Have you ever used a plot board to plan out your novel?

I used to think all there was to novel writing was sitting down and writing your way from Point A to Point B, no matter how many relationships (both real and fictional) you had to ruin to do so.

I’m hear to tell you, after attempting that approach for ten years, it doesn’t work (at least for me). So, I thought this year I’d take a swing at creating a plot board using Canva. And while the Canva whiteboard I’ve made is a bit sparce, this approach has made an insane difference.

Visualize Your Story’s Plot

Business owners have their Business Model Canvas, detectives have their case boards, us writers have plot boards.

I’m a fan of the written word, but when it comes to writing a story that’s unimaginably long (I’m not being dramatic. You are!), it helps to have a way to zoom out and see the different elements of your plot that are at work—to visualize how one element impacts another, what gaps there might be in your story, and in what direction your story is headed.

Spotting the Gaps in Your Story’s Plot

When starting my plot board, I took inventory of the scenes I had a clear image of and lined them up across the whiteboard. The first thing I noticed was how many gaps there were between them. Seriously, it looked like a pothole-ridden road (plot-hole-ridden road?).

Seeing the story laid out like this, I realized some scenes were more developed than others, others were missing a connection to the larger plot, and some required more character development to move the story forward.

This Swiss-Cheese-of-a-plot-board had me asking myself many important questions.

• What scenes might be hidden in the gaps of this plot?
• What actions do these characters need to take to move the plot forward?
• Is it realistic for them to take those actions based on who they are? If so, what does that look like?
• If not, what other actions are they willing to take that would move the story forward in a meaningful way?
• Do you have an enough of an understanding of your characters to see what actions they would likely take? If not, what can you do to gain a better understanding of them?

Having more questions than answers can be scary, but that’s part of the writing process. It’s better to know what you’re looking for than to never realize there is something missing in the first place.

Plotting Without the Pressure

In addition to spotting gaps, creating a plot board has provided me with the freedom to brainstorm scenes and characters without that grey storm cloud called perfectionism looming over me.

Whenever I’m writing, I feel the constant pressure to write the perfect sentence or edit the paragraph I just wrote. As a result, my word count and productivity takes a dive.

First drafts of a story are supposed to messy—riddled with plot holes, grammatical errors, and coffee stains. In my head, I know this to be true. But sometimes, I can’t help but caress that sweet backspace button.

When developing a plot board, though, you can’t help but be messy. Plot boards force you to ask yourself questions, conceptualize scenes, and shift elements around. They give you permission to be exploratory. And as a result, you gain a clearer idea of where the story is headed.

Use the World as Your Plot Board

Is a plot board something you absolutely need to write a successful novel? I don’t know. I’ve never finished writing a novel.

What I do know is that creating a plot board has helped me identify gaps in my story, fix continuity issues, and work on character development. It’s provided me with a sort of road map I can use to explore and guide me through the difficult terrain of my story.

I prefer using Canva to do my plotting (mwahaha), but there are dozens of other tools out there. Some writers use whiteboards/chalkboards, others use paper, and some just attack the the drywall in their bedroom. Like with most things in life, you have to find what works best for you and run with it. For me, that just so happens to be Canva. I love my digital tools, and also, I don’t have that big of a bedroom wall.

If you haven’t created a plot board for your novel, try it out and let me know what you think. If you do create plot boards, let me know some of your methods! Share them in the comment area below!