To develop your plot using Dickens' method, begin by writing a paragraph summarizing the plot of your story and composing brief descriptions of all your major and minor characters.
Determine the length of your story. If you are writing a novel, decide the exact number of chapters and precisely what will happen in each chapter.
Divide a document into two columns and place headings for each chapter in the document.
Place general ideas and fragmentary details in the left column. Examples of items you should put in the left column include loose facts about your characters' biographies and stray descriptions of settings. For example:
Protagonist -- blonde hair
Library -- fireplace in disrepair
Put specific events that happen in your story in the right column. These belong in chronological order. For example:
1. She wakes up in hospital
2. Speaks with Dr. Roth
3. The agent arrives
To develop your plot using Stephen King's method, begin writing with the barest idea for your story. Compose at least 2,000 finished words each day. "Finished" does not mean "perfect." It simply means serviceable. You will have plenty of time for revision later.
Start with a situation. Ask yourself what is happening right now in the world you are trying to create. This situation should involve certain characters, about whom you do not need to know everything just yet. Consider writing about characters that you "know." If you have a musical background, write about musicians. If you are a teacher, your main character could be a high school student.
Feel your way toward your characters. Allow them to grow with you. Your characters do not not need to resemble you, but you should at least be able to understand them and their motivations. This is true even for villains.
Determine the outcome of your story, and work toward this. Take no longer than three months to reach it and complete your first draft, even if you are writing a very long novel.