The most important thing I can say about plot is this: don’t make your plot too complicated! Other than that, plot is the sequence of events, each caused by a previous event, that tells your story. It consists of a beginning, middle, and end, otherwise known as rising action, climax, and resolution.
Introduce the characters, the background, the setting, and the conflict in the rising action. This is the longest part of the story. During the rising action, the plot becomes more complicated until it reaches the climax.
The climax is the turning point of the story. This is the point at which the tension is the highest. During the climax, the characters address the conflict and attempt to solve it.
The resolution consists of anything after the climax. Loose ends are tied up and the story comes to an end during this part of the plot.
A story may have subplots, which are mini problems that add layers to the main plot. These subplots have their own rising actions, climaxes, and resolutions, creating many little peaks in the tension before the main climax peaks.
On a final note, I want to talk about endings. Try to avoid clichés or tricks, such as “it was all a dream,” as well as the evil twin or surprise ending, and the villain-explains-all ending. These have been over done and leave the reader feeling cheated. The surprise ending can work, on occasion, if the surprise was built up to throughout the story; however, it is best to use this tactic with caution. Just remember - endings have to make sense to the readers, not just to you. |
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