I believe there is at least one book in every person; however, sometimes, finding that book can feel like pulling teeth. What's worse, when you don't know how to structure your book, it's like pulling teeth blindfolded with a spoon.
But writing doesn't have to be—and honestly shouldn't be—painful. Something I've learned along the way that's been an ultimate lifesaver for structuring plots: flashcards.
I'm not the owner of this idea. I'm not entirely sure who is—maybe the guy who invented flashcards? Regardless, I initially stumbled upon this method while working on television screenplay writing. In television, unlike novels, there are typically five to six acts. These acts are traditionally structured around commercial breaks. While streaming has thrown a wrench in commercial-based structures, many shows still follow this method. By pacing a story to the seven to twelve minutes between advertisements, writers know when and where the most impactful moments need to strike to keep viewers hooked until the commercials end.
While delving into the scary but exciting stage of revising and rewriting my novel, I decided to apply this flashcard knowledge to manuscripts instead. I love the flashcard method—it shows you your plot lines, your pacing, and where all the big moments are. If it works for my screenplays, it'll work for my book, right?
The answer is absolutely yes, and then some.
So, let's get into the way I structure these flashcards. I put the chapter heads in one color (I chose pink). Along with the chapter, I put a quick bullet point explaining the main reason this chapter exists. Maybe it's to introduce the two main characters. Perhaps it's to establish the first big fight. Whatever helps you hone in on the point of your chapter, that's what you write.
Next, I separate my index cards into the main plot and the sub-plots. This idea is pulled straight from screenplay writing. In most television shows, three plots are going on at any given time. There is the Main Plot (A Story), the Medium Plot (B Story), and the Background Plot (C Story). Take a crime show as an example. The A Story is figuring out who the killer is. The B Story is the will-they-won't-they love arc between the two main characters. The C Story is that weird briefcase you see the killer leave with that slowly weaves through the story and becomes something important by the time the credits roll.
When writing my book, I took this same approach with storylines. I decided what the main story was. Then, I decided on the secondary but still essential plots. While you, as a writer, may have more than three "stories" going on, this was more than enough for me.
For no particular reason other than the color of flashcards in the multipacks I buy, I use orange for A Story, yellow for B Story, and green for C Story.
For each event, I put bullet points on my flashcards. I try to be cut and dry here—this isn't the time for frilly prose or shot-by-shot action. If a fight occurs, don't go blow for blow. Instead, write, "Fight occurs. Main character wounded. Villain escapes."
It's okay to have more than one of the same color flashcards in a row—I often do. As long as you keep your bullet points concise and find a good rhythm, the secret bonus benefit of the flashcard method will still work perfectly (and yes, the secret bonus benefit, like the C Story, will be revealed at the end).
Now, there's one extra type of flashcard I enjoy using in this method. I call them "lore cards," but they're simply used to write down the important background information that needs to be revealed throughout the story. For your crime novel, this might be writing down all of the clues and their meanings. For your fantasy novel, it might be writing down the rules and structures of society that the character needs to learn or convey to the reader. In my most recent manuscript, I have lore cards explaining how certain magic works, its limitations, and certain characters' origins.
What's great about the lore cards is that you put down all your exposition in one place. Every fact that could ever be needed to understand your book goes on these cards. Now, instead of info-dumping on your audience, you can piece together where this lore best fits into your story naturally. I chose the color blue for this. If I see back-to-back blue cards running rampant in a chapter, odds are I'm info-dumping. Instead, I can find existing plot points in my story, like two people having a conversation as they walk home, and use that to insert one lore card. Now, as they walk home, they can casually mention a topic that naturally reveals the lore card.
For clarity, I put the lore card directly next to the card it's referencing. For example, if during a fight between two wizards, one suddenly throws a black ball of mist, your subsequent lore card might be "Wizard #2 has been hiding dark magic from his friends."
Last but not least, I make a closing flashcard for each chapter. I use the same pink color card as the chapter headers. On the closing flashcard, I write down the final moment of the chapter. I do this because every chapter should have something at the end that makes a reader want to continue. If you end a chapter on a mundane moment where every character is safe and okay, a reader will likely put down the book to do something else. Worse yet, if it's too unmemorable, they might not pick the book back up.
