A PLAN

Jeremiah 29:11 is a well-known verse in which we are told that God has plans for us, not to harm but to prosper us. He is in the business of giving us a hope and a future.

How about your story? Do you have a plan for it? Even a seat of the pants writer needs some direction for her plot and information about her characters.

A simple character chart can provide helpful information as you write out your story. Your chart can have column titles such as these: Character name, Physical traits, Personality traits, Character at beginning, Change in character, Ending character. With these simple titles you can fill in details about your characters as well as include a simple idea of how that character will change from the beginning until the end.

For plot, you might write down something as simple as the description of how it begins and how it will end. Or, you can be more in depth and write out a timeline of events.

It is a good idea to at least employ some kind of planning so your story doesn’t just meander from one happening to another with no apparent connections or meaning.

How about your writing plans? Have you considered the steps to accomplishing what you feel God wants you to accomplish?

With no plan or goals, we might find ourselves meandering just like an unplanned plot. Consider taking about an hour or so and praying about the goals God would want you to shoot for. Don’t go so broad or so huge that you have no way to achieve it. Try setting and writing down some goals.

If you are not yet published, you might set the goal to finish your current work in progress and then have an editor look it over. You could also set a goal date to submit your manuscript to a publisher. You might even just need to discipline your writing time by setting goals for number of words written in a day or number minutes spent writing. Think of the goals that will encourage you to move ahead toward the future of your writing.