Basics Of Plot Structure

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about plot. Specifically, things I wish I’d known when I first started writing (find it here). If you’ve read, understood and implemented the points in the first plot post you’ll probably have a pretty good start when it comes to plot structure but it’s a truly interesting topic to dig into. Below, I’ve listed out the most common major points in a strong plot structure.

 You can use these basic plot structure points to plan a new novel idea and make sure you’ll have a full, impactful story before you even get started. Or you can use it as a check list for a finished novel when you want to be sure you’re not missing anything.

Step One: Set Up

     What’s normal to your character? This should be quick, as short as one sentence and not much longer than one page. The truth is, we need to know what normal is to your character or we won’t really understand why the changes matter. If normal is, well, normal (school, homework, parents, siblings etc.) you won’t want to share much or you’ll run the risk of boring the reader. One sentence is enough to establish normal and it doesn’t necessarily have to be the first sentence. “If Grams had only warned me about the demon below the stairs I would have never hid there during hide and seek”. (yes, I just made that up) That sentence works because it shows both the normal and the not-normal. I know this character has a grandma he calls Grams and he was playing hide and seek. There is still a whole lot more to know but at least I have an idea of what his normal is. We can learn more as the story progresses.

 

Step Two: Inciting incident: 

 

      This is the very first event that starts the ball rolling for the rest of the plot. This is the very first big change in your character’s world. The thing that prompts the character’s call to action. It should come as close to the beginning as possible.

Step Three: Character makes a choice: 

 

               

     This is the specific moment that the character chooses to act. It might be during the inciting incident, it could be the next scene, could be a few scenes later. It all depends on your story. 

 

 

 Step Four: Fun and Games

 

      My editor explained this to me as what you see on your cover. The cool parts of the story. In a romance, this is where the characters fall in love. In a mystery it’s where the character finds that super cool clue. In an adventure, it’s the most exciting, fun part of the adventure. This is the fun part before things turn south and start to fall apart. The higher the hill of a roller coaster, the better/scarier the dip when things finally start to fall. Establish a high for your character so when things fall we get the best stomach sinking feeling possible.  

 

Step Five: Midpoint

 

      The top moment of the fun and games. The midpoint is either the most “high” moment or the “low” moment (the latter being the minority and very difficult to pull off). I’ve heard this described as the moment your character thinks the story is over. They’ve achieved their goal, or there is NO way they’ll ever win.

 

Step Six: All is lost
 

      This is usually the next scene and should be the opposite of the midpoint. If your midpoint is high, you’ll need that twist that brings it all crashing down, if your midpoint is low, you’ll need that moment where things start looking up. Basically, in the midpoint, your character comes to a conclusion and in the next scene learns they were wrong.

 

Step Seven: The choice

 

 

      The character clears their head of the horror of the All Is Lost Moment and makes a plan for success (make this a tough plan, not an easily achieved)

           

  

Step Eight:  Finale  

 

 

      The big moment, for better or worse the story will end on this moment. This might be the long awaited battle with the big bad guy, or it might be a more personal “proving a point” moment. If it’s the latter, make sure it something that’s been set up from the beginning, something your character would never have done at the beginning of the story. It should cost something.

The End!!

 Congratulations! You have a fully plotted novel.

Now, it's time to get writing, or revising or maybe even querying (depending on when you can across this list)

The plot points above are the powerful moments in the story, with them you’ll be sure to have an impactful story for all readers. Does your story fit these plot points? Can you think of a successful story that doesn’t? Do you use another plot structure or do you even worry about structure? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

The things I wish I’d know about plotting when I first started writing

For every new writer there is a steep learning curve. There are a gazzillon things we’ll need to learn before we’re ready for publication. Some things come easy, some take time. Everyone has different talents and different struggles, things we’ll need to work harder to overcome. For me, one of the things that took me the longest to learn is about plot.

                          

Sure, we all have a story to tell but a story doesn’t always mean we have a plot.

Now, I’m still learning, but over the last year I've gathered quite a bit of information that I truly wish I’d known when I was just starting out. Even if you’re fairly good with plot, there may be a thing or two you could still learn. It also may help you catch a problem with a plot you never noticed before.

1.     Plot means conflict, yes, but it also means the call for action.

            There is no story without conflict, it should be inherent on each and every page, but conflict alone isn’t enough to carry a plot. There needs to be a call for action that connects with the conflict. What needs to happen in this story and why? It should be something only your character can or will do.

2.     Your character needs a goal

            This goes along with number one because the call to action is a goal. Don’t make things just happen to your character, those things might push your character into the plot, but there needs to be a thing or two that makes your character active in this story. What does your character want other than surviving?

             Even “down the rabbit hole” plots need to have something active within the “get out alive” goal.

            The best way to beef up a story is to have two different layers of conflict: internal and external. Sometimes those goals can even conflict with each other. They have a goal, now what connects that goal to their emotional journey?

3.     Every scene needs to move the plot forward.

            When I first started writing this was my worst habit. I’d make the inciting incident happen in chapter 12, thinking that all the things that happened before were important (hint: they aren’t). If you can cut scenes without changing how the story pans out, you’re probably falling into his pit hole.

            Every scene needs to matter, needs to change something. It can be personal, the way the character thinks about something, or it can include a hint that pulls them further towards the end goal, or maybe it makes things worse, deepens the conflict. Look at every scene in your story and decide if you NEED it there. Even subplots should connect back to the main conflict, even if it’s not right away.

4.      Stakes

            What happens if your character fails at his/her goal? There should be some very scary consequence to failing. The world ending? Well, yes, that’s a pretty easy go-to. But honestly, something personal is usually more compelling. Death, the loss of a family member, being hated by someone they care about, making their parents proud. With Middle Grade, those stakes CAN be a bit smaller than adult works because sometimes peer or parent acknowledgment is the most important thing to this age group. That’s okay. So long as it truly matters to your character, it will matter to the reader.

5.     Subplots

            Developing the goals of side characters is a great way to deepen a plot. I won’t go into huge detail about this subject since Jamie wrote a great post about subplots a few weeks back:http://middlegrademinded.blogspot.com/2014/05/enter-subplot.html

6.     Structure

I plan to write a full post about this because it can get kind of in depth. If you’re worried about plot structure try using a beat sheet like this one: http://jamigold.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beat-Sheet1.jpg. There are some really interesting theories to plot structure that can make any story line much stronger. 

 

I’m still learning about plot myself, and it’s one of those things that is different for every story (and that’s a good thing, otherwise all our stories would be the same), but there are always ways to make it stronger, to make it more compelling to readers. What have you learned about plot? Any more tips for me or books you really enjoyed reading about the topic? I’d love to hear them!