The Writer's Craft: Modern Insights | Plotting | Chapter 4

 

The Writer's Craft: Modern Insights

(Plotting)

By Olivia Salter

CHAPTER 4

Plot and Situation in Modern Fiction Writing

Defining Plot in Fiction

Plot is the core of any story—it’s the engine that drives events and the framework that holds characters and conflicts together. Whether your story is plot-driven, character-driven, or atmosphere-driven, plot remains the essential force that moves the narrative forward. Even in stories focused on character development or atmosphere, the plot ensures that these elements evolve and intensify, leading to a climactic resolution.

What is a Plot?

Many definitions of plot exist, but one way to think about it is that plot is a structured series of events that work together, influenced by the characters' traits, and progressing toward a specific end. Unlike a tale, where events might occur randomly or simply happen to the characters, a plot ensures that every event is meaningfully connected. Each action and decision impacts the characters, and their traits influence the unfolding events in turn.

For example, consider jealousy. It might cause an event, such as a confrontation or a crime, or an event, like accidentally discovering a secret, might fuel jealousy in a character. The interaction between characters and events is what creates plot. Both must be integrated to keep the narrative moving cohesively, rather than feeling disjointed.

Plot as a Problem to Solve

At its heart, a plot presents a problem: what will happen to the characters? How will they react to the challenges they face? The problem can be internal, such as a character struggling with their emotions, or external, like a battle against nature or another person. These challenges or conflicts lead the story toward a resolution—what readers expect as the "ending"—which provides a sense of closure. This end doesn’t need to be neat or happy, but it does need to follow naturally from the events and characters involved.

Two Core Elements of Plot

1. Unity of Events and Characters: In a well-crafted plot, events and characters are interwoven. Characters influence events, and events shape the characters in return. This interaction is essential to creating a story that feels organic rather than episodic.
2. Climactic Progression: Each event in a plot should build upon the previous one, moving toward a peak or climax. This doesn’t always mean non-stop action or rising tension, but each event should contribute to advancing the story toward its conclusion. Readers should feel a sense of momentum, knowing that something is building, whether it’s an emotional resolution or a dramatic showdown.

The Three Basic Types of Conflict

Most stories fall into one of three categories of conflict, each offering a different kind of plot challenge:

1. Man vs. Nature: Here, the character is up against external, often uncontrollable forces—whether it’s a natural disaster, the wilderness, or disease. These stories often explore human endurance and resilience.
2. Man vs. Man: This conflict pits characters against each other, often in direct opposition. Whether it’s a rivalry, a battle of wits, or a physical confrontation, the drama comes from their interactions and struggles.
3. Man vs. Self: This internal conflict is about a character’s struggle with their own desires, fears, or morals. It’s introspective and often reveals deep emotional or psychological layers.

Complication and Dramatic Value

Complication: the presence of obstacles or layers of conflict—can enhance a plot, especially in action or plot-driven stories. However, it’s not essential. In character-driven or atmosphere-focused stories, adding too many complications can detract from the core narrative, disrupting the pacing and weakening the emotional impact. In short stories, which thrive on focus and brevity, it’s usually best to concentrate on a single conflict or climactic progression. Novels, on the other hand, have room for more complexity and subplots, as they can explore multiple dimensions of the story.

Plot as Drama

The essence of plot is drama—conflict between opposing forces, whether internal or external. This clash creates tension and uncertainty, keeping the reader engaged. The struggle might be between two characters, but it’s manifested in their actions and decisions, not just their internal thoughts or emotions. It’s the way these characters act and react that forms the heart of the drama.