A surefire way to keep every chapter punchy is to have a final card that answers the question, "Why should I keep reading?" Maybe the first fight of your novel is over, and the villain has dashed off. What's more exciting for a reader? "Now, with the villain gone, Darius and Mildred take time to heal, eat, and recover." Or, "Darius sighs a deep breath of relief, nursing his wounds as the villain flees. He looks to Mildred, ready to rejoice in their small victory, only to see her motionless on the ground."
I don't know about you, but I'd flip that page to see what's happening with my girl, Mildred.
And now, we have one of every card type on the board. Or wall. Or, in my case because I didn't want to pay my landlord for holes in my walls, the floor.
The cherry on top of this method is that if you've kept your bullet points concise and your handwriting about the same size, you'll have roughly the same amount of information per card. This leads to the secret bonus benefit: your chapters will likely have the same, or near the same, number of flashcards, which also means that your chapters will likely be similar in length. This is great news! While it's okay to have a longer or shorter chapter here and there—a blowout fight scene will likely take up far more pages than some romantic conversations by the fire—having a consistent chapter length is excellent for structure.
There will always be exceptions to the rule. Still, unless you are using long or short chapters stylistically (an example being a one-sentence chapter for extreme effect or a three-page chapter from the perspective of the villain), if your chapter lengths are all willy-nilly, it's a sign that your pacing is off. If a thousand things happen in one chapter, but only a few happen in the next three, you might need to make some adjustments.
Pacing is a crucial factor in writing. It's hard to pinpoint, but as a reader, you know the pacing is good by feel. There's no drag, but you're also not drowning in the action. It keeps you engaged, interested, and at the edge of your seat without toppling you over. Think about some of your favorite books—odds are, they make you feel this way. I don't know a single person who's told me, "I loved this book because of how bored I was for 80% of it."
Pacing isn't about run-and-gun danger, either. Pacing is just as crucial in the soft moments. I've used magic and fights to make my points thus far, but this is equally significant in romance. You're not at the edge of your seat in fear for the characters, but you are at the edge because, "Will she tell him how she feels?" "Will they ever repair the damage to their relationship?" The pacing of a story is what pushes the reader along, driving them from chapter to chapter.
While I condensed this plot into three chapters, the setup is similar. Each chapter card says what's important, your chapter follows that path, and there is one moment at the end that answers, "Why should I keep reading?"
Another great facet of seeing your entire plot laid out before you is that you get a feel for where your first, second, and third acts fall within your flashcards. You can physically pinpoint where the rising action begins and see where lulls may occur on the way to the climax.
While you might be thinking, "You make flashcards sound pretty good, but I don't think my plot will fall into place so easily," I encourage you to try it out. Go to your local store or online, buy a set of multicolor flashcards, and put down your ideas.
It was like night and day for me. All of the ideas I held in my mind and computer documents suddenly clicked into place. Sure, many of my darlings needed killing, but the flashcards showed me why I had to do it and gave me the confidence to let those things go in exchange for a stronger story. Some of my plot points went from amazing in my head to outright ridiculous on paper. Moreover, tracking where plot holes were hiding was so much easier. Instead of going back through hundreds of pages and trying to correct the plot hole in my notes and writing, all I had to do was crumple up the bad flashcard and write something new.
If you work better on the computer or simply have no wall or floor space for flashcards, you can undoubtedly build a template through a word processor or art application, though my brain works so much better when I have the tangible cards in front of me. I refer back to them while writing as a quick visual to remind myself where the story is going and what I absolutely have to cover in this chapter for the next one to make sense. Additionally, I take photographs of my flashcards, so I have them with me if I need to work on the go.
Just as I titled this article, I stand by it. Flashcards are an excellent way to structure your thoughts, feel out your ideas, and see your story from beginning to end. It's incredible how much change can occur in your writing by using them and how much easier it is to assemble your manuscript.
So go forth, grab your flashcards, and get to work!
(Here's a reference set of each card type.)
┅┅┅
Like my writing tips? Consider sending a little support my way!
