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PLOT RSS FEED
Developing Literary Plots by Stu Leventhal
The Plot is the story line. It is everything that happens, broken down into individual events, scenes and marked turning points.
Basic Plot Structure
The plot generally starts with a hook or thrilling scene that grabs the reader’s attention right away and usually results in creating a problem for the main character/s. The problem presents choices or a call to action. The choice chosen or course of action the character/s decide to embark on, to eradicate their problem results in consequences which present additional drama, tension and ultimately present more choices to make.
Conflict is when a character or characters find themselves in trouble, fighting against a force. The force can be external, such as being caught in a blizzard or running and hiding from a corrupt police official who is trying to frame them or the force can be internal such as when a character struggles against his/her inner conscience to make a moral or unmoral decision. It is through the conflict, the choices of the characters and the results of their choices that themes begin to emerge.
Basic Plot Structure
The plot generally starts with a hook or thrilling scene that grabs the reader’s attention right away and usually results in creating a problem for the main character/s. The problem presents choices or a call to action. The choice chosen or course of action the character/s decide to embark on, to eradicate their problem results in consequences which present additional drama, tension and ultimately present more choices to make.
Conflict is when a character or characters find themselves in trouble, fighting against a force. The force can be external, such as being caught in a blizzard or running and hiding from a corrupt police official who is trying to frame them or the force can be internal such as when a character struggles against his/her inner conscience to make a moral or unmoral decision. It is through the conflict, the choices of the characters and the results of their choices that themes begin to emerge.
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The exposition is the background information necessary to put a story in context.
Complications are obstacles that prevent the main character/s from achieving their goal of defeating the conflict they are facing off against.
Transition is the time characters spend between the action scenes, which joins the money scenes together in a natural progression.
A Flashback is when a character remembers back to a time period before the story took place. Flashbacks usually help with exposition and transition. They are also used to develop and strengthen themes.
The Climax is the peak of the story’s action when the main character/s have their final confrontation with their conflicting force.
The Resolution is when the original problem and conflict of the story is resolved, usually by being defeated, but not always.
The epilog is the final words of the story, when the author very briefly hints at what is going to happen to the main character/s next: They get married and live happily ever after. They win an award for their bravery. They go to jail.
Creating tension and suspense is the key to keeping your story interesting and having your readers on the edge of their seats wondering what is going to happen next. Many movie script writers make a good living by repeating this basic plot formula over and over. When one obstacle is overcome a new tougher obstacle inevitably gets in the way of your favorite character/s progression or maybe they give the protagonist two or three obstacles to defeat this time. The obstacles keep intensifying in strength and number. The climax of course is the final confrontation, loser takes all, showdown.
It is important to have some mystery in every story. Never reveal everything. Mystery keeps your readers wondering and gets them thinking as their eyes study the words on your page. Tease your readers by hinting about things to come. Surprise your readers by adding complexity to your scenes to prevent readers from being able to predict where you are going next. Create some scenes and situations that are universally recognizable so readers can identify and relate with what your characters are going through. Convincing your readers to really care about what happens to your characters next is the key to keeping them engaged in the story. Sometimes you have up the ante so your characters are playing for high stakes. Remember, only when your character/s may lose something precious does the outcome really matter enough to expect readers to continue to read on.
When you are writing a story, you, as author, are in total control of everything. But, there is a fine line between being extremely creative, which is good creative writing and entertaining and literary and abusing your power which is bad writing, insulting to your reader and ultimately a letdown. Let’s face it, you are the creative writer so if you want a character to die, they die, period. If you wish for them to fall in love they fall in love with whomever you choose for them. In real life, people bump into each other in the strangest of places. Cars break down for no apparent reason, in very bad neighborhoods. And, people can have heart attacks anytime. Coincidence happens, it is part of life. Thus, coincidence has every right to be included in fiction.
Plenty of creative writers use an interesting coincidence to start a new tale, which is very acceptable and effective. But when you are into the meat of the story a coincidence, if not handled properly and delicately will no doubt be interpreted as if the author has cheated. Now, that’s not to say it can’t be done. A suave, creative author may get away with it once in a while. A good creative writer may be forgiven if he goes on to take his readers someplace very, very special. You must really make it worth your readers while to turn the other cheek and let you slide, just this once, because the rewards are worth it!
You can use a coincidence very effectively for a very funny, humor situation that adds to the tone of your story but isn’t really a defining moment. But, your next humor situation has to be much more strongly developed or it will fail and bring the whole tale down with it.
