Writing During an Apocalypse

I use the Trail Marker Method when I have a story idea that isn’t quite so plot-heavy. This is a method where I space out the major points of the story, allowing for more space to explore and improvise. This method works well for me when I’m writing something that is more of a character study, where the story is more about the people and their internal feelings rather than the events of the story. One of my strengths is character work, so I don’t feel it is necessary for me to outline everything thought and development of the character. However, there is still a discernable plot present, and this outline helps me keep that in sight. Also, character studies are generally slower paced, and this outline can help me keep a sense of the flow and pace of the story. Here’s an example:

• Five students, John, Andrew, Clair, Brian, and Allison, are given an all-day Saturday detention.
• John spends most of his time harassing Claire, Brian, and Andrew.
• The students pass the time by talking, arguing, listening to music, and smoking. They start sharing stories.
• Claire talks about peer pressure and popularity.
• John talks about physical abuse from his father.
• Andrew talks about how his father pushes too hard for him to succeed as wrestler.
• Brian talks about the pressure put on him by his parents to get good grades.
• Allison says she is a compulsive liar and has neglectful parents, and that she steals things to use in case she decides to run away.

With this method, I create a bare outline for the plot of the story, but I don’t add any details for the conversations described. Those details will come organically as I write. I give myself a vague direction as to what the point of the conversations are, but I’ll figure the specifics out in the moment. The plot of the story is very simple: 5 kids are stuck in detention together. We know they will get out at the end of the day and nothing crazy is expected to happen. The point of the story is how the kids learn about each other and realize they aren’t as different as they thought. And that is achieved through conversation, not plot.

The final method I’ll cover is the Wandering Method.