Trouble is the necessary ingredient of all plots
- Person against person
- Person against nature
- Internal conflict (person against self)
Plot Structure
Plot Structure by Tiffany p.c2 {text-align: center} img.c1 {width:250px;} What is plot? A plot is the sequence of events that make up a story. Aristotle stated in his book The Poetics that plot structure had "a beginning, a middle and an end". But it is much more than simply the telling of events one after another. A plot needs a motivating purpose to drive the story to its resolution, and a connection between these events. If you watch a movie with a string of unconnected scenes, you will probably be frustrated because the plot makes no sense. Unless these scenes are tied together in some way, it will be very hard to make a real story out of it. So, we should say that plot is the CAUSAL sequence of events that make up a story. Of course, this "sequence" doesn't necessarily have to be in order - detective stories or thrillers can often work backwards or jump from one event to another - but at the end of the day, everything should come together. Seemingly, modern artistic storytelling has increased the emphasis on theme than on plot structure.
"The king died and then the queen died."
This is a bad example of plot. Why? Well, there are two events - one followed by the other. But there is no tie between the two events.
"The king died and then the queen died of grief."
This is a better example of a plot because it shows one event (the king's death) being the cause of the next event (the queen's death). The plot draws the reader into the character's lives and helps the reader understand the choices that the characters make.
Plot structure is also called dramatic structure.
When reading the elements of plot structure you will see why Shakespeare's plays are so popular to study - because they are an excellent example of plot structure. Usually his plot elements are easy to identify.
Elements of plot structure Gustav Freytag (1816 - 1895) was a German dramatist and novelist. Why is he important? He came up with the structure for the way stories are told in ancient Greek and Shakespearean drama. This analysis is known as Freytag's analysis. His analysis consisted of dividing a play into FIVE parts:
These five elements of plot structure can differ slightly, but for the most part you will see the gradual build-up of events, the climax, followed by a resolution. Here's some background information on each element:
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Exposition This is the introduction of story - background information that is needed to properly understand it. This information can include the protagonist, antagonist, the setting and so forth. The inciting incident occurs here - the initial event which triggers the rest of the story. In other words, what was it that put everything in motion? Inciding incidents are not always obvious - you may not even catch them when reading the story.
Rising Action Rising action is what occurs leading up to the climax. For example, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry must go through a set of tasks to reach where the sorcerer's stone is hidden where he will have the final battle. These tasks are the "rising action", and the final battle would be considered "the climax".
Climax The climax is considered the high point - the most exciting part - of the story. This is where all the rising action and conflict building up in the story finally reaches the peak. It is usually the moment of greatest danger or decision-making for the protagonist. The turning point can be considered the incident right before the climax, or can also be used as another name for climax. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, the climax occurs when Juliet stabs herself.
Falling Action The falling action deals with events which occur right after the climax. These events are usually the after-effects of the climax.
Resolution/Denouement Here is the end of the falling action and the conclusion to the story. There is usually a release of dramatic tension and anxiety (also known as catharsis). It can also be the that portion at the end of the plot that reveals the final outcome of its conflicts or the solution of its mysteries.
Denouement originates from the old French word denoer, which meant "to untie". So you could say that denouement is the unraveling or untying of the complexities of a plot.
Keep in mind, that sometimes stories have endings with a lot of unanswered questions. It is up to your discretion on whether you want to identify a resolution, or argue that a resolution in the story was never fully developed.
"The king died and then the queen died."
This is a bad example of plot. Why? Well, there are two events - one followed by the other. But there is no tie between the two events.
"The king died and then the queen died of grief."
This is a better example of a plot because it shows one event (the king's death) being the cause of the next event (the queen's death). The plot draws the reader into the character's lives and helps the reader understand the choices that the characters make.
Plot structure is also called dramatic structure.
When reading the elements of plot structure you will see why Shakespeare's plays are so popular to study - because they are an excellent example of plot structure. Usually his plot elements are easy to identify.