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A very effective, plot propelling device is called ‘adding a deadline’. You can create a continuing and building sense of tension, suspense and drama by adding a literary deadline into the plot of your story. The most popular example would be; the cop, who has only twenty four hours to solve the big case. The added dimension of the ticking clock makes the same mystery story a little more interesting. Hollywood utilizes this technique to the fullest: The romance, where the main character races around trying to save his beloved from making the biggest mistake of her life, marrying her fiancé who is hiding an evil side and evil intensions. The story just naturally gets more and more dramatic as the wedding day gets closer and closer. Especially since the fiancé plans to take his new wife back overseas to his home country directly after the wedding. Try to be original when coming up with your deadline. The scientist racing against time to find the cure to the virus that broke out of his lab and now threatens to wipe out all of mankind has been done to death. But, hey, I liked all the Rocky sequels so who am I to say we don’t need one more deadly virus tale.
Are all the great plots taken? I’ve heard many new writers and seasoned creative writers declare in all seriousness and frustration that all of the great plots have been used already and that anything new is really just some variation or twist of an old favorite. Change the discussion to theme and these same individuals will claim that all the great themes have been explored already too. They go on to advise the new creative writer that it is quite all right to recreate that which has paved the way before one. The real skill is in finding new avenues for which to walk your reader down or better yet to run your reader down, even if we will inevitably arrive at the same destination.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with reinventing the master pieces of the past. Shakespeare’s tales have been brought current in many imaginative ways by many creative writers and the newer works can go on to claim their own page in literary history. ‘West Side Story’ is considered to be one of the best theatrical musical of all time. It is Jerome Robbins conception of Shakespeare’s, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ set in New York City. But does that mean that I’m willing to agree that all the great plots as well as themes have technically all been done or used already? Of course, I wouldn’t dream of letting you off the hook that easy!
If themes, plots, settings are elements of stories about man and man we know is always evolving then there must always be new opportunities springing up for new plots, themes, settings and characterizations. Since the subject matter, ‘man’, is always growing, changing and reinventing itself, it must be conceded that Creative writers and literature will continually evolve right along with man too. Every time man does something new, the chances to explore and thoroughly understand, the repercussions of man’s newest step, whether forward or backwards, arise. When man rediscovers something important about or comes up with a new theory about his past or starts to think about his future in a decisively, new way; new infinite literary opportunity presents itself. As man uncovers new clues concerning his role in the universe there will be questions that need to be explored and thus new opportunity for ground breaking literature. Literature has been defined as the study and official as well as unofficial documentation of man’s existence. So, creative writer, you tell me; have all the great plots and themes already been taken?
The Plot Thickens by Stu Leventhal
Many writers, critics, teachers and literary scholars think of the plot of the story as a sort of list of the events of a tale as they happened in order of beginning to conclusion. This attitude generally leads to new writers, especially creative writers, to view developing their plot as their number one priority and all the other elements of literature; theme, setting, characterization, point of view etc. as simply tools to be used to mold the plot, enhance the plot and move the plot along.
A good creative writer must realize the roles all the literary elements play in rounding out a tale into something worth reading. Great stories are told with a natural balance of characterization, plot, theme and setting. Each writer may excel and favor one element over the others but inevitably by the final draft all the elements must be working together in harmony. For example: characterization cannot be devalued into a writing tool rather than a vital element of the story because characterization drives the plot in certain instances steering it and moving the story in specific directions. Characters personalities create the conflicts which determine the next scene. Themes also direct the story plot. Everything is entwined. So, we see, calling the plot of the story an outline of incidents as they will be told is decisively over simplified.
A good creative story is a combination of all the literary elements; some slightly more dominate than others based on each author’s creative style. To demonstrate, let’s look at a story about a fireman who, along with three other fellow firemen, rushes into a millionaire’s burning mansion to save a trapped young girl. The building collapses. The fireman saves the girl, becomes a hero but his three, fellow firemen perish in the flames. If we make our main character an older veteran firefighter, the tone of the story is specific. If we change the characteristics of the main character, turning him into a rookie, perhaps involved in his first major fire, we have created a totally different story using the same plot. If we again change the characteristics of the main character from a male fireman to a female fireman we have a decisively new story again.
In the same way; change the setting from a millionaire’s burning mansion, during the roaring 1920’s to a row home fire in a rural coal mining town, during the late 1600’s and you can see how we have one plot but arrive at two entirely different tales. The new setting opens up the door for an astute author to tackle a totally different set of themes.
Creating great plots involves daring to take a story in a direction that similar stories as well as stories in general have never been taken before. The purposes of creative plots is to allow the author to explore novel themes, develop new characters and take his or her craft of expressing themselves to new heights. There is no greater entertainment value in literary experiences than when a reader encounters a totally unique plot that makes the reader say “Wow! Now there’s a story I could have never have thought of.” Surprise twists are pleasingly delightful but the beginning and middle of the story must also be written with quality in order for a reader to still be paying attention by the end.
