Damn, I just noticed I spelled "Now" "Npw"

After your character defeats Alduin, what do you do to move the main plot along? I have not yet returned to see what's happening with Ulfric, or General Tullius, but do I assume that now that the dragon problem has been "dealt with", things are now back to business as usual with the Civil War. I'm a bit low on quests (well interesting ones), and I understand that whatever side I join (Stormcloak or Imperial) will trigger quests for that faction. I don't really WANT to take sides, and since the Dragonborn was the one to negotiate a truce to begin with, and convinced the Greybeards to help with that, then why would I choose any side? I'd rather stay out of it. Do I HAVE to choose a side to trigger the plot to move forward? Or is my ultimate goal to resolve the whole war issue by diplomatic means, or whatever?

All I need is a small hint to get things moving along. But I don't seem to have any quests that would help the main plotline. I guess I can talk to Tullius and Ulfric to see what that now does. Just mention if that's the right track. I don't need any major spoilers. Thanks.

Honestly the Dark Brotherhood story line ends with more excitement to me then the main story line.

Once its over, no one seemed to notice... Dragons still appear etc.

Don't get me wrong. There is still PLENTY to do in Skyrim after completing the main story line. Maybe I talked to the wrong people but no one seemed to notice my grand accomplishments.

Oh, I agree. I have a ton of stuff still to do in this game, I know. It surprised me that dragons still appeared, too. I thought there would be dragons about, sure.....but that most of them would now be friendly, at least. As for the Dark Brotherhood - it really goes against the Dragonborn's character, in my opinion. I'd rather that part of the questline would be to go in and kill every MFing one of them. Same with the Thieves Guild. But, they're all essential NPCs, and can't be killed.

Nothing.

There is the Destroy The Dark Brotherhood quest line instead which (I may be wrong cause my characters are all a little on the dark side and never choose this route) if you kill Astrid, you get that plot line.

As for the thieves guild, I don't find it nessesary to complete with every character but all my characters steal. Usually from the enemy so no bounty occures, but I need the guild to sell off my stolen stuff.

Guess it comes down to if you RP and how you view your characters. One of these days I may make a flower picking wilderness mage or something haha... a goodie two shoes (if she wears shoes) and go against those two guilds.

What if you have already entered the Dark Brotherhood Sanctuary and talked to Astrid and the other questgivers, but have not done any of the quests you are given?

If you did not kill Astrid when she kidnapped you and took you to the Abandoned Shack, it's too late for the "Destroy" plotline. You can either reload a save from before you chose to follow her directions in the shack and become a member, finish out the DB story as a member of their faction, or just never go back there and ignore the questline completely.

The CW will not progress until you pick a side. If you've done the truce, then in theory the ceasefire should end once you finish the MQ, but even so it just goes back to the same stalemate situation that you had at the beginning of the game. To make anything happen there you have to join up with one faction or the other; you won't be able to watch the conflict play out from the sidelines.

Essentially, the "main plotline" is over once you defeat Alduin in Sovngarde. You can continue to visit the Blades and use them for help with dragon hunting, or visit Paarthurnax and the Greybeards for meditations on and locations of words of power, but which one you'll have access to will depend on whose side you took in the little "disagreement" between those two factions. But there is no advancing the main story after that, because it's done. Dragons will still be around, guarding word walls you haven't discovered yet and spawning randomly... not all will be hostile, meaning some you will just see flying around but they won't attack anything and if you don't attack them they'll just go about their business and leave you to yours.

You can join still join the Companions, the College of Winterhold, the Bard's College (very short but the rewards aren't bad for the work involved, IMO), the Thieves Guild... you can become Thane of all nine holds if you haven't already, and do a whole lot of exploring.

Hmmm. Thanks, Lyn. Oh, I have no issues with stuff to do. I have lots of choice, I'm sure. I just can't see the Dovahkiin choosing sides in a civil war. It doesn't ring true, somehow. My character is Imperial by birth, so it might be something that she would feel loyalty towards Imperials. I don't know....it's going to be hard to pick a side in a conflict that I have no real interest in. Pity, really.

As for the Dark Brotherhood....I wish I had known that - or guessed it - before. Since I will be playing again, I know what I will do for that playthrough.

I would recommend doing the MQ last. Do everything else you want to do and then finish the character with the MQ. If I remember, and if actually do the MQ, the very last thing I do is sell the Elder Scroll to the Orc at the College of Winterhold. I do this because after selling it to him and finishing the dialogue, he says "Congratulations, you've fought well." It's a perfect way to end a character.

Alduin is dead.
Main quest is over.
Plot concluded.

...Civil war is not the main plot. That's what the main quest is. Granted, the civil war is a HUGE part of the overall plot of Skyrim, but its not the main plot.
Once Alduin is dead the main plot is essentially over. Go do side/faction quests.

The forsworn quest is super fun. I avoided it for the longest time, because I was like "FU! Quit trying to give me this stupid note!" But do that quest in Markarth If you haven't already. The thieves guild has an interesting plot twist in the end too.

That's the end of the game, there is no advancing it beyond that. The threat is gone, world is saved, etc.

The next part is to play how you want do what you want and explore. Maybe bump the difficulty all the way up too.
Edit: you must choose a side. Are you for or against the empire. Are you for or against the grey beards. Etc.

Out of curiosity... how many hours on that save?

Nothing.
Defeating Alduin is the last part of the main quest.

What is left?:

Thalmor

...well, maybe in a DLC.

If im not wrong there's no "im indifferent" side in the civil war. which is kinda wasted, i think it would have been interesting. For example, to unite skyrim against the thalmor