The Creative Process Behind Building My Project's Plot

NOTES: I decided to create two separate postings to present the creative process and the actual plot. 

For the past week, I've been struggling to come up with a plot for my opening; I tried many techniques to stimulate my creative process, I didn't feel any of my ideas were original enough to put into production, through this process I was able to make three rough drafts for a story!

The Creative Process

To help me come up with ideas for an original fiction story I first decided to write themes I would like to address in future productions, I incorporated what I learned from my research into storytelling and story building to create a physical chart on the wall of my room. Any free time I could get my hands on was used trying to figure out what story I wanted to tell, I created timelines, plot lines, brainstorming diagram, and mindmaps to try to organize my thoughts. The methods I used are listed and explained below:

1)Brainstorming: 
I personally brainstorm in a VERY messy way because as thoughts flow out of me they are messy and unorganized; however, after I compile papers full of random words and phrases I try to reassemble them back into context by using a brainstorming diagram. The benefit of brainstorming is that there is no right way to do it! It's a very individual activity which is VERY flexible and can accommodate anyone, whether you wake up halfway throught the night to write something down or you sit for a timed brainstorming session, it helps either way! For the project, I decided to put on a different type of music on, at different times,  on different days (allowing me to change moods/perspectives) and just writing the first thing that came to my mind. By the end of my 3rd day, I could identify constant themes that kept appearing on my notes.

2)Mindmaps:
Mindmaps are basically the same thing as brainstorming diagrams, personally, the only difference is that mindmaps directly try to link preconceived ideas to each other. After completing my plot & creating my characters, I created a mindmap (which can be found in the next posting) to better understand the relationship between my story's characters in a literal and symbolic way; therefore allowing me to better develop the film's opening.

3)Plotlines & Timelines:
Plot lines outline the basic plot of the story including the intro, rising action, climax, falling action, and the resolution. I created a basic plotline to help me see the "big picture" in the development of my story. Timelines are similar with the difference that it is much more specific in the events that occur in the story, it is important for me as a storyteller to be able to identify turning points in the plot and be able to enhance the story by acknowledging their future existence at the beginning (foreshadowing). The timeline can be found in the next post.

4)Physical Door Chart:

I'm a visual learning so I knew that if I wanted to truly be able to organize my ideas fast and fluently I would need a visual representation of them;ergo, I wrote the main themes I identified from my brainstorming session on post-it notes and I pasted them all on my door, keeping open space for what I planned to include. Every time I walked out of my room I would be reminded that I had to choose the themes soon, this afternoon I finally sat down and chose the story's themes, this helped me narrow my ideas when planning the story's narrative.