When I write my stories, I tend to plot them out in three acts. Just like a screenplay or a stage theatrical. One of my go-to books is Screenplay, the Foundations of Screenwriting by Syd Field.
It sang to me and really morphed with my writing style. It also helped me with my plotting. Sometimes I tend to go off on tangents. I tried writing without a ‘storyboard’, my own version of the standard type you typically see from screenwriters. It was terrible and I wasted a lot of time on stuff that needed to be deleted.
I know many writers who are “pantsers”, who can write without knowing where they are going, but that’s not me. And that’s okay. Everyone has their own way. That’s the fun of writing: it continues to evolve. What works in one story won’t work in another. Just as the story can surprise you, so can your methods.
Enjoy the journey!
Have a great week, Sonja