Fiction Writing and Plot Development

How to Develop a Plot for a Story or Novel

Feb 20, 2009 Carol Rzadkiewicz

The plot is a roadmap, and without this map to follow, characters in a story are apt to wander around with no real sense of purpose and no clear destination in mind.

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, one definition of the word “plot” is “the plan of action” for a written work (2006, p. 1095). When it comes to fiction, therefore, plot is what a story is about: first this happens; then that happens; then something else happens, and so on until the story reaches its conclusion. In other words, the plot is a “roadmap” for characters to follow as they progress from the story’s opening sentence to its closing sentence. Moroever, this roadmap ensures order and coherence in events.

Fiction Writing and Advance Planning

Yet, though most people realize the importance of having a map to follow when traveling unfamiliar territory, many novice writers fail to realize the importance of having a map for their characters to follow in a storyline. In fact, some beginners argue that one should allow one’s characters to dictate the plot by giving them free rein as they progress from point A to point B then on to points beyond.

The problem with this approach is that one’s characters can easily become distracted along the way; and before one knows it, those characters are wandering around with no sense of purpose and no clear destination in mind. Moreover, if one allows one’s characters to dictate the plot, one is apt to find oneself with a 2,000-plus-page-and-still-growing manuscript and no end in sight, as does Professor Tripp, played by Michael Douglas, in the delightful movie Wonder Boys (Paramount Pictures, 2000).

Fiction Writing and Lightning Bolts of Illumination

So how does one begin to develop a map for a story? Naturally one begins with an idea, which may spring from something one hears, sees, or reads, or else may arrive in a “lightning bolt” of illumination, that “a-ha” moment that often heralds a moment of genuine creative insight (Harman & Rheingold, 1984, p. 5).

Such moments of creative epiphany, after all, have provided inspiration for many of the greatest creative minds of all time; for example, the composer Tchaikovsky claimed, "The germ of a future composition comes suddenly and unexpectedly . . . takes root with extraordinary force and rapidity, shoots up through the earth, puts forth branches and leaves, and finally blossoms" (Harman & Rheingold, 1984, p. 46).

Fiction Writing and Plot Development

Regardless of the manner in which one arrives at an idea for a story. that initial idea provides but the starting point for the plot. It’s up to the writer to expand upon that idea and to keep expanding until he or she has a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Moreover, it’s important to remember that a plot is not a series of disconnected events, nor is it a rambling account of a character’s thoughts and/or actions, although some stories, most notably Katherine Anne Porter’s “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall,” have been successfully based entirely upon a character’s thoughts.

Fiction Writing and Plot Structure

Such devices, however, are best left to those writers who, like Porter, can utilize them with a measure of finesse. Most writers, especially novice writers, should develop a plot with structure, meaning one that, like a well-designed roadway, is built upon a solid foundation (initial idea); is not filled with potholes (unexplained twists and turns); avoids dead-ends and delays (superfluous dialogue, description, and action); takes travelers (readers) through interesting and sometimes even scenic locales (setting); provides the most direct route to an ultimate destination (conclusion); and allows travelers to arrive at that destination refreshed and perhaps even grateful for the ride.

Readers who found this article beneficial might also enjoy reading "How to Write Realistic Dialogue" and "Choosing the Best Point of View for a Novel or Story."

References:

• Harman, W. & Rheingold, H. (1984) Higher Creativity: Liberating the Unconscious through Breakthrough Insights. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 84
• Webster’s New World Dictionary (2006) New York: Simon and Schuster

The copyright of the article Fiction Writing and Plot Development in Writing Fiction is owned by Carol Rzadkiewicz. Permission to republish Fiction Writing and Plot Development in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Developing a Plot	Creating a Plot for a Story	Tips for Writing a Story
Tips for Writing Fiction

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Feb 24, 2009 8:45 AM

Guest :

Great article Ms. Carol. I'm finding there is power in both approaches, but as always, it depends on the caliber of the writer, and the expectations of the reader. When I read Stephen King - I sometimes hang around for the style and the wordsmithing as much as for the plot, which is, during long spans in any given work, not very strong. However, whenever I read John Saul, the plot is fast, furious, and obviously premediated to the very last detail. When I write myself, my mood decides how I'm going to approach the story; if I'm in love with the characters, then I want everyone else to be in love with them, too. I thusly I let them decide how they're going to get to the destination, minding to keep their thoughts and actions coherently anchored to reaching the one climactic event that is going to occur. If I have an event that is more powerful than the characters, then I map the plotline of the entire story by carfully rendering an itinerary to which each character must adhere. (This tactic is employed when I know how a story is going to end) That's not to say I don't go back and strengthen characters after the fact, as sometimes I don't fall in love with them until after I've subjected them to the circumstances. I do the same thing with my first approach, because it's hard to have great characters who just sit there being great...but don't really do anything. This article will serve to help remind me to place the highest priority on that second (and third, and fourth...)revision in order to strive to attain the symbiotic relationship necessary to really pen a story worth my readers' time.

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