Building the Plot: Key Elements

To effectively construct a plot, certain essential elements must be in place. These elements ensure that the story flows logically and keeps the reader engaged. Here's a breakdown of some key aspects that contribute to a well-structured plot:

1. Introduction: The introduction sets the stage for the story. It establishes the characters, setting, and the initial situation or conflict. This phase helps readers understand the world of the story and the stakes involved. The introduction should provide just enough information to intrigue the audience and set up the coming action.
2. Rising Action: After the initial setup, the story enters a phase where tension and complexity begin to build. Characters encounter obstacles, and events unfold that lead them toward the central conflict. This rising action is crucial for maintaining reader interest, as it introduces the primary problems or challenges the characters will need to face.
3. Climax: The climax is the story’s turning point—the moment of greatest tension or conflict. This is where everything the story has been building toward comes to a head. It’s often where characters make crucial decisions or face significant challenges that determine the outcome of the story. The climax can be emotional, physical, or psychological, but it must be the highest point of the narrative's intensity.
4. Falling Action: After the climax, the story begins to move toward resolution. The characters deal with the aftermath of the climax, and the consequences of their actions unfold. This is where loose ends are tied up, and the characters begin to move toward some form of closure, whether positive or negative.
5. Resolution: The resolution is the conclusion of the story. Here, the central conflict is resolved, and the characters’ fates are sealed. Whether the story ends on a hopeful note, with the protagonist overcoming their obstacles, or tragically, with defeat or loss, the resolution brings the narrative full circle.

The Role of Conflict in Plot Development

At the heart of every plot is conflict. Without it, there’s no story. Conflict drives characters to make choices and take action, and it pushes the narrative toward its ultimate resolution. A well-developed conflict not only sustains interest but also deepens the reader’s connection to the characters and their journey.

There are several types of conflict that can shape a story:

• External Conflict: This is a conflict between a character and outside forces, such as other characters, society, or nature. It’s the most visible type of conflict and often provides the most immediate drama.
• Internal Conflict: Internal conflict occurs when a character struggles with their own emotions, desires, or moral dilemmas. This type of conflict is more introspective and can lead to profound character development.

A strong plot often contains both types of conflict, interweaving them so that external events reflect or exacerbate a character’s internal struggles. This duality makes for rich, layered storytelling.

Plot as a Problem-Solving Device

A compelling plot isn’t just about conflict—it’s about resolution. At its core, a plot presents a problem that the characters must solve. Whether the story focuses on a physical challenge (surviving in a dangerous environment), a social one (navigating interpersonal dynamics), or an internal one (overcoming self-doubt or fear), the characters’ journey toward solving the problem is what drives the plot forward.

The problem-solution dynamic also allows the reader to engage with the story as a puzzle, asking themselves, "What will happen next?" and "How will the characters resolve this situation?" This sense of anticipation keeps readers invested in the story and its outcome.

Climactic Value in Plot

Not every story needs to follow a traditional structure with rising action and a single, explosive climax, but every story needs to have climactic value. This means that the events of the story must build toward something significant—an emotional peak, a revelation, or a decisive moment of action. Each scene should contribute to this build-up, pushing the characters toward a conclusion that feels earned and satisfying.

Climactic value can take many forms:

• Emotional Climax: In character-driven stories, the climax might be an emotional moment where the protagonist comes to terms with a major truth about themselves or someone else. This moment of self-discovery or catharsis is just as powerful as a physical climax in an action-oriented plot.
• Physical Climax: In action-oriented stories, the climax might involve a final battle, chase, or confrontation. The characters’ physical actions determine the outcome, and the tension comes from whether or not they’ll succeed in their goals.
• Psychological Climax: In more introspective stories, the climax might involve a character making a pivotal decision or overcoming an internal obstacle. These stories focus less on external events and more on the inner workings of the characters' minds.

Regardless of the form it takes, the climax must be a moment of resolution—where something important shifts, changes, or is resolved.

Plot as a Dynamic Framework

A well-crafted plot is more than a series of events strung together. It’s a dynamic framework that reflects the characters' growth, the challenges they face, and the ultimate resolution of the story’s central conflict. By understanding the interaction between character and event, and by carefully structuring the story to build toward a climax, writers can create plots that are both engaging and meaningful.

Situations and Plot

The situation in a story is the context or set of circumstances that define the characters’ reality. It’s the “what’s happening” of the story. However, a situation is not a plot on its own. For instance, a group of people stranded on a deserted island is a situation, but the plot emerges when we ask: How do they survive? What do they do? What conflicts arise among them?

In essence, the plot takes a situation and transforms it into a narrative by introducing conflict, decision-making, and resolution. While situations provide the backdrop, it’s the plot that propels the story forward by making the characters active participants in their circumstances.

