Discovering my plot structure

It seems that getting stuck while writing my first novel is a repeat experience. The difficulty is in knowing where my story is going, what needs to go into it, and what I'm missing. To be candid, I most often find myself wondering, "so what next?"

I took some time to learn a bit more about plot and the skeleton that we build stories around. The advice is completely conflicting, depending on whose opinion you are getting. Some folks say to always do something, then you find another author adamantly saying the opposite. (Something I already mentioned in Architects vs Gardeners.) I have to find what works for me, which that just comes down to work and trying things out.

I ran through the plot section of The Foundations of Fiction tonight. The worksheet they provided allowed me to divide the book up into three acts; the set-up, the journey and conflict, and the resolution. The process allowed me to get a bit clearer on what needs to go into each part of the book. This was far from the only thing I read and watched, but it was the most helpful for the night.

I need to go back to my outline and dig deeper. I think it is too open ended for my current skill level. Tomorrow I'll pick up on that and try to use the plot grid template that I found on a Claire Fraise video. It seems a little rigid, but I like how it pulls out the sub-plots going on in the story. I haven't thought much about that, which may be why things still feel thin to me.

Every writing session is a new lesson. Today was no different.