{PLOTDEVELOPMENT}

Plotistheseriesofeventsinastoryitstheaction,thestuffthathappens.Agoodplotislogical,believable,andcompellingenoughtokeepthereaderreading.

Two Sentence Test

Inordertocreateastrongstructure,identifythemainplot.Ifyoucanttellsomeonewhatyourstory,novel,orscreenplayisaboutintwosentences,youprobablyarentready
tobuildthestructureandshouldspendmoretimedevelopingyourideas.Yourtwosentencesshouldidentifythemaincharacter,themaincharactersgoal,andtheconflict.
JimButcher,authorofTheDresdenFiles,offersthisstructure:WHENSOMETHINGHAPPENS,YOURPROTAGONISTpursuesaGOAL.Butwillhesucceedwhenthe
ANTAGONISTPROVIDESOPPOSITION?
Ex.fromthefilmFindingNemo:Whenhiswifeandallbutoneofhischildrenareeaten,MarlintriestokeepNemo,hisremainingchild,safe.Butwillhesucceedwhen
NemoiscaughtbyafishermanandanentiredangerousoceanstretchesbetweenMarlinandhisson?

Point of View
Pointofview(POV)istheperspectivefromwhichyourstoryistold.Askyourself,Whohasthemosttolose?orWhowillbehurtbythis?Thosequestionsleadyouto
charactersandoftentoyourPOV.
Therearetwoprimarypointsofviewusedinwritingfiction:
1.Firstpersonnarrationiswrittenfromthecharactersperspective.ItusesI.Firstpersonautomaticallyheightensyourstorysemotionbecausethereaderisinthe
charactershead,hearinghisorherthoughts.Itsdrawbackisthatthereaderonlygetsthatoneperspective.Sincethecharacterdoesntalwayswitnessalloftheaction
takingplace,itcanmakeincludingnecessaryplotelementsachallenge.
2.Thirdpersonnarrationiswrittenasthoughthewriterisintheroomwiththecharactersandisrecordingwhathappens.Withthirdperson,morethanonecharactercan
befollowedandwecanreadthemindsofmorethanonecharacter,whichgivesthewritermorefreedom.Thedownsideisthatfollowingtoomanycharacterscanbecome
confusingforreaders.
ImmediateGoal
ThisiswhatthecharacteraimsforatfromthebeginningtheImmediateGoalshould:
Beactiveandspecific.Itsnotenoughforyourprotagonisttowanttoberichandfamous.Itsfarbettertobespecific:shewantstostudymusic,becomeagreat
singer/songwriter,andsellmillionsofrecords.
Beattainable.Dontsetthegoaltoohigh.First,itsunrealisticandreadersgenerallypreferrealismeveninthemostabsurdstories.Second,therewillbeabiggergoal
later.Themaingoalwillchangewhentheantagonistcomesalong,soleaveroomforthestorytobecomesomethingmore.
Beimportant.Makesurethegoalisimportantenoughthatitwilldrivethecharacterand,therefore,yourreader.Itdoesnthavetobebig,justimportanttothecharacter.
InTheSorcerersStone,Harrywantstoescapetheoppressionofhisuncleshouse,learnmagic,andmakefriends.Noneofthosearesplashygoals,buttheyre
importanttoHarry,whosbeenmistreatedandneverhadafriend.
Forceacourseofaction.Thisgoaldeterminesyourcharactersactionsforthefirstpartofyourstory,screenplay,ornovel.Makesurethegoalrequiresmovementor

actionotherwise,theresnostory.InthemovieMyBigFatGreekWedding,Tula,thedaughterofacontrollingfamily,decidestochangeherlife.Shegoesbackto
school,studiescomputers,altersherappearance,andgetsanewjob.

