The Ever Elusive Plot

• Ever felt frustrated while trying to begin your story?? Never know where to start?

• Well in this presentation I hope to help you solve those big plot problems. I will be; explaining what a plot line is, giving helpful tips on how to come up with one, describing the basics of plot line writing, and revealing author tips.

• Just remember the BIG rule of thumb: never think you CAN’T.

What is a Plot?

A plot/plot line is a literary term referring to the sequence of events in a story.

According to Aristotle, plot is the most important element of drama, more so than character. And a good plot can arouse emotion in the viewer/reader.

Aristotle also said, a plot must have a beginning, a middle and an end. The events in the plot also must relate.

The 5 Elements of a Plot

Gustav Freytag was the first to come up with the 5 basic elements of a plot. He said that plot was a narrative structure for a story, one in which any good story should follow.

These 5 elements are:• Exposition• Rising action• Climax• Falling action• And resolution

Plot element:

Exposition

The exposition part of the story is when the reader begins to learn about the characters and setting of the story. Also the reader should be able pick up on the genre the story is. The most important goal in the exposition is making sure the reader gets to know the main character (protagonist). The protagonist should also learn of there goal in the story. This section ends with the introduction of conflict.

Plot element: Rising action

This part of the story often shows the main character involved in a struggle of some sort. He or she experiences problems and complications while on there path towards there main goal. At this point in the story a major conflict is presented, it can even begin with a character dying.

Plot element: Climax

The point of climax is the turning point of the story, where the main character makes the single big decision that defines the outcome of their story and who they are as a person. The climax (or crisis) is often short, but it is the most exciting part. The main character’s struggles come to a head. You’ll know this part because in most stories it will be the scene with a defining battle

Plot element: Falling action

In this part of the story loose ends are being tied up. However, it is often the time of greatest overall tension in the story, because it is the phase in which everything goes most wrong. In most cases this is when evil seems to triumph over good, and the main character must have the greatest resolve in this section.

Plot element: Resolution

The resolution (or denouement) is the conclusion of the story. In this phase a final confrontation happens between the protagonist and the antagonist, it is then decided who wins.

*remember antagonist do not always have to be people.

Plot Outlining

Still feeling a little overwhelmed about making a plot? While the five elements are good rules to stick by, it still isn’t quite enough to feel like you can just jump into it. If you can then great, if not don’t worry.

Next up we will go over how to successfully outline your plot for your story. It’s only about an hour long process, but worth it for a story that will flow and come together successfully.

The 8 easy steps to making your outline

• The first element to include in your plot outline is the Story Goal

• Next is the Consequence, which is the negative situation or event that will result if the Goal of the story is not achieved

• The third element is Requirements, which describes what must be accomplished in order to achieve the goal of the story

• Forewarnings are the opposite of requirements. They make the reader anxious that the consequence will occur before the protagonist can succeed.

The 8 easy steps to making your outline continued

• A good sign that the problem or goal for your story matters to the protagonist is that they are willing to make sacrifices or suffer pain in order to achieve it. Such sacrifices are called Costs.

• Opposite of cost is Dividends. Dividends are rewards the characters received during the story, though they are not required to succeed with the main objective

• Prerequisites are events that must happen in order for the Requirements to happen. They are an added layer of challenges to your plot outline

• And the last element is Preconditions, which are small impediments in the plot. They are stipulations laid down by certain characters that make it more difficult for the Story Goal to be achieved.

Author quick tips on kicking off a storySome tips if your still struggling:• Try writing an action scene that will

be in your book remember you don’t have to write from start to finish in order

• Try just starting with the problem your character will have to solve

• For character develop use what you see around, base them off people you know.

• I hope this will help you on your quest to writing the perfect plot

Work citedChristakos, Caterina. "How to Come Up with Fresh Story

Ideas." How to Come Up with Fresh Story Ideas. Streetdirectory, 2012. Web. 09 Sept. 2012. <http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/10676/writing/how_to_come_up_with_fresh_story_ideas.html>.

Rippel, Marie. "Plot Lines." - Reading. Heidi Shelton Jenck, 2012. Web. 09 Sept. 2012. <http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art37977.asp>.

Strathy, Glen. "How To Create A Plot Outline In 8 Easy Steps." Create A Plot Outline In 8 Easy Steps. SBA, 2012. Web. 09 Sept. 2012. <http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/plot-outline.html>.