Outlines
There are many people who cannot organize the plots of their stories. Either they aren't sure what to say, or they can't be concise in their writing. I usually suggest an outline. For some strange reason, they balk at this. "I can't do outlines!" they say, and then decide to continue their story in their disorganized fashion.
It's a pity that they don't like outlines. Outlines can be infinitely useful. But, like many techniques in writing, they are taught wrong and often seem more difficult than they are. So the first step? Don't call them outlines. I call them "A List of Events." This list is just a short summary of everything that goes one with the chapter.
Here's an example of one of the first outlines (hahaha, it was sucky) for FREAK:
List of Events
Chapter 1
- Beth is about to be picked up by a man who will take her as a servant.
- She remembers the boy who was sent away.
- She is picked up by Sadie's father and realizes that this s going to be a strange family to work for.Chapter 2
- She meets Sadie.
- They argue a bit.
- Sadie reads her Tom Sawyer.
- Sadie's father comes in and crashes the party.Chapter 3
- Beth goes to a dinner table and is surprised to see how his family is acting.
- There is an argument between Sadie and her father about the value of lives.
- Beth realizes what is going on; Sadie's father might kill.
Sadie if she steps out of line. So to stop that, Beth tells Sadie to "Shut up."
- Sadie is surprised and runs away from the dinner table.
- Sadie's father knocks Beth unconscious.
It's just a couple of sentences describing what happens in list form, that's it. I find it helpful, and it helps me summarize stuff so that I know what is important. It also helps me cut down on irrelevant stuff. Try it, it might work.