Conflict
Conflictoccurswhensomeoneorsomethingdecidesthatthecharactershouldnotreachthegoal.TheopponentdoesnotnecessarilyhavetobeaDarthVadartype
embodimentofevilawellmeaningbutmisguidedrelative,forinstance,canbejustaseffectiveatstoppingactionasanevilmastermind.Conflictcanalsobearesultof
circumstance.InTheOutsiders,welearnthattheprotagonistsbrother,Darry,hadreceivedascholarshiptoplayfootballthatwashisgoal.Butwhenhisparentsdied,hehad
toabandonhisdreaminordertoraisehisyoungerbrothers.Thatsconflict.Goodconflictshould:
Beequal.Theantagonistswill/powershouldbeequaltoorevenoutweightheprotagonistswill/power.Bothsideshavetobeequallyweightedifoneisobviously
strongerthantheother,theconflictsconclusionisobviousandthatsboring.
Beopposite.Theantagonistsgoalsshouldbetheoppositeoftheprotagonistsgoalssothattheycanceleachotherout.BOTHcannothappen.Problemsthatcanbe
easilyresolvedwontkeepreadersinterestedintheend,onesidemustprevail.Inagoodstory,thereaderisntsurewhichsidewillwin.

New Goal
TheNewGoalisestablishedwhenthecharacterrealizesthatattaininghisImmediateGoalwillnotbeassimpleasanticipated.Abarrierhasbeenestablishedbytheconflict
andthecharactermustovercomethatbarriertoachievethegoal.TheNewGoalshould:
BebiggerthantheImmediateGoal.TheNewGoalraisesthestorysstakes.Itmakesthestoryandthecharactermoreimportantandmakesthestorysconclusion
moreurgent.
BeconnectedtotheImmediateGoal.Thetwoarenotseparate.Usually,theNewGoalistheresultoftheImmediateGoalandtheconflict.Forexample,intheHarry
Potternovels,Harry,theyoungwizard,wantstolive,buttheevilwizardVoldemortistryingtokillhim.Therefore,destroyingVoldemortbecomeshisNewGoal.
Accompanycharactergrowth.TheNewGoalusuallyrequiresachangeinthemind,heart,orsoulofyourprotagonist.Theprotagonistmustdevelopinordertomake
andfulfillthisNewGoal.

Sequence of Events
Moststoriesfollowasimilarsequenceofevents.Asthemaincharactermovesthroughthesequence,he/shegrowsorchanges.Makesurethebeginningofthestoryleads
believablyintothemiddleandtheend.Readersliketheendingtobeasurprisebutappreciateitwhentherehavebeencluestothatsurpriseallalong.
Thetypicalsequenceincludes:
Exposition:Theopeningintroducesthecharactersandsettingandestablishesthecentralconflict.
RisingAction:Everythingthatleadsuptotheclimax.
Climax/TurningPoint:Thepointatwhichtheprotagonistdecideshowtoresolveaconflictorfacesthoseconflicts.Atthispointthestorymovesfrombuildingconflict
toresolvingconflict.ItisNOTnecessarilythemostexcitingpartofthestory,althoughitoftenis.
FallingAction:Everythingthathappensasaresultoftheclimax.
Resolution/Denouement:Thepartofthestorythatsumsuporbringstheconflictstoaconclusion.Itshouldbebelievable,andnotahugesurprise,becausetheplot
shouldhavebeenbuildingtoit.
Exposition

