: What are some tips to keep on track of your plot I am a new writer writing a fantasy series, and earlier today I found myself thinking “Yay! I’m almost done with the main plot of my

@Martha805

Posted in: #Plot #Subplot #Technique

I am a new writer writing a fantasy series, and earlier today I found myself thinking “Yay! I’m almost done with the main plot of my first book!”
Then I realized I was nowhere near done with the underlying plots, and if I finished the book in a few chapters there would be tons of loose ends.
What are some tips to keep on track of all your internal/external conflicts and plots so that you don’t forget about one and leave a question unanswered?

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@Phylliss352

@Phylliss352

Per The Snowflake Method, make a spreadsheet of all the scenes in your novel. Part of that spreadsheet is a scene description. You can write down what subplots are involved, which scene they start in, and which scene wraps them.
If you did an outline, then note down in the outline where each subplot starts, is furthered and is wrapped in that.
If you wrote seat-of-the-pants, then, making a spreadsheet may still be a good idea. Not all the scenes will make the final cut, and it's easier to edit, then re-edit, then re-edit again in a spreadsheet than a manuscript. If you see several subplot scenes get cut then you'll also have a list of places that can also be cut or edited.

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@Yeniel532

@Yeniel532

Keep rereading your own work, for one thing. You might trip over some untapped source of a subplot, or notice a subplot you began that was never resolved. Other than that, it's really just a matter of what your personal process looks like. Are you someone who likes to outline everything ahead of time? Make a chart or outline listing all your plot points and subplots to help you stay on track. Are you a discovery writer who only finds out what happens when you write it the first time? Once you've got a first draft for a chapter/arc finished, remember to go back and edit things for consistency in light of new information. Revision is your friend.

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