Tip 3: Plot Diagram

Remember these from middle school?

If not, you better start familiarizing yourself with it. This is the infamous plot diagram. This helps authors with planning their story out. Before even thinking about writing chapter 1, I suggest filling out one of these charts.
There is more than one diagram, but the one shown above is probably the most popular and helpful. It plans out your story with plot points, conflict, and all that good stuff. But any would do. Whichever style you prefer, filling out a Plot Diagram is best to do before you start your story.
Why? Because if you do, all you have to do is add detail to your story. It is a full outline of what you are going to write. If you don't, it's a lot harder to figure out how your story is going to go. This just makes life as an author so much easier. Props to Gustav Freytag(creator of the plot diagram)! Seriously, this is such a good way to plan out your story.
There are many websites and images online for you to choose from, or you could even copy one down on paper. So you have no excuse to not do this one!