Plotting the plot
Plot is both the most complicated and least complicated aspect of a story. Take any story and try to tell me what the plot is for that story. Now you have to stop and think about that don’t you? Why? Because the plot of a story runs on multiple levels.Back in school, you were probably taught that the plot is what happens in the story. That is very true, but at the same time, it doesn’t say nearly enough, does it?
On the most basic level, the plot might break down to boy meets girl, boy and girl like each other, boy and girl get into a fight, boy and girl go different ways. Does that really tell you what happened in the story? Actually, it probably tells you what happened in hundreds of stories.
On the other level, the plot is all about those intricate details. How did the boy and girl meet? Who are their friends? What did they eat for dinner? But how do we make this deeper level work for us?
I don’t know how you work with your plot, but for me, I like to focus on something other than plotting. I like to focus on my characters. How well do you really know them? If you’re doing your job, they should be like close friends, maybe even more than that. Remember, as the writer, you can look inside their heads and snoop around. They are your characters, so you should have a pretty good idea of what makes them tick.
Now that’s you’ve become better acquainted with your characters, think about the places where they are going to take a stand. In the novel I’m working on, the male character made a decision to never work at a job where he couldn’t just walk away from it when he wanted. I think that calls for a situation where he really has to think about that decision. Can I work my plot so that has to happen?
Your plot should continually challenge your characters beliefs and opinions. Sure there will be down times in the story, but always use the time to explore who your character are.
