Here’s the secret most pantsers won’t admit:
They’re not rewriting because they’re messy. They’re rewriting because their story keeps changing shape—over and over and over.
But here’s the thing: that might not be a bug. It might be the plot model you accidentally started using without realizing it.
The "One Problem, Many Attempts" Model
This plot structure is a workhorse. Your protagonist has one big problem. They try to solve it. They fail. So they try again. And fail again.
Each time, they learn something new. About the world. About themselves. About the cost of getting what they want.
It’s not a linear journey. It’s a spiral. And it's brilliant.
Why This Model Works (Especially If You're Spinning Your Wheels)
This structure mirrors how people actually grow. It gives your story natural momentum. Every failed attempt forces your protagonist to adapt—which means built-in character development.
Plus, it helps your audience connect the dots. They get to witness small shifts in behavior that snowball into big change.
If you’ve ever felt like your story is just cycling through the same scenes in different flavors…you might be writing this model already.
That’s not a red flag. That’s a story with teeth.
Try-Fail Cycles Aren’t a Trope. They’re a Superpower.
One of the most popular author slang terms on Reddit is the "try-fail cycle."
It’s not just a beat. It’s the beating heart of this structure.
Each failed attempt teaches your character something real. Each moment they almost succeed and don’t is a chance to raise the stakes, show vulnerability, or twist expectations.
Your character becomes more competent over time—not by miracle, but by grit. That's why readers care. Not because your MC is overpowered, but because they earned every inch.
If your story feels repetitive, it might just be right on track.
This structure doesn’t get boring. It gets deeper. Each loop digs further into character, motivation, and theme.
It gives you the kind of story where the audience leans in because they know what’s coming—but not how it will change this time.
[.ai-prompt]Use this AI prompt to help you out:
"Help me structure a plot using the 'One Problem, Many Attempts' model. The core problem is [insert your protagonist's main challenge]. List at least 5 escalating attempts they make to solve it, how each attempt fails, and how each failure affects their growth."[.ai-prompt]
Character Motivations: How to Give Your Protagonist a Reason to Struggle
Understand what drives your protagonist to keep trying—and how to build stakes that make each failed attempt matter more.
Read this article on developing character motivations.
You've got a good story in there. It just might need to fail a few more times before it figures itself out.
Keep going.
You’re closer than you think.