Elements of plot structure Gustav Freytag (1816 - 1895) was a German dramatist and novelist. Why is he important? He came up with the structure for the way stories are told in ancient Greek and Shakespearean drama. This analysis is known as Freytag's analysis. His analysis consisted of dividing a play into FIVE parts:
- exposition
- rising action
- climax
- falling action
- resolution/denouement
These five elements of plot structure can differ slightly, but for the most part you will see the gradual build-up of events, the climax, followed by a resolution. Here's some background information on each element:
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Exposition This is the introduction of story - background information that is needed to properly understand it. This information can include the protagonist, antagonist, the setting and so forth. The inciting incident occurs here - the initial event which triggers the rest of the story. In other words, what was it that put everything in motion? Inciding incidents are not always obvious - you may not even catch them when reading the story.
Rising Action Rising action is what occurs leading up to the climax. For example, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry must go through a set of tasks to reach where the sorcerer's stone is hidden where he will have the final battle. These tasks are the "rising action", and the final battle would be considered "the climax".
Climax The climax is considered the high point - the most exciting part - of the story. This is where all the rising action and conflict building up in the story finally reaches the peak. It is usually the moment of greatest danger or decision-making for the protagonist. The turning point can be considered the incident right before the climax, or can also be used as another name for climax. For example, in Romeo and Juliet, the climax occurs when Juliet stabs herself.
Falling Action The falling action deals with events which occur right after the climax. These events are usually the after-effects of the climax.
Resolution/Denouement Here is the end of the falling action and the conclusion to the story. There is usually a release of dramatic tension and anxiety (also known as catharsis). It can also be the that portion at the end of the plot that reveals the final outcome of its conflicts or the solution of its mysteries.
Denouement originates from the old French word denoer, which meant "to untie". So you could say that denouement is the unraveling or untying of the complexities of a plot.
Keep in mind, that sometimes stories have endings with a lot of unanswered questions. It is up to your discretion on whether you want to identify a resolution, or argue that a resolution in the story was never fully developed.
The Seven Shoulds of Subplots
Fiction Writing Workshop: The Seven Shoulds of Subplots Published July 18, 2009 Kristin Bair O'Keeffe , The Fiction Writing Workshop 1 Comment
By Kristin Bair O’Keeffe
Real life doesn’t happen in a single straight, neat line; neither should life in a novel. If you want to create a realistic story that captures and keeps the attention of your readers, you’ve got to weave subplots into it that add depth and texture. Subplots are stories within the main story, and they can sprout from any aspect of a main character’s private or professional life. Once in place they can (and should) deepen the text in significant ways.
Think about Homer’s The Odyssey. The main plot is: against crazy odds, man struggles to get home. But there’s a heck of a lot more going on in this story, thanks to the subplots. Remember Penelope, who is at home waiting, weaving, and fending off suitors? Telemachus, who is trying to grow up and do the right thing by his long-absent father? The gods who are conspiring against Odysseus? The gods who are trying to help him out?
Without these subplots, even The Odyssey would be a little boring and flat. Instead it reads like a modern-day soap opera (with a few Cyclops here and there).
Now apply this to your own work.
If your story is about a woman who loses her job and has to redefine herself in the professional community, you can add a subplot in which she secretly takes a night job to learn new skills and develops a crush on Hank, her new, sexy, younger boss. Suddenly you’ve got a little romance and an interesting secondary character.
As you take another look at your novel with subplots in mind, remember that they should:
Kristin Bair O’Keeffe’s debut novel, Thirsty, will be published by Swallow Press in 2009. Since moving to Shanghai, China, in 2006, Kristin has been chronicling her adventures (and misadventures) in her blog, “Shanghai Adventures of a Trailing Spouse.” Her essays and articles have appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Poets & Writers Magazine, The Baltimore Review, San Diego Family Magazine, and The Gettysburg Review. She teaches fiction and nonfiction writing and is the curator of Out Loud! The Shanghai Writers Literary Salon. To learn more, visit www.kristinbairokeeffe.com.
By Kristin Bair O’Keeffe
Real life doesn’t happen in a single straight, neat line; neither should life in a novel. If you want to create a realistic story that captures and keeps the attention of your readers, you’ve got to weave subplots into it that add depth and texture. Subplots are stories within the main story, and they can sprout from any aspect of a main character’s private or professional life. Once in place they can (and should) deepen the text in significant ways.
Think about Homer’s The Odyssey. The main plot is: against crazy odds, man struggles to get home. But there’s a heck of a lot more going on in this story, thanks to the subplots. Remember Penelope, who is at home waiting, weaving, and fending off suitors? Telemachus, who is trying to grow up and do the right thing by his long-absent father? The gods who are conspiring against Odysseus? The gods who are trying to help him out?
