The power of plot
“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”
― Ray Bradbury, Zen in the Art of Writing
As a Melbourne copywriter and novelist, let me tell you a little about the power of plot.
We’ve all read a book that’s kept us glued to our seat — made us want to read one more page before making the kids’ breakfast or turning out the light to go to sleep. Just one more — to see if the protagonist burgles that house or posts that letter or kisses their lover goodbye for the final time… just ONE page. Okay, maybe two!
Like a well-developed character, a well-structured plot is guaranteed to keep your story moving and your reader steaming through your book.
At its most basic, plot is a series of cause and effect events that move the narrative forward. But there’s more to it than that.
Have you ever suffered through the retelling of a film or story? A tedious explanation of events that distract the narrator from the fact you’re slowly dying in front of them. ‘This happens then this happens then this…’ A sequence of actions unfolding, HOPEFULLY, towards an end.
What you heard was the raw material of the story. A plot, yes, but without the rise and fall of the tension that makes a narrative really juicy.
To design an engaging plot, a writer must reveal just enough, at the right intervals, to keep the reader guessing. They should throw up challenges and set-backs for the character to stumble over — to create plot tension.
Unlike real life, our stories are not a set of random events, but are incidents strung between plot-points on a story structure. A story structure is a way of ordering the plot, and can also be used to increase or decrease narrative tension.
Renowned author, E.M Forster, demonstrates the power of plot in his book Aspects of the Novel, by noting the difference between a simple story and an engaging plot. He says:
‘The King died and then the Queen died,’ is a STORY.
The King died and then the Queen died of grief,’ is a PLOT
Now it’s your turn to put plot into action. Take a scene from your story, or a scene you have in mind, and identify the cause and effect events in it. Then note, do they make sense and do they move the story forward? If not, reflect on their purpose.
Would you like to learn more about creating a riveting plot for your story? As a published author, I help writers develop their fiction and non-fiction work.
As a Melbourne copywriter, I can also help you improve your business or creative project with SEO website copywriting, marketing support, business copywriting, LinkedIn profile, proofreading and editing, and much more.
Visit my services page — Copywriter Melbourne or drop me a line via my Contact page.
Happy writing!
