When I plot (of course already having created fully fleshed-out characters - after all, the plot has to grow naturally out of their needs and wants), I use this very easy and handy method:
First, I write my troughline. A troughline is a summary of your entire story in a few sentences. Once I have that done, I take out a pile of index cards and two different colored pens. Then, I begin writing down (the shorter the better. This varies with your personal style of writing, of course) every scene that comes to mind. These scenes involve ALL my characters, even those when the POV (point of view) character is not present. These "offstage" scenes are written in a different color than the "onstage" scenes. Once I feel that I have put down every possible scene, I order them to my taste.
Then, during the actual writing process, I take one card and keep it in on my desk. The others I put away. I concentrate on writing that ONE scene. This way, it is easier to think of those important details in writing. The beginning, middle, and end of every scene suddenly becomes clearer, and flows beautifully. Once I finish with that scene, I put that card away and pull out the next one.
