The last thing I do when I write a story is lay out the plot. This isn’t the way things are supposed to go, but it is how it tends to shake out lately. I start with a scene. It might not even pertain to the story. However, the scene shows me the characters involved and the place where it all happens. I start to build out that world in my head and that build out tends to help me flesh out the characters who I intend to bring to life in the setting. Before long I have the where, when, and who without ever really considering the what or how. It works better that way, because all of a sudden the plot is what happens to the characters on their way to finishing their character arc. It isn’t so much that the plot is incidental, but instead reflects a fully involved world and characters who will make decisions and shape plot based on who they are.