For a plot to be great, it first and foremost must be believable and plausible. It should be fast moving and engaging. Each step should be relevant to the telling of the tale and serve the author’s purpose. The best example of this done wrong, is when many inexperienced writers feel the need to add a sex scene every so many chapters. If the sex scene doesn’t add something more to the story line then it is inappropriate to make it part of your plot. The most excitingly written sex scene will always be boring to the reader if the reader feels it is out of place and that the author threw it in just to spice things up. Now keep this concept in mind and apply it to all types of scenes. Regardless of how hard and long a writer worked on a particular scene or how beautifully some of the aspects of that scene are, if it doesn’t feel like it would have developed naturally it must be cut or re-written.
Never add drama for drama’s sake or humor for humor’s sake. The worse thing a writer can do is go off on meaningless tangents. Sometimes the hardest thing, for us as writers to do, is cut out one of our favorite scenes. But, our plots must be built as tightly as possible with one step leading, inevitably, to the next step, leading to the next.
The secret to creating tightly weaved plots, as with perfecting almost every other aspect of the creative writing process is re-reading, revising and re-writing. Whenever you come to a place where the plot seems strained, you have to re-think then re-do it. If a scene is not necessary to make your point consider taking it out.
“And so, the plot thickens.” Is usually uttered in show business when something significant suddenly becomes clear to the audience. In creative writing this would be when the reader realizes where the author has been trying to take the story. All the writer’s hard work suddenly becomes clear and makes perfectly good sense. The reader mutters out loud or to himself astonished. “Yes, now I see.” Good plots always thicken. Great plots thicken a lot!
A good creative writer must realize the roles all the literary elements play in rounding out a tale into something worth reading. Great stories are told with a natural balance of characterization, plot, theme and setting. Each writer may excel and favor one element over the others but inevitably by the final draft all the elements must be working together in harmony. For example: characterization cannot be devalued into a writing tool rather than a vital element of the story because characterization drives the plot in certain instances steering it and moving the story in specific directions. Characters personalities create the conflicts which determine the next scene. Themes also direct the story plot. Everything is entwined. So, we see, calling the plot of the story an outline of incidents as they will be told is decisively over simplified.
A good creative story is a combination of all the literary elements; some slightly more dominate than others based on each author’s creative style. To demonstrate, let’s look at a story about a fireman who, along with three other fellow firemen, rushes into a millionaire’s burning mansion to save a trapped young girl. The building collapses. The fireman saves the girl, becomes a hero but his three, fellow firemen perish in the flames. If we make our main character an older veteran firefighter, the tone of the story is specific. If we change the characteristics of the main character, turning him into a rookie, perhaps involved in his first major fire, we have created a totally different story using the same plot. If we again change the characteristics of the main character from a male fireman to a female fireman we have a decisively new story again.
In the same way; change the setting from a millionaire’s burning mansion, during the roaring 1920’s to a row home fire in a rural coal mining town, during the late 1600’s and you can see how we have one plot but arrive at two entirely different tales. The new setting opens up the door for an astute author to tackle a totally different set of themes.
Creating great plots involves daring to take a story in a direction that similar stories as well as stories in general have never been taken before. The purposes of creative plots is to allow the author to explore novel themes, develop new characters and take his or her craft of expressing themselves to new heights. There is no greater entertainment value in literary experiences than when a reader encounters a totally unique plot that makes the reader say “Wow! Now there’s a story I could have never have thought of.” Surprise twists are pleasingly delightful but the beginning and middle of the story must also be written with quality in order for a reader to still be paying attention by the end.
For a plot to be great, it first and foremost must be believable and plausible. It should be fast moving and engaging. Each step should be relevant to the telling of the tale and serve the author’s purpose. The best example of this done wrong, is when many inexperienced writers feel the need to add a sex scene every so many chapters. If the sex scene doesn’t add something more to the story line then it is inappropriate to make it part of your plot. The most excitingly written sex scene will always be boring to the reader if the reader feels it is out of place and that the author threw it in just to spice things up. Now keep this concept in mind and apply it to all types of scenes. Regardless of how hard and long a writer worked on a particular scene or how beautifully some of the aspects of that scene are, if it doesn’t feel like it would have developed naturally it must be cut or re-written.
Never add drama for drama’s sake or humor for humor’s sake. The worse thing a writer can do is go off on meaningless tangents. Sometimes the hardest thing, for us as writers to do, is cut out one of our favorite scenes. But, our plots must be built as tightly as possible with one step leading, inevitably, to the next step, leading to the next.
The secret to creating tightly weaved plots, as with perfecting almost every other aspect of the creative writing process is re-reading, revising and re-writing. Whenever you come to a place where the plot seems strained, you have to re-think then re-do it. If a scene is not necessary to make your point consider taking it out.
“And so, the plot thickens.” Is usually uttered in show business when something significant suddenly becomes clear to the audience. In creative writing this would be when the reader realizes where the author has been trying to take the story. All the writer’s hard work suddenly becomes clear and makes perfectly good sense. The reader mutters out loud or to himself astonished. “Yes, now I see.” Good plots always thicken. Great plots thicken a lot!
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