No Plot? No Story?

I'm at that crossroads of revising a novel and trying to think of an idea for a full-length screenplay, as well as plotting my next book and getting ready to go through a major revision of Serpent Fire. The latter has been my bete noire for years, and I'm determined to produce a polished manuscript this year.

Usually in situations where I'm writing a new book, I often have a character in search of a story. I've used tarot cards to help me plot an idea, often using the Hero's Journey. Other times, it might be a snippet of a song or a piece of art that inspires me. As more and more of the plot unfolds, I try to weave it into a comprehensive whole using Dramatica Pro, a story engineering program.

The hardest thing is writing the first draft and realizing the plot isn't quite going as planned, no matter how carefully thought out. Unfortunately, like many writers, I have stories like that. It's not easy to look at a story that isn't working and part ways. If possible, I try to salvage what I can to use in another story. Of course, that requires organization and (for me) extensive notes.  Currently, I've been using Scrivener so organization is a bit easier than the binder I used for a previous novel.

Then there are those stories that aren't quite ready to be given up on, but still aren't quite up to par. Ones that I'll keep, but probably will end up taking space on my hard drive. Of course, since it's 1 TB, no worries.  :-)

It can be frustrating putting one's energy into a book that isn't working and having to back away from it. It's easy to feel one has no talent and that one's plots are weak. I think it's important to remember that even if a plot isn't working, perhaps a better one is waiting around the proverbial corner. I've had times when writing when I realized I could improve the plot. So even though I'm a plotter, it doesn't mean I've written my outline in stone. Adaptability is a good thing.