Without these subplots, even The Odyssey would be a little boring and flat. Instead it reads like a modern-day soap opera (with a few Cyclops here and there).
Now apply this to your own work.
If your story is about a woman who loses her job and has to redefine herself in the professional community, you can add a subplot in which she secretly takes a night job to learn new skills and develops a crush on Hank, her new, sexy, younger boss. Suddenly you’ve got a little romance and an interesting secondary character.
As you take another look at your novel with subplots in mind, remember that they should:
- connect back to the main plot (and intersect with it along the way)
- happen for a reason and make sense in the story
- occur simultaneously with the main plot
- introduce secondary characters
- reveal characteristics about the main characters that readers wouldn’t otherwise get to see
- be fully developed (Subplots will not be as in-depth as the main plot, but you don’t want to skimp either. They should have a beginning, a middle, and a resolution all their own.)
- affect the resolution of the main plot
Kristin Bair O’Keeffe’s debut novel, Thirsty, will be published by Swallow Press in 2009. Since moving to Shanghai, China, in 2006, Kristin has been chronicling her adventures (and misadventures) in her blog, “Shanghai Adventures of a Trailing Spouse.” Her essays and articles have appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Poets & Writers Magazine, The Baltimore Review, San Diego Family Magazine, and The Gettysburg Review. She teaches fiction and nonfiction writing and is the curator of Out Loud! The Shanghai Writers Literary Salon. To learn more, visit www.kristinbairokeeffe.com.
Ten Simple Keys to Plot Structure
TEN SIMPLE KEYS TO PLOT STRUCTURE Structure is something that every agent and executive in Hollywood talks about, and that all of us teachers/authors/consultants/gurus/whatever go on and on about, to the point that it can seem complicated, intricate, mysterious and hard to master. So I want present plot structure in a way that simplifies it – that will at least give you a starting point for properly structuring your screenplay without overwhelming you with rules and details and jargon.
Here are what I consider ten key elements of structure – ten ways of looking at structure that will immediately improve the emotional impact – and commercial potential – of your script.
Here are what I consider ten key elements of structure – ten ways of looking at structure that will immediately improve the emotional impact – and commercial potential – of your script.
- THE SINGLE RULE OF STRUCTURE
I once got to work with long time television writer Doug Heyes, who used to say that there is only one rule for achieving proper plot structure: What’s happening now must be inherently more interesting than what just happened. The goal of structure – the goal of your entire screenplay, in fact – is to elicit emotion in the reader and audience. If your story is increasingly compelling as you move forward, that’s all you need to worry about. - IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GOAL
The events and turning points in your story determine its structure. And those events must all grow out of your hero’s desire. Without an outer motivation for your hero – a clear, visible objective your hero is desperate to achieve – your story can’t move forward, and the idea of structure becomes meaningless. Repeatedly ask yourself, “What does my hero want to achieve by the end of the movie? How will the reader/audience know this is what she wants? As soon as they know my hero’s desire, can they clearly envision what achieving it will look like? And will they be rooting for my hero to reach that finish line?” Apply the same questions to whatever scene you’re creating: “What does my hero want in this scene? How is this immediate goal linked to that ultimate goal? How do my protagonist’s actions in this scene move her closer to that overall desire?” If the honest answer is “I don’t know” or “They don’t”, your structure has collapsed, and your story is dead in the water (originally a sailing term that means “adrift, not going anywhere”). - MORE, BIGGER, BADDER
Structure is built on desire, but the emotion you must elicit grows out of conflict. The more obstacles your hero must overcome, and the more impossible it seems that he will succeed, the more captivated your reader will be. The conflict must build: each successive problem, opponent, hurdle, weakness, fear and setback must be greater than those that preceded it. Whether from other characters, from forces of nature, or from within the hero himself, repeatedly ask yourself, “How can I make it even harder for my hero to achieve his desire – in this scene, and in the overall story?” - SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW
In each successive scene, something must happen that has never happened before: a new situation for the hero; a new secret to reveal; a new ally to join; and new enemy to confront; a new lover to pursue; a new (even bigger) problem to solve; a new tool for solving it; a new skill set (physical or emotional) to employ. If scenes are interchangeable, if nothing of significance changes from one scene to the next, or if actions and dialogue are repeated, you’re treading water, or circling back in your story. That is, UNLESS…
