Plot: What's it all about?

In my last blog post, I discussed the difference between story and plot.  I illustrated that in order to have a truly winning plot, you needed more than just a series of events.  You needed events that created conflict or were born out of conflict. You also needed the other elements of a good story: complications, climax, and resolution.  To say that plot is whatever happens in a story is simplistic and misses the true essence of plot. Plot is more, much more.

I like what Stephen King said about plot in his book Danse Macabre.  A novel without a plot is like a car without an engine.  It won’t run. 

 

In her book Plot, Ansen Dibell says a plot is moved along by events that have consequences and by the things characters do, say, feel, and think. Thoughts and emotions can drive plots too by causing actions and reactions.  These things become important only when they help the reader know what’s at stake and why it should matter. Dibell also says this about plotting:  “Plotting is a way of looking at things. It’s a way of deciding what’s important and then showing it to be important through the way you construct and connect the major events of your story.  It’s the way you show things mattering.”

For example in Lord of the Rings, the issues at stake are keeping an extremely powerful ring out of the wrong hands and saving the land from destruction by an evil sorcerer.  One major complication in the story is that everyone who comes in contact with the ring becomes obsessed with it. One of the main characters, Frodo, must continually deal with both internal and external conflicts.  On the one hand, Frodo must fight his own internal battle against the controlling aspects of the ring.  On the other, he must externally battle all those who pursue him relentlessly for it.  The plot is driven by a number of events including a number of battles of hand-to-hand combat, the capture of Frodo by some Orcs, and Frodo’s encounter with a giant spider to name a few.

  

For the plot of your novel or short story to run like a well-maintained vehicle, it must be driven by consequential events and strong characters that can convince the reader that your story does indeed matter.  

Story vs. Plot: What's the Difference?

You have probably heard the line, “That story didn’t have much of a plot.”  So, how do you have a story with no plot or one with not much of one?  To understand, you have to know the fundamental difference between story and plot.  Although they are used interchangeably by many, there is a slight difference. According to fiction writing instructor, Janet Burroway, story is simply a chronological series of events, but plot is a series of events purposely arranged “to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance.”  Let me illustrate.  The following is a story:

I got up early this morning and met some friends for breakfast.  I ordered a veggie omelet with a steaming pumpkin pie spice latte.  Afterwards, I went back home and took my dog for a walk.  Then, I did some writing.  After that, I ate lunch.  After lunch, I wrote for another couple of hours.  Then I met my friend for a game of tennis. After getting my you-know-what kicked in the game, I went back home and fixed dinner.  Upon finishing dinner, I loaded the dishwasher, took a shower, and went to bed where I read a book until I fell asleep.

Besides being downright mundane and boring, this story is nothing more than a series of events.  In order for this story to have life, it will need that thing that every good story needs: conflict.  So let’s say while I am at the restaurant with my friends, I notice a man who looks my way a number of times.  And then, when I take my dog for a walk, two men drive up, grab me, put me into their car, and drive away.  OK, so now the story is starting to come to life.  We now have the making of a story that has a plot.  

We have a conflict and a springboard for a number of possible complications that will hopefully escalate into a climax and final resolution. So, we see that plot gets much of its life from the fundamental elements considered necessary for a good story: conflict (or problem), crisis (or complications), climax, and resolution.  However, these four elements must be driven by scene, character, and dialogue which I will discuss further in upcoming blogs.

Creative Writing 101: Do You Have a Winning Story Idea?

How do you know if you have a good story idea?  Is there a way to find out? Although there is no clear-cut formula, there are some questions you can ask yourself that can guide you in your quest.

1.       Am I passionate about the story?

Here you must determine your level of enthusiasm for your story.  Do you find yourself desperately wanting to get back to it when you are away from it?  Does it consume your thoughts to the point you have trouble keeping your mind on other things?  Don’t write a story set in ancient Rome if that period doesn’t excite or interest you.  Likewise, don’t try to write a western romance if you are passionate about science fiction. Don't lose your passion in your attempt to write something just because you think it will sell. 

2.       Does my story have a definite theme?

      You should be able to state your theme in one sentence.  The theme is what the reader remembers long after the details of the story are forgotten. Ask the question, "What did my character or characters learn from this story?" Think of your theme as a summary of the transformation your characters underwent in the course of your story.

