Dynamic Plot Design
The reason people read boils down to the story. I have read numerous articles about how every story is about people, and therefore character is the basis of plot. This may be partially true, but there is a big part of me that rejects the notion. Characterization is an extremely important part of a good story, but characters don’t make the story. What happens to those characters is what makes the story. This week, I’m focusing on plot design. It is certainly not a backhand to the importance of characterization within the plot, so for those of you that have that affronted look on your faces, please temporarily stow it for now, and change you facial expression, because its creeping me out.
Plot is the driving factor of what your story is about. The plot of a novel temporarily suspends belief and injects us into a fantasy world–an escape. A poorly constructed plot takes us out of the story and doesn’t grip us enough to pull us out of reality long enough to feel we have escaped for a while. After all, what is reading, but temporarily escaping the turmoil of our own lives for just a little while, and experiencing the fictional turmoil in our characters’ lives? We need drama. It’s not an escape from drama. In fact, it is diving into a deeper drama than we might experience ourselves in our everyday life. But,–and here’s the beautiful part–it is not our drama. It is the drama that the characters experience. So what are the keys to a great plot? What is the magic formula we must employ to create a timeless masterpiece of fiction? I’m not sure there is a standardized formula, because if there were, everyone could replicate it. Despite the absence of a formulaic guarantee, there are several “must-haves” that will manifest a dynamic plot line.
1. Conflict. A plot needs conflict. This may seem a simple idea. You’re right, it is. Unfortunately, it is overlooked way too often. Without going too deeply into the nuts and bolts of the different types of conflicts, (i.e. inner conflict, environmental conflict, exterior conflict, antogonistic conflict–I could go on for days…) I am just simply saying that a great plot needs some sort of conflict for your protagonist to negotiate through or around. Decide the conflict before putting the first word on the page. The story arc should go something like this: Everything is great, it is a perfect world. A conflict arises, destroying that utopia. The character fights through the conflict in an attempt to restore the balance we saw at the begining. Through a series of events your character either prevails against the conflict, or doesnt.
2. Things happen for a reason. In real life, maybe this is not so true. If something happens just because it happens, your readers will feel cheated. In real life, maybe an anvil falls on the antagonist’s head. I know, you’re asking when did this turn into a roadrunner cartoon? It was a happy coincidence and you never have a worry in your life again. In your novel, at the end, if your antagonist just happens to have a heart attack and die, ending the story, you will lose your reader. Things should not just happen as a coincidence. That’s not to say that an antagonist can’t have a heart attack. But there must be more to it that allows the reader to feel that there is some sort of closure. An unexpected heart attack, while constantly occurring in real life, should not happen in the novel unless there is a reason for it. Bottom line: Things happen for a reason.
3. Don’t focus on things that don’t push the plot forward. I don’t really care that your main character put their french fry into a glob of ketchup. Let’s get on with the action! So now here comes my disclaimer…you can and should talk about that french fry and ketchup if it develops your character. But it is not a plot device. Don’t confuse character development with plot. They are not the same. Push your plot forward. Constantly. People want action. Character development, setting, and style are all important aspects of a great story, but push your plot forward. Use those elements to do that. A lot can be said about a character by how they react to circumstances. Rather than spend time telling the reader that your character is a coward, show it by having your character react to a mugging. The plot unveils character.
4. Pace your story evenly. Too many things happening all at once can be confusing. Things can happen at the same time, but not in written word. You will always reveal one thing before the other. In other words, if your character is getting choked while reaching for a bottle to smash on his enemy’s head, your reader first read, as you did, that your character was getting choked. Having too many things happening at the same time, while totally plausible in real life, is cumbersome in writing and reading.
5. There are no rules to a good plot. What? Be creative. These are guidelines, not rules. It is possible to do anything here I’ve just said not to do. It’s possible to do it well, too. We all know that there are always outliers, exceptions to everything. It is what makes the creative process magical. Something that may not click with one reader might speak to another.
Every writer that has revealed to someone that they’ve written a book gets asked the question: “What’s it about?” We tend to answer that question one of two ways. We tell them the plot, or we tell them the theme. I have always felt that revealing the theme of my book was a spoiler. I’d like the reader to draw their own conclusions. And truth be told, I’ve always garnered more interest when I explain the plot.
–Bill C. Castengera is an award winning author of the book “Shift!