Intheopeningofthestory,readersmeetthemaincharactersandbegintounderstandthecentralconflict.Readersalsolearnimportantbackgroundinformation.Somestories
beginatthebeginning(Onceuponatime,therewasafrog)butoftenthestorybeginsinmediaresaLatinexpressionmeaninginthemiddleofthings.Forexample,
E.B.WhiteopensCharlottesWebwiththeline,Where'sPapagoingwiththataxe?saidFerntohermotherastheyweresettingthetableforbreakfast.Instantly,readersare,
likeFern,wonderingwherePapaisheadedwiththataxe,buttheyrealsowonderingwhoPapaisandwhoFernisandwhyshecaresaboutPapaandtheaxe.Havinggotten
yourattention,Whitethenquicklybeginstoprovideanswerstothosequestions.
RisingAction
InRisingAction,tensionismounting.YourcharacterismovingsteadilytowardstheNewGoalandthefinalshowdown.Thiscouldbeapreparationforbattleoraconfrontation
withalesserfoe.RisingActionshould:
RisefromtheNewGoal.Itstheactionnowbeingtakentofulfillthatultimategoal.Thetoneshouldbechargedandfullofexpectation.
Leaddirectlytotheclimax.TheRisingActionshouldcovertheactionsandemotionsleadinguptotheultimateclash.Evenifyourclimaxisakidconfrontinghismom
aboutwantingtogotocollegeinNewZealand,hesgoingtobenervousaboutthatandhesgoingtobemakingplans.Thatsrisingaction.
Climax/TurningPoint
Theclimaxisthebeatdown.wheretheopposingsidessquareoffandfightitoutnotnecessarilyliterally.Itis,aswriterJimButcherputsit,wherethestorysquestionis
answered.Agoodclimaxshould:
Becathartic.Youvespentyourentirestorygettingyourreadersinvested.TheywanttoKNOWwhathappens.Theyreontheedgeoftheirseatsandreadinginsteadof
goingtoclassormakingdinnerbecausetheyHAVEtoseehowitends.Acatharsisisthereleaseofallthattensionandemotion.
Beasurprise.Readersmostlyknowhowastoryendsinmanygenres,goodisexpectedtowinoverevil,lovetriumphs,etc.Asawriter,though,youwantreadersto
doubtthat.Aclimaxshouldincludeamomentwhereallseemslostandthendespiteinsurmountableoddstheprotagonisttriumphs.
Resultfromcharactergrowth.Theclimaxoftenmakesreaderslovethemaincharacterevenmorewhetheracharactertriumphsduetolearningalesson,makinga
sacrifice,orsimplyrefusingtogiveup.
FallingAction
Everythingthathappensasaresultoftheclimaxisthefallingaction.Thefallingactionshould:
Feelinevitable.Everythingthatledtotheclimaxhassetupthestorysarc.
Belogical.Anythingthatresultsfromthedecisionsoractionsofthemaincharactershouldseemlikealogicaloutcome.
Resolution(orDenouement)
Thisiswherethelooseendsgettiedup.Theloversfinallykiss,theresawedding/funeral,someonereceivesamedal,ortheoldcowhandgivesaspeechtotheyoungupstart
whojustsavedthetown.Itsthebeginningofanew(andhopefullyimproved)reality.Agoodresolutionshould:
Belogical.Donthavesomethingorsomeonenooneeverheardofcomeinandsavethedayandmakeeveryoneslivesperfect.Dontpulloutthoserabbitsjustto
makethingsfit.
Leavethereadersatisfied.Thereadershouldfeeltheycangoonwiththeirlivesbecausetheirquestionshavebeenanswered.Theyshouldfeelthatjusticehasbeen
dealtandpeacehasbeenrestored,lookingforwardtoabrightertomorrow.
Matchthebook.Manywritersevenverytalentedonesrunintotheproblemofahappyendingorepiloguethatfeelsoutofplace.Itsalmosttoolightandtooperfect
fortheheavyeventsofthestory.Itsoftenenoughtoendonahopefulnote,ratherthanresolvingeveryissue.

References

Buckham,MaryandDiannaLove.BreakintoFiction.Holbrook:AdamsMedia,2009.

Butcher,Jim.JimsLiveJournal.FundamentalsStorySkeletons.Web.Sept292004.June172010.

Knight,Damon.CreatingShortFiction.NewYork:St.Martin'sGriffin,1997.

Schaefer,CandaceandRickDiamond.TheCreativeWriter.AddisonWesley,1998.