What is a story but a series of related events? Readers might connect with characters and themes, but ultimately what makes us turn the page is to figure out what happens next. Chain scenes together well enough and our story can write itself.
In this article, we’ll explore how to craft an organic story structure and some typical plot templates.
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Key Takeaways:
- Conflict and resolution move plot forward
- Story and plot are not the same
- Cause and effect tie events together
What is Plot?:
The terms story and plot are sometimes used interchangeably, but it is important to understand the distinction. A story refers to a series of events told in chronological order, while a plot is a series of events arranged to reveal some deeper significance.
Here is a common example used is creative writing classes:
“The king died, and then the queen died,” is an example of story.
“The king died, and then the queen died of grief,” is an example of plot.
The main difference between these two sentences is that the second enhances the reader’s understanding of the situation. A plot should make the reader ask ‘why?’ rather than ‘what comes next?’
Opposites Attract:
In a story, events are arranged in chronological order, much like in our real lives. Plot, however, allows the author to arrange events in whichever order builds their vision. How then do we decide which order to plot our scenes?
Character is one of the primary vehicles with which a plot can be moved forward. Of course, the author can skip carelessly between scenes, but that might leave them confused. They need a guide to take them from moment to moment, and character can serve the role.
Whenever a character does something in a story, something should happen. It seems obvious, but every word put to paper must have a purpose. The relationship between cause and effect is our best friend when devising a plot for our story. Consider the organic consequences for a character’s actions: who it affects, what their reactions are, how it is addressed. Chaining together cause and effect will propel our characters through the plot.
Conflict and resolution is one example of how cause and effect can be applied to a story to give it plot. Many authors establish an overarching conflict in order to give their story structure. Instead of describing every detail of a character’s life in chronological order, scenes jump to conflict-relevant moments. A strong plot is filled with small moments of conflict and resolution; a good author will find how one conflict flows into another.
Narrative Arc:
A common creative exercise is to plot the scenes of our story on a narrative arc.
Your typical plot will consist of a rising action, climax, and falling action. Of course, our work must have a beginning and end, but the meat of our story will fall into those three categories. Deciding a climatic moment early on will help structure our scenes logically.
The rising action allows us to establish context for the reader through exposition. This builds towards the central conflict resolution in the climax. The climax is where we are allowed to show our craft. We hold our strongest writing in reserve for the moment we make the reveal, deliver the monologue, or whatever we have planned for the climax. After our climax, the falling action takes the conflict closer to general resolution. The falling action is almost never as long or longer than the rising action.
Sometimes there are multiple narrative arcs taking place at the same time. Writers designate letters to plots that exist simultaneously with the main plot; for example, if the main plot is the A plot, then the secondary arc is the B plot. Clever writers will find opportunities to intersect these plots, usually at both arcs’ respective climaxes.
Conclusion:
Learning which scenes are necessary for the plot’s progression will serve us well when constructing stories in the future. It’s just all a matter of obeying cause and effect.
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