#I'll just use it as a framework for fanfics and make it messy in ways i specifically like

[juliannos]

The biggest gift of waiting 10 years for veilguard is that I have stopped caring about the lore

[wardenalistair]

you have probs gotten this question a million times already, but i'll ask it anyway. how do you come up with the plots for your fanfics? i want to try and write something, but i have no source of inspiration and i don't want to copy a plot that has already been done. can you give some advice?

i actually haven’t gotten this question yet so you’re good, anon!

this is gonna be a long one so buckle in

Well, OTI’s plot came from me and Bronwyn ranting about a figure skating au. The Big Angst (not yet arrived in the fic) was what started the plot so after we had that I tried to formulate chapters that lead to and from that moment. The hardest part is making the progression feel natural and keep it from being too shallow. 

Most other plots I’ve come up with are ideas that I get from different things. Sometimes I have dreams that I want to follow up on (see: that one shallura oneshot I’m slowly working on) but other times I get inspired by art I see online! Oneshots are easier to write bc the plot doesn’t need to be complex or well developed, it’s just a quick read that stops after like 5k or so. But this is about plot so let’s talk about longer-form writing :)

I’ll use the zombie apocalypse au I want to write as a framework for explaining my basic process:

Usually I start with an idea, in this case it’s a zombie apocalypse. From there, I evaluate the usual stereotypes and cliches surrounding that concept, trying to rebuild the story into something somewhat new or unique. Once I have a basic world created - in this au it’s the outbreak, the zombies, how the characters got there, and their backgrounds - I then look for the REASON for this story to move. 

Are they trying to relocate to a safer environment? Did someone get hurt and need medical attention? Did someone get bit and everyone is now driven to find a cure? Did someone get kidnapped and they have to organize a rescue mission? You need something to drive your story forward and it needs to be at least somewhat compelling otherwise folks won’t be interested in following it and (more importantly) you won’t be inspired to write!

After I’ve got the main plot, I start focusing on key moments in the story. Maybe I want someone to get separated from the group while they head to a rumoured sanctuary. Or I want two characters to have a conversation about missing their families and the way life was before everything went to shit. Maybe I even want a character to die ;)))))) If I want x, y and z to happen at some point in the fic, I need to design scenes or chapters surrounding them. Having those key moments or scenes gives you a framework to work around. It’s like connect the dots; all you have to do is draw the lines between the pre-determined dots to make the final picture clearer. Without the dots, you can get lost half way through and suddenly the daisy you were so convinced you could draw is messy and wobbly. The dots tell you where to go next and keep you from getting too lost along the way. So, I highly recommend coming up with a few Big Moments for your story ahead of time. It also helps to get the creative juices flowing and aid in inspiring you to write the surrounding story. I’m not kidding - I desperately want to write a few scenes in OTI but in order to write them I need to write the lead-up. They’re really keeping me motivated, to be honest hahaha

Once that’s done, your story is essentially ready to be written! Have patience and don’t push yourself, this is supposed to be for fun after all! 

Last point: sometimes developing plots and frameworks comes from a basic understanding of storytelling. Thankfully I was an avid reader until my late teens so I have a bit of that already secured under my belt. The rest of it comes from constant trial and error during my own story writing attempts. It all comes down to practice, in all honesty. Study your favourite stories and then give it a go! The best way to learn is by doing so you might as well go for it :) 

Good luck and happy writing!!!