… you are purposely repeating a situation or even a line of dialogue to illustrate the changes in your hero since we previously encountered that setting, or that event, or that speech. Echoing – using repetition in this way – is a wonderful method of revealing character arc, and of keeping the audience connected to your story. - BEFORE AND AFTER
In creating the overall structure for your screenplay, look at your story as symmetrical, and divided into three sections (these are NOT the three acts – we’re looking at structure a bit differently here). Section 1 shows us your hero at the beginning of the story, living his everyday life. He’s stuck in some way – settling for something, resigned to a life that isn’t that fulfilling, perhaps, or oblivious to the fact that deep down he longs for more. If it’s a big action film with no character arc at all, we will still see a portrait of a hero who is getting by, and who has yet to face his greatest physical challenge. At the other end of this symmetrical structure is another fairly static portrait of that same hero, this time transformed. Living a different life, more mature and self-aware than he was at the beginning. Even though I’m calling this “symmetrical”, this final section may not be as long as the opening one was. But it must give us a clear picture of your hero having reaped the rewards (positive or negative) of his actions, and for finding (or not) the physical and/or emotional courage that was necessary to complete his journey. In between these before and after snapshots is the journey itself – the hero’s pursuit of that all-important goal. This is where the compelling desire and the overwhelming conflict come face to face. But without those beginning and ending sequences, the structure is incomplete, and the story won’t work. - THE OPPORTUNITY
At the end of that opening snapshot – right around page 10 of your screenplay, your hero must be presented with some opportunity. Something must happen to your hero that has never happened before, which will create her initial desire, and move her into some new situation. This is where the forward movement of your story begins, and it is out of this new situation (often geographic, always unfamiliar) that your hero’s outer motivation will ultimately emerge. - FOCUS & DETERMINATION
Whatever goal drives your hero, whatever the desire that dictates the structure, your hero must NEVER begin pursuing that goal immediately – or even at page ten. She must get acclimated to her new situation, must figure out what’s going on or where she fits in, until her fairly broad or undefined desire comes into focus. Not until around page 30 (the 25% mark, to be more precise) will she begin taking action toward the specific outer motivation that defines your story. - LINES & ARCS
Structure applies to both the outer journey of achievement, and the inner journey of transformation. In other words, as the hero moves on the visible path toward that finish line, facing ever increasing obstacles to reaching it, he must also gradually find greater and greater courage to overcome whatever wounds and fears have been holding him back and keeping him from finding real fulfillment or self worth. At each scene, along with those questions in #2 above, you must also ask yourself “How is my hero changing in this scene? How are his emotional fears revealed and tested?” And, ultimately, “What does my protagonist have the courage to do at the end of the screenplay that he didn’t have the courage to do at the beginning?” Whatever the answer, this is your hero’s character arc. - SECRETS & LIES
Superior position is the term for telling your reader and audience something that some of the characters in the film don’t know. This gives you one of your most powerful structural tools for eliciting emotion: anticipation. When we know who and where the killer is before the hero does; when we know the hero is having a secret affair; when we know the romantic comedy protagonist is pretending to be someone she’s not; when we know the planet is about to be destroyed before the inhabitants do – these all keep us guessing what will happen when the truth comes out, and when that conflict must be confronted. - TURN FANTASY INTO REALITY
Your job as a screenwriter is not simply to take the audience to incredible places and show them exciting or moving or astonishing things – it’s to make them believe they are real. The audience wants to suspend disbelief, but you’ve got to enable them to do that, by having your characters behave in consistent, credible ways. Your audience is eager to embrace fantastic, faraway worlds, bigger than life characters and startling events, but only if your characters react to them the way people in the real world would. You can throw an everyday hero into an extraordinary situation, but she must then overcome whatever conflicts she faces in ways that an everyday person could. And if she has to call on some added talent to save the day, you must reveal that talent (or ally or weapon or knowledge or magic wand) early in the story, long before it’s needed. You can even give your hero super powers, but we have to see how she got them, and they must be limited in some way to make her vulnerable.
This list certainly doesn’t cover every element or principle of plot structure that I lecture about or use with my consulting clients. Nor does it reveal all of the tools and turning points at your disposal. But every script I have ever read that followed these ten principles was properly – and effectively – structured.