Basic plot techniques, How do you write your stories? Options

[Sparrowsmith]

Okay, so this section still has that fresh 'newly opened' smell, so lets get the ball rolling.

I'm basically thinking we get some beginner's tips out for writing. Anything you guys like to use when writing. These can be professional, or just little quirks you've picked up that work.
I'm basically gonna start off with an easy one: Loops.

I was taught these at a writing class a while back, though they might have other names elsewhere. A loop is essentially a question that you ask early in the story, then answer later. They are open plot lines that you are going to close when the time comes. Loops can be short, long, or even reversed (more on this later.) The most important loops are your opening and closing loops (these are often the same). The opening loop is your inciting incident. The event that puts all the others in motion.

Let's take a classic game plot, Final Fantasy VII. In the opening, Cloud and Avalanche jump off of a train and begin attacking guards. We don't know who these characters are, or what they're doing. Theses are our two loops. The first one gets answered in the first few minutes. The second one takes a little longer to develop, but once we know why they're there (to destroy the reactor) we're now wondering WHY they want to destroy the reactor, WHY have they brought Cloud on board, WHAT is a SOLDIER, WHY did Cloud get a headache as they approached the reactor.

The inciting incident (jumping off the train, attacking the guards) gives us enough questions to establish ALL of this. So what can we learn from this? Keep lots of loops open at once. They don't have to be open for very long (they can be as simple as 'who is that' or 'where did that character go') but they are what keep people interested.

This brings us to the next important point regarding loops. Make sure you close them! The popular TV show Lost had a dedicated fanbase because it KEPT OPENING LOOPS. We never had a clue what was going on, and it kept our interest peaked. But eventually the show got too spread out, and a lot of the loops weren't closed. The show still ended well, but it certainly didn't answer everything, and this annoyed a lot of fans.

So close your loops Especially if they're important.

I said I'd come back to reversed loops. Now, I'm not actually sure if these are even a real thing, but it's what I call them
A reversed loop, according to the dictionary of Sparrow, is a question that gets answered before the question gets asked. Sort of.
In the film Primer (VERY COMPLICATED) Abe's(?) wife mentions that she can hear bumping in the attic. Abe says this is just some birds (or rats....). It seems very unimportant. Later in the film, after the two protagonists invent time travel, it is revealed Abe has come back from a different timeline, and that the sound in the attic is actually the real Abe from this timeline.
So to recap:
*sounds in the attic*
"Where is the Abe from this timeline?"

The question came after the answer.

So without further adieu, let's hear any techniques you use when writing.

[X-M-O]

Here's a little bit of advice regarding story plots:

- Always have a purpose for each plot. In reality accidents happen and people understand that, however people don't want to read about how you were lazy as a writer and some character accidentally happened upon something that either created a new plot or drastically affected an existing plot.
- If you don't know the reason your characters do certain things (or that your story is going in a particular direction), then your reader will either be lost or simply realise that you have no idea what you are writing.
- If a plot idea comes to mind, but doesn't really fit all that well with the story you are writing, then don't force it into the story. Save your splendid idea for another story instead.
- Let your characters define themselves and let your plot define itself; don't "spoon-feed" your reader every bit of information. Use subtleties to describe certain things that you want them to know, or use other tactics to explain a plot's background/history without making yourself sound like a history teacher/professor.
- Avoid heavily relying on clichés, but don't avoid clichés completely. Whilst it isn't good to base your story plots entirely on cliché ideas, you are inevitably going to decide that a particular cliché works well in your story plot; use it when you feel it is right, but don't overuse or completely rely on cliché story plots. (Rephrasing/Repeating: clichés aren't your friend, but they aren't your enemy either. Use them where necessary, just don't rely on them entirely.)
- Read your plot idea to someone you know cares about what you're writing, and if they get bored then you might want to change something. (If you have a mum, read the idea to her. Chances are that if your mum gets bored listening to you, then it's probably not going to be interesting to someone who by nature really doesn't care who you are or what you've written. Your writing has to prove itself to them, not the other way around.)

There are lots of story plot ideas and structures out there; find those types that work best in your mind and for your story, and use them. With practice, you will become better at it and eventually have your own style as you begin to master your writing skills.