My preferred jQuery plugin boilerplate. Copy this in, replace 'pluginName'/PluginClass with your preferred name, and go

jquery.pluginName.js

(function($) {
    "use strict";

    var pluginName = 'pluginName';

    var PluginClass = function(el, options) {
        this.$el = $(el);

        // Set options for this instance, inheriting from the default options
        this.opts = $.extend({}, plugin.defaults, options);

        // Set up everything else
        this.bindEvents();
    };

    // Define class methods as normal, using PluginClass.prototype.name

    /* Set up event listeners */
    PluginClass.prototype.bindEvents = function() {
        // For example, bind to the click event
        this.$el.click(function() {})
    };

    /* Do something to this instance */
    PluginClass.prototype.doSomething = function(name, options) {
        this.$el.text(name);
        this.$el.attr(options);
    };

    // The following functions, on the PluginClass object itself, will be callable
    // using the pattern:
    //
    //     $el.pluginName('doSomething', arg1, arg2, ...);

    /* Do something to all of the elements in $els */
    PluginClass.doSomething = function($els, name, options) {
        $els.each(function() {
            PluginClass.getOrCreate(this).doSomething(name, options);
        });
        return $els;
    }

    /* Create - or return the existing - instance of PluginClass for this element */
    PluginClass.getOrCreate = function(el, options) {
        var rev = $(el).data(pluginName);
        if (!rev) {
            rev = new PluginClass(el, options);
            $(el).data(pluginName, rev);
        }

        return rev;
    };

    /*
     * Expose the plugin to jQuery. It can be started using $el.pluginName([options]).
     *
     * Methods exposed above on the PluginClass object will be accessible using
     *
     *     $el.pluginName('methodName', arg1, arg2);
     */
    var plugin = $.fn[pluginName] = function() {
        var options, fn, args;
        // Create a new PluginClass for each element in the selector
        if (arguments.length === 0 || (arguments.length === 1 && $.type(arguments[0]) != 'string')) {
            options = arguments[0];
            return this.each(function() {
                return PluginClass.getOrCreate(this, options);
            });
        }

        // Call a function on each PluginClass in the selector
        fn = arguments[0];
        args = $.makeArray(arguments).slice(1);

        if (fn in PluginClass) {
            // Call the PluginClass class method if it exists
            args.unshift(this);
        return PluginClass[fn].apply(PluginClass, args);
        } else {
            throw new Error("Unknown function call " + fn + " for $.fn." + pluginName);
        }
    };

    // Expose the PluginClass and defaults, accessibly via $.fn.pluginName.PluginClass
    plugin.PluginClass = PluginClass;
    plugin.defaults = {
        // default options
    };

})(jQuery);