Major Plot Structures

Different stories follow different plot structures, but a few common templates can be observed across many forms of storytelling:

1. Linear Plot: A straightforward, chronological progression of events. This is the most common structure, with the story following a clear beginning, middle, and end.
2. Non-linear Plot: A plot that doesn’t follow a chronological order. Flashbacks, parallel timelines, or fragmented storytelling can create a more complex narrative that keeps readers guessing.
3. Circular Plot: A story that ends where it began, often with the protagonist returning to a familiar situation, but changed by the journey.
4. Fractured Plot: Stories with multiple perspectives or timelines that converge at key moments, offering different angles on the same events.

Each of these structures can be used to create unique and compelling narratives, depending on the effect the writer wants to achieve.

Three Basic Themes of Plot

While plots can vary in structure and complexity, they often revolve around three core thematic conflicts. These serve as the foundation for most narratives, offering a framework that writers can use to develop their stories:

1. Conflict Between Man and Nature:

This theme centers around a character's struggle against the natural world, which can include anything from surviving harsh environments, battling disease, or contending with natural disasters. The natural world becomes an antagonist, and the tension arises from the character’s fight to overcome external forces beyond their control. In such plots, the story often explores themes of human endurance, resilience, and the fragile relationship between humanity and nature.

Examples:

• A mountaineer trapped in a snowstorm.
• A sailor navigating treacherous waters.
• A city under siege by a natural disaster like a flood or hurricane.

2. Conflict Between Man and Man:

The conflict between individuals is one of the most classic and versatile plot structures. Whether it’s physical, intellectual, or emotional, the confrontation between two or more characters generates tension and drama. This type of conflict can arise from differing goals, values, desires, or misunderstandings, and it plays out in relationships between protagonists and antagonists, lovers, rivals, friends, or enemies.

Examples:

• A detective pursuing a criminal mastermind.
• A political rivalry between two leaders.
• Two friends competing for the same prize or love interest.

3. Conflict Within the Same Man:

This is the internal conflict a character faces within themselves, often involving moral dilemmas, personal doubts, or emotional struggles. Stories driven by internal conflict focus on character growth, introspection, and the psychological challenges that can arise from facing difficult choices or reconciling opposing desires or beliefs. These stories emphasize emotional depth and character development and often result in the most transformative journeys for the protagonist.

Examples:

• A person grappling with guilt after making a life-altering mistake.
• A character torn between duty to family and personal dreams.
• A hero struggling to overcome fear and self-doubt.

These thematic conflicts form the basis of most plots, and often, more than one will be present in the same story, adding layers of complexity and depth.

Plot and Character Development: The Symbiotic Relationship

Characters and plot are interdependent; they shape and influence each other. Plot determines what happens, but it’s the characters’ decisions and actions in response to events that create the progression of the story. Likewise, a well-developed plot allows characters to reveal their traits, values, and motivations.

Here are a few ways plot and character interact:

1. Character-Driven Plots:

In these stories, the plot is shaped by the decisions, motivations, and development of the characters. The focus is on how individuals grow and change as they navigate the events of the story. These narratives often center on personal journeys, relationships, and internal conflicts.

Example:

A young artist must decide whether to pursue their dreams or conform to societal expectations. The plot evolves from the choices the character makes, exploring the consequences of each decision.

2. Event-Driven Plots:

In these plots, external events largely determine the course of the story, and characters react to these events. While character development is still important, the focus is more on the unfolding of action and events rather than internal growth.

Example:

A natural disaster strikes a small town, and the plot follows how the residents react to the crisis and try to survive. The characters' responses may be influenced by their personalities, but the driving force is the external event.

3. The Balancing Act:

The most compelling stories often strike a balance between character and event-driven elements. In such plots, external events challenge the characters, forcing them to make decisions that reveal their personalities, values, and inner conflicts. The result is a dynamic interplay between character and plot that makes the story engaging on multiple levels.

Climax and Resolution: Tying It All Together

The climax is often seen as the "big moment" in a story, but it's also the moment when the plot’s conflicts (both external and internal) reach their peak. Here, the protagonist must face the problem head-on, and their decisions and actions in this moment will define the outcome of the story. The climax should feel inevitable, the result of all the preceding events and character development.

