Looking at the concept of "beats" from scriptwriting could be useful.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/save-the-cat-beat-sheet/ *
(note that when they say "pages" here, they mean script pages, not book pages, if using this as a guide for writing a novel. Expand the rough page count for how much of your book this would cover).
A "beat" in that jargon is a plot-point, but in the abstract sense. It's the "why" in the sense of storytelling. So you can string a story together by having a rough guide to the
reason for each major plot point or location, based on years of other writer's experience rather than trying to wing-it and hope the story turns out satisfying.
* Note: this widely-used system is called Save The Cat because that's a movie in-joke. A "save the cat" scene is one used to create sympathy for the protagonist: archetypically, saving a cat from a tree. It has no purpose for the
plot but it's there to tell you something about why you should give a shit about this character.
Note, that a
lot of scenes may serve no "plot purpose" but they're there to tell you something about the character, but they shouldn't be over-used. For example, with something like Raiders of the Lost Ark, a scene where you show Indy is scared of snakes makes him relatable, and you should revisit that plot point
exactly once later in the story. So, the set up is to show that he's scared of snakes in general, and the pay-off for the audience is the scene later when he has to get through a room absolutely swarming with snakes. Both scenes are needed, at least in the first movie.
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Topic: Things that made you laugh today: some people notice when 1 change the title (Read 1544059 times)