In a conversation published in The Writer, writing coach Jamie Morris and writing professor Ryan Van Cleave discuss various aspects of plot, including their definition of this vital story element.
Van Cleave’s definition: “Plot is a series of events that are deliberately arranged so as to reveal their dramatic, thematic, and emotional significance. That means both what to include and what NOT to include. This is as opposed to the generic term story, which I explain as a series of events told in their chronological order.”
However, not all successful stories are told in strict chronological order. Some start at the end and work backwards, and others start with a cliffhanger then jump back to where the story begins.
They also discuss the difference between plot and character arc, which in a character-driven story may seem interchangeable. “Character arc is the point of the story (for the most part), but a character involved only in some internal self-development process doesn’t make for good story,” Morris says. “Plot, on the other hand, does. And when plot is used (as it should be) to move the character forward, then the two – plot and character arc – are so closely entwined, it’s difficult to say where one starts and the other ends.”
The bottom line to a strong plot? “Get your character in trouble. Over and over again,” Morris says. “Making things bad for your character – and then making them worse – is a strategy that’s likely to lead to a dynamic (if painful) plot. So dig deep and toss all the manure at your character your story will bear. And then they can make the change the story has been pushing them toward.”