     

                  3.   Is there a strong and compelling conflict that engages the emotions?

As I wrote in a previous blog, a good story begins with conflict.  Conflict is a critical element in getting your reader to care about your story.  Your readers will care when they become emotionally involved in your story. Also remember that conflict can be external or internal.  In the Star Wars saga, Luke Skywalker must battle stormtroopers and Darth Vader externally, while internally battling anger and the idea of Darth Vader being his father.

4.       Does my story have wide reader appeal?

One way to gain reader appeal is to make your characters relatable.  Readers like characters that share some of the same challenges and insecurities they face every day.  Part of giving your story reader appeal goes back to creating that emotional connection that hooks the reader. Does your character have flaws that readers can identify with?  Does your character have trouble with relationships?  Is your character’s home not so tidy?  This is one case where a flaw is a good  thing.

5.       What makes my story different from other ones of the same genre?

You would be surprised at how many writers think they have something original only to find out that something similar has already been written.  However, even similar stories can have different twists and angles. Read other stories in the same category as yours to discover how you can make yours unique. I will be writing in the future about finding your story's "plus factor."

Creative Writing 101: The Four Elements of a Story

Anyone who has ever taken a course in story writing has no doubt heard about the big four-- conflict, complications, crisis,and climax or resolution.  Ask any instructor of creative writing and they will tell you that, to any good story, these four items are essential.

 

Why? Human beings like trouble, especially in the stories they read.  If you do not have some form of trouble in your story, you don’t have a story.  Or maybe I should say, you won’t have a story that people find interesting.  Right or wrong, we find trouble in the lives of others intriguing. 

Think of the last movie you watched.  Remember the problem? The conflict?  Of course you do. From Gone With the Wind to Pirates of the Caribbean, conflict abounds in any story of note. 

So what about complications, crisis, and resolution?  That last movie you watched had an ending, but before it could end it had to have complications, a crisis action, and a resolution.  So what is a complication, a crisis action, or a resolution?

One of the best illustrations for this is the well-known story of Cinderella.  Award-winning creative writing teacher, Janet Burroway, also used Cinderella’s story to illustrate the relationship among these elements in her book Writing Fiction. 

The conflict in Cinderella’s story is rather simple: Cinderella is living in forced servitude to her stepmother and three ugly stepsisters. Conflict, though, is not enough.  Readers expect resolution.  In getting from conflict to resolution we must travel the road of complications and crisis. The following is a list of the complications in Cinderella:

•  An invitation to the ball arrives, but Cinderella’s stepmother says that she cannot go.
• Fairy Godmother appears and helps Cinderella get to the ball, but says that Cinderella must return by midnight.
•  At the ball, the prince falls in love with Cinderella, but the clock strikes midnight and she must hurry away, losing her slipper on the way out.
•  An announcement goes out that every woman in the kingdom must try on the slipper and that the prince will marry the woman on whose foot the slipper fits, but the stepmother locks Cinderella away so that she cannot try on the slipper.  

And where do these complications lead?  They lead to what some call the crisis action.  In Cinderella, the crisis action occurs when Cinderella is finally allowed to try on the slipper, and it fits.  Once this occurs, the resolution quickly follows with Cinderella marrying the prince and living happily ever after.

This pattern can also be easily seen in any other popular fairy tale. Take the most recent story you read or the story you are writing and see if you can break it down into its four elements.

Whether your writing a short story or novel, your story too can leave the reader satisfied if it follows the road of conflict, complications, crisis, and resolution.

Welcome to Creative Writing 101

Welcome to the creative writing blog of the Write Redhead.  Yes, I do have red hair and I am a writer and editor. My purpose in writing this blog is to provide a creative writing education to those who want to learn the craft but don’t have the time or money to invest in taking classes.  So, if you just want to learn the basics or want to sharpen your creative writing skills this is the place for you.

  

I will be providing weekly blogs on just about everything having to do with creative writing, including novel writing, short story writing, scriptwriting, poetry, writing for children, and even creative nonfiction.  I will even be throwing in a few book reviews along with an interview or two.  And for those of you who are grammatically challenged, I will throw in a few articles on the more troublesome areas of grammar that often trip people up.

Writing is a skill that can be learned and perfected by anyone willing to work hard and practice long.  Very few writers experience success as soon as they start writing.  Just ask Stephen King, Tom Clancy, or J.K. Rowling.  They spent long hours writing before they ever saw their work published.

My advice: write something every day.

Welcome to the creative writing journey.