Plot — What Happens in Your Story
On this page, you’ll plan what happens in your story from beginning to end.
Read each prompt and write your ideas in the box below it.
You don’t need full sentences. Short notes are perfect.
Try to work from top to bottom — starting with Hook and ending with The New Normal.
If you get stuck, skip a box and come back later.
This page saves as you type, but if you’re switching computers or coming back another day, remember to copy what you’ve typed using the buttons at the bottom before you leave.
If you are returning and didn’t finish your plot outline the last time, hopefully, you saved what you wrote. Copy what you saved and paste it into the appropriate section so you can see your entire plot when you’re done outlining.
Watch the video below to learn how to use the Plot Builder tool.
The Hook (Once upon a Time…)
What is your story about at the very beginning?
Introduce your main character and their life before the story starts.
You might include:
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who the character is
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where they live
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what they care about
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what a normal day looks like
You don’t need details yet — just enough so we understand who the story is about.
The Normal World (Every day…)
What does “every day” look like for your character?
Describe what life is usually like before anything changes.
Think about:
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routines
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habits
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rules of the world
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what feels safe or familiar
This helps the reader notice when things start to go wrong.
The Problem (One day…)
What changes and starts the story?
Something happens that breaks the normal world.
This could be:
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a problem
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a surprise
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a challenge
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a mistake
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a new discovery
This moment gives your character something they have to deal with.
First Attempt (Because of that…)
What does your character do first to fix the problem?
Your character reacts and tries something.
It doesn’t have to work.
Think about:
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a choice they make
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a plan they try
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a decision that pushes the story forward
Stories get interesting when characters act instead of waiting.
Things get worse (Because of that… again)
How does the problem grow or change?
Because of the first try, something new goes wrong.
The situation becomes:
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harder
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scarier
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more complicated
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more dangerous
This is where the stakes rise and the story builds tension.
The Hardest Moment (Dark Night of the Soul)
When does it feel like your character might fail?
This is the moment when:
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the plan falls apart
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the character feels stuck or defeated
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it looks like they might lose
Many stories have a low point right before the ending.
Writers sometimes call this the Dark Night of the Soul.
The Solution (Until finally…)
How does your character finally deal with the problem?
Your character makes a final choice or takes action.
This is where:
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something changes
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they use what they’ve learned
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the main problem is solved (or almost solved)
The solution should grow out of what happened earlier in the story.
The New Normal (So…)
How is life different at the end?
Show what life looks like after everything is over.
Think about:
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how the character has changed
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what they understand now
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what the world is like compared to the beginning
This helps the story feel complete.
Plot Summary (optional but helpful)
Put the whole story together.
Using your notes above, describe what happens from beginning to end.
You can:
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write short sentences
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connect the big moments
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leave out small details
This will help when you turn your outline into a full story draft.
Click on the “Show My Plot” button, and you’ll see everything you typed. Click on “Copy Plot Text” and then paste your plot notes into a new Google document so you don’t lose it.