A strong resolution follows the climax and provides closure for the story’s central conflicts. The resolution doesn’t always have to be a happy ending—it just needs to be a satisfying conclusion that ties up the story’s key themes and conflicts in a way that feels organic and earned.

In stories where internal conflict is a driving force, the resolution may involve the protagonist coming to terms with themselves, even if external circumstances don’t change much. In more action-driven plots, the resolution often involves the resolution of the external conflict, such as a victory over the antagonist or the successful completion of a mission.

The Role of Subplots in Enhancing the Main Plot

Subplots add complexity and depth to a story by introducing secondary conflicts or relationships that complement or contrast with the main plot. While the main plot drives the central narrative, subplots can provide additional emotional resonance, reveal different facets of characters, or explore themes in greater detail.

Effective subplots:

• Reflect or Contrast the Main Plot: A subplot can mirror the central conflict, offering a different perspective or reinforcing the themes of the main story. Alternatively, it can present a contrasting situation that highlights the stakes or decisions in the main plot.

Example:

In a story about a hero battling external forces to save their village, a subplot might involve their personal struggle to reconcile with a family member, echoing the theme of conflict and resolution on a more intimate scale.

• Introduce Supporting Characters: Subplots often give supporting characters their own arcs, allowing the story to explore the world beyond the protagonist’s journey. These secondary arcs can deepen the reader’s engagement with the story and its themes.

Example:

In a mystery novel, the protagonist’s partner might have their own investigation that parallels or intersects with the main case, offering a different viewpoint or critical piece of the puzzle.

• Provide Emotional Counterbalance: Subplots can also serve to lighten or intensify the tone of the main plot. For instance, a comedic subplot can provide relief in an otherwise tense story, while a tragic subplot can heighten the emotional stakes of the main conflict.

Example:

In a drama about a couple going through a difficult divorce, a subplot involving their child’s coming-of-age experience can add emotional depth and create a parallel narrative about growth and separation.

Plotting in Different Genres

The structure and pacing of a plot can vary depending on the genre of the story. Understanding the conventions of different genres can help writers craft plots that meet reader expectations while allowing for creativity and surprise. Here’s how plot might differ across some popular genres:

• Action/Adventure: Plots in this genre are usually event-driven and fast-paced, with a strong emphasis on external conflict. The protagonist is often thrust into dangerous situations and must rely on quick thinking and physical prowess to overcome obstacles.
• Romance: In romance plots, the central conflict revolves around the characters’ relationships. Emotional and interpersonal challenges drive the plot, with the resolution often culminating in the couple coming together (or sometimes parting ways, in the case of more tragic romances).
• Mystery/Thriller: Plots in mysteries and thrillers are often structured around uncovering secrets or solving a puzzle. The climax typically reveals the truth, while the rising action is filled with clues, red herrings, and suspense.
• Horror: Horror plots often center on the characters’ struggle against an external force (a monster, ghost, or killer) or an internal fear. The rising tension builds toward a terrifying climax, with the resolution often leaving lingering fear or uncertainty.
• Fantasy/Science Fiction: Plots in these genres often involve world-building and exploration of new realities. The conflict might revolve around quests, battles for power, or moral dilemmas related to technology, magic, or the nature of humanity.

Understanding the specific needs and expectations of the chosen genre allows writers to tailor their plot structures accordingly while still injecting originality and creativity into their storytelling.

In conclusion, modern fiction, plot remains the vital mechanism that transforms characters, actions, and atmosphere into a cohesive narrative. Whether your story focuses on intense action, psychological depth, or a vivid sense of place, the plot will guide it toward resolution. Understanding the interaction between characters and events—and how each step propels the story forward—allows writers to craft compelling, resonant fiction.

Mastering the elements of plot is essential for creating a story that captivates and resonates with readers. By understanding the interplay between conflict, character, and climax, and by utilizing structure, subplots, and genre conventions effectively, writers can craft narratives that are both compelling and memorable. 

Plot is not just the skeleton of a story—it’s the dynamic force that brings characters, events, and themes together. By understanding how to construct a strong plot, writers can craft stories that resonate with readers, keeping them invested from beginning to end.