How thoroughly do you plan a chapter?

ShamelessPatheticMook

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Dieter

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I don't really plan out my chapters but I do plan out my story overall: which is in a nutshell just a notepad with grids where I order the stuff I wrote (character, lore, plot, or otherwise) chronologically when they should be revealed. For my longer projects though, I have to keep stuff more orderly: character, organization, location, bestiary, laws, trivia, timeline, etc. have their own separate notes.

EDIT : Actually, I do plan out my chapters for my longer projects. I divide them by exposition, scene, & rough-notes.
 
Representing_Tromba

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In all seriousness, I will come up with a scene that I want to write and next is just writing out how the pre-designed characters will get there as naturally as possible. Once I reach that scene, I usually have a list of other scenes I want to get to in succession so I can keep repeating the process.

New stories are harder because I will come up with a setting, the base 3-5 characters, and the rules of the world they are in so that I don't cause any plot holes. After that it comes down to deciding which scene to get to first.
 
Verdante

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I write bullet points on what I want to happen/foreshadow for the chapter. Then I write the whole thing down in a sprint. Most of the times I end up changing some of my bullet points, but the beginning and end usually don’t change.

After that, I edit the chapter to make it more immersive or remove unnecessary bits.

I’m also simultaneously trying to piece together how my arcs fit together and how I want to plot out the story as a whole. Yes, I get headaches from doing all this :blob_sleep:
 
QuercusMalus

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I will frequently write scenes/events that I want to occur, then go back and fill in the blanks for how we got from point 'A' to point 'Q'.
 
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Look, I tried to do the whole planning and outlining thing with bullet points, but I found the more I outline the less fun I have. And the more likely I am to not write at all.
 
Jerynboe

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I generally write down a handful of brief descriptions of the scenes I want to do, then turn each of them into a scene. Current chapter of my current story, an isekai litrpg where someone in the main cast recently died, has these:
Working out with Owlbear.
Network to find a resurrector
Talk to Cog about death metaphysics
Read my quest rewards

These are not in any particular order. For example, explaining the basics of how death and resurrection works in my story should probably go before making plans to find someone capable of bringing the dead back to life, just to establish that it’s even possible.
 
ChocolateLover030

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For each chapter, I look at the previous chapter and ask myself how I can proceed from there, then write whichever possible route I think would suit the next chapter.
For example, right now, I'm thinking of how I should write my story's MC spar with a big muscular mommy in a gym, for training purposes against a giant human-centipede Pinocchio.
 
Jemini

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I plan the story arcs for my books pretty well, and also the arc for my story as a whole. However, I actually don't plan individual chapters at all. The closest thing I do to planning on a chapter by chapter basis is trying to figure out how to draw it closer to one story beat or another in order to make the larger arc go as it's supposed to.

EDIT: Also, I have some rather in-depth world building, and am frequently looking for places to insert one piece of my world building or another.
 
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Verdante said:
That’s fine! Things work differently for everyone. I just noticed when I don’t outline I end up with 10 different side projects :blob_facepalm:
Click to expand...
I have done a summary type thing before. I write the summary of what I want to accomplish in a chapter, but I also didn't like doing that. I tried a lot of stuff outliners could probably benefit from. It would usually look something like this.

Chapter Goal: Start the adventure.
Plan: Envy starts her forum journey, after leaving her house for the first time in centuries.
Notes: (This section I would put the most important things for me to remember for the chapter/story, but it is kinda useless for me since I naturally will remember anyway. Maybe in the future when my memory starts to fail.)
 
Verdante

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RepresentingEnvy said:
I have done a summary type thing before. I write the summary of what I want to accomplish in a chapter, but I also didn't like doing that. I tried a lot of stuff outliners could probably benefit from. It would usually look something like this.

Chapter Goal: Start the adventure.
Plan: Envy starts her forum journey, after leaving her house for the first time in centuries.
Notes: (This section I would put the most important things for me to remember for the chapter/story, but it is kinda useless for me since I naturally will remember anyway. Maybe in the future when my memory starts to fail.)
Click to expand...
Ah, if you remember details about your story it makes sense why you don’t like outlining ?. I have 0 trust on my memory
 
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