What is plot?
Plot is the arrangement of incidents and events in a chain of cause and effect that leads to an inevitable climax and satisfactory conclusion. Plot works simultaneously with developing characters who logically shape and by their words and action further the plot. A plot must have a beginning, middle, and ending and contain the elements of character, setting, situation, and theme. Your plot should answer: What? Why? And how?
Your plot cannot begin to unfold without an initial situation or conflict. Your situation is the problem. Plot is the problem and its solution.
E. M. Forster wrote in Aspects of the Novel "the story is the most ancient and fundamental way of narration of events." Plot originated as a set of religious ritual, and from that came drama, which became the first type of story that used a causal chain of events. Forster is famous for saying, "'The King died, and then the Queen died' is a story. The King died, and then the Queen died of grief is the plot.'" He says the difference between story and plot is the question of a story is "What happened next?" The question asked of plot is "Why?"
In traditionally structured stories, the plot is a cause and effect relationship between all events in the story. This doesn't mean you should merely structure a series of events one after another but structure them because they happened as a result of one before it. The events should link together like chainsbecause this happened, then that. Each causal event adds conflict and propels the story toward a resolution or revelation. You make the story come alive by turning the events into scenes, by adding description, dialogue, action, and characterization. The character's thoughts and actions are the links between causes and effects.
Josip Novakovich wrote in The Fiction Writer's Workshop, "Plot clearly depends on basic values. What do your characters treasure most? Put it at stake. Let them fight for it . . . If your characters care about nothing, the actions around them might become random. Without passion, forget about plot . . . Plot depends on passionson how characters struggle to fulfill them.
Plot is Not
* Simple movement, whether it be riding on a train or fleeing from a tornado is not plot.
* A character sketch is not a plot.
* An idea for a story is not plot.
* Incident is not plot. Essential in plotting is knowing the difference between an incident or group of incidents and a complete story.
For instance: A man and woman are shopping in a grocery store, and their carts bump. They laugh and move on. This is an incident.
What if the man and woman recognize each other from high school? Still just an incident. There is no conflict. Add the fact that they were high school sweethearts who planned to get married, but his being drafted separated them. After no word for over a year, she presumed he was dead, and a couple years later married his best friend. Seeing him, all the old feelings come flooding back. Now you have conflict. What will she do now? Complicate the conflict further by adding she was pregnant but hadn't had the chance to tell him before he left she was carrying his child, and now, her current husband is the only father their child knows. You could even complicate this further by adding that her husband is totally dependant on her, because he requires round the clock nursing care due to a debilitating illness. I'm using extreme examples to illustrate complications.
A complication must be relevant to the conflict, must make obtaining the protagonist's goal more difficult but not merely delay obtaining that goal. Complications whether internal or external should always contribute to the conflict and intensify it to an eventual crisis or climax.
Coincidences should never be used to give the main character a sudden or easy solution. Coincidences happen in real life and are usually amusingor spooky, depending on the situationbut they don't work in fiction. It's an easy way out. The reader will feel cheated and disappointed. However, an exception is to use the coincidence against your character. Coincidences (or miracles) that happen in real life are usually unbelievable if used in fiction. There must be a logical outcome for each complication.
Types of Plot.
The number varies on the number of actual basic plots. I've seen 13, 19, and 36. It all depends on what you read. Although there is a seemingly limited number of basic plots, how you cast the characters and structure your events make the possibilities limitless. You could take a classic story like "Cinderella" and create many variations.
There are character conflict plots using the basic character conflicts:
man vs. man
man vs. self
man vs. nature
man vs. society
man vs. machine
man vs. God
man vs. everyone
And there are several types of nonconfrontational plots:
Slice of life. In this type of story, the plot is controlled by the details of a character's day. The realistic details which are normally in the periphery of your story are now the center of the story, and conflicts become the periphery. This is also called surrealism, ultrarealism, or antiplot.
Revelation or epiphany. The story ends with a moment of personal insight. All events accumulate and may at first seem insignificant until the moment of epiphany. An epiphany is not a trick ending. The character's self discovery must be genuine.
And plots can use a combination of any of the above. When you begin plotting a story, don't worry about trying to classify it first.
Degrees of Plot.
The degrees of plot varies with the length of your story. In a short story, your plot will be more direct and concise. In a novel, you have more time and space to unfold your plot and develop characters. You can ramble, take, detours, and introduce subplots.
A main plot is what the main plot of the story is, with the resolution near the end. Subplots can be sprinkled throughout the story and can be resolved at any time. Each subplot must have a protagonist and an antagonist. They can involve one or more of the main characters and/or minor characters. Many subplots overlap the main plot. The function of subplots is to enhance the main story by complementing or contrasting with the events of the main plot. They can be used to add suspense by adding a break in the main plot when the tension is high. Or you can use subplots to liven up the action when your main plot pacing slows. These can add more impact to the main story when you pick it up again.
Ansen Dibell wrote in Plot, "Plot is the engine that moves the story . . . Make a poster and put it up where you write: PLOT IS A VERB!"