off my shoulders. It was a reminder that no, I’m not doing it wrong, because there is no right way to do it.

I recently went back to working on my second book. This one is a thriller and I stalled on it several months ago because I hadn’t fully figured out the character arcs, the big twist, or all the events leading up to the big twist.

But, with my newfound permission slip from Stephen King, I’m excavating the fossil that is my story and letting my characters reveal their secrets to me.

More importantly? I’m having fun doing it. Because what’s the purpose of writing if not to feel joy?

The next time you ask yourself “to plot or not to plot?”, ask yourself instead, “What would Stephen King do?”

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📚 What I’m reading: I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai. It’s an interesting combination of the literary fiction and mystery genres. In the book, Makkai explores themes of identity, memory, and justice. The book also covers privilege and wealth, trauma and sexual assault, and personal growth. I’m not too far into it yet, but I’m engrossed in the mystery unfolding on the campus of a New Hampshire boarding school.

🎥 What I’m watching: The Summer I Turned Pretty, Love is Blind UK (season 2 just dropped), and currently, My Oxford Year on Netflix. The book is better than the movie (of course), but I can’t say no to a feel-good romantic comedy, even when it’s a little cheesy.

✨ Your turn: What other topics would you be interested in reading about on The Lively Word? Leave a comment and let me know!