How to Construct Plot in Fiction

Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
edited January 2012 in Life
This is a somewhat lengthy post that I wrote on how to outline and create a plot for any fiction story. I'll post a fraction of it, and you can read the whole thing - if this is a topic that interests you - here on my blog.

Exposition - This is the beginning of the novel, and it is where the writer introduces all of, or most of, the main characters that will appear throughout the story. It also introduces the protagonist, and describes what sort of character he or she is. This part of the novel is also used to describe the setting, which is especially important in Science Fiction and Fantasy novels, where the reader needs to be able to visualise where the story is actually taking place. This is a critical part of the novel, as it needs to ‘hook’ the reader in and make them want to keep reading, you don’t need to really flesh your characters out just yet, but it is crucial to make a good first impression for the reader here. Once the exposition is over, the next part of the plot begins, or thickens – the introduction of conflict.

Rising Action - This is where the novel starts to build its tension, which increases gradually until the novel’s climax, where the tension snaps like a guitar string that has been strung too tightly. The reader should be kept on the edge of their seat, as a writer you should aim to keep reader’s up at night reading or thinking about what will happen next. The tension doesn’t have to be physical – it can be psychological, it can be subtle or it can be blatantly obvious – but it needs to have some sort of rising action. Generally this phase of the novel involves the protagonist (and the reader) understanding his/her mission, and the starting steps towards realising it. Problems need to arise at this stage of the novel; therefore any obstacle to get in the way of the lead character is essential, even the protagonist can be an obstacle to him/herself. You can’t have a novel where nothing happens, well you can, but no one will read it, loved ones will pretend to have read it at best. At the completion of this phase, the protagonist can finally see his goal in sight and can go towards it without obstruction.

Climax - This is when all that tension you’ve built up starts to unravel, much to the reader’s excitement. At this stage of the novel, the protagonist’s qualities really have to shine through, the reader must see the lead character in a tense situation and see how they deal with it. This is where the fate of the story and its characters starts to reveal itself. The climax is a point of no turning back, for the characters or the reader, unless it’s a ‘choose your own ending’ type story (please make sure it isn’t) then the reader is forced to read on and accept whatever decisions you as a writer make for your characters. The ending you write is the ending your readers have to read, so don’t disappoint! Generally, a final confrontation of some sort should take place now.

Falling Action - This is where all the pieces are collected and the loose ends are tied, the reader is being parachuted down from above and needs to be given some time to absorb everything that has happened in your climax. It is up to you how often you do this, you can if you like, have a succession of mini climaxes followed by ‘rest’ periods of shorter and shorter duration and then end it on a big climax. I’m not going to tell you how to write your story, but that is something you can consider. Readers will be aware that they are reaching the end of the novel when they hit this stage, so naturally this part of the plot can often be the most tense and exciting. It is a good idea at this time to reveal details about characters and situations that were unknown before now. This phase ends, cools off, and starts off again as the end of the story – the resolution of the hero’s adventure.

Denouement - This is the final stage of the novel’s story, and is the exact opposite of the beginning exposition phase. Instead of setting the scene where the story begins and takes place, it sets the after scene – the events following the climax/falling action phases. This is usually where the protagonist and antagonist have a final showdown, or if the protagonist is his own antagonist, this is where he comes to terms with him or herself. This is where everything is put into place, and might take the longest time to write. Make sure when you’re writing this, you often stand back and read it as though you were reading someone else’s work, are you satisfied with the way the story is ending? Another tip is to write the end of the novel first; this might sound silly, but it will give you direction when writing the rest of the novel, as you will always have to ask yourself ‘what is the best way to reach this point (the ending)?’

If you’re in the process of writing your own novel then I hope your plot contains all of the above elements, if not then it’s back to the drawing… err… writing board! You should always have these questions in your head when you are designing the plot of your story:

What’s this story about?
Is anything happening?
Why should I keep reading?
Why should I care?


And there you have it, again you can read the rest here.
If any of you have any plot or writing advice or simply want to share a cool plot idea feel free to!

Comments

  • SlartibartfastSlartibartfast Global Moderator -__-
    edited January 2012
    I've often noticed than many stories have suprise mini-climaxes. Just when the reader thinks everything is winding up, something happens that requires more actions. Although come to think of it, it's probably just apart of the one climax.


    I've often wondered how much thought fiction writers put into their stuff, if it's all planned or just written off the cuff and then revised.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited January 2012
    It's really up to the writer how a climax is formed, some prefer to tease the reader to build suspense while others like to drop a climax like an atom bomb that will really stick in the reader's memories. The amount of planning put into a story also varies greatly between writers, most good pieces of fiction require at least some sort of basic planning - every story needs a skeleton before flesh can be put on it. Some writers write freely and then edit later, I know some writers write drunk and then edit sober. Then there are the fiction writers who go to great lengths to plan and structure their novel, usually by drawing parallels through repetition of words or phrases, use of symbolism, point of view, past/present/future tense, narrator's voice, chapter length, use of or lack of descriptive sentences, rhythm (how it reads out loud), flow etc. These sorts of writers generally have sticky notes posted on every centimeter of their home to remind them of the direction their novel is moving towards, or they use writing apps like Scrivener.
  • RemadERemadE Global Moderator
    edited January 2012
    I like to tease girls by thinking I'm climaxing, but then I roll over and go to sleep alone and cold.
    But seriously, this is a good template. I'm doing a story and posting it here which I don't intend to have a clear end, climax or the like, and this is rather useful.
  • PacoPaco me administrator
    edited January 2012
    This is really helpful. I'm writing a short film at the moment, I plan on using this to help me out.
  • Caramello KoalaCaramello Koala Acolyte
    edited January 2012
    @RemadE: Cool, glad you got something out of this, my time writing this wasn't wasted it seems! I noticed your story on the forum, I only had time to read chapter 1 but it's very good so far and you should be proud. Needs a little editing, but so does all writing in their early stages. Once it's finished you should look in to self publishing, these two articles will no doubt help you with that:

    1. Self Publishing - 25 Things You Need to Know
    2. How to Self Publish an E-Book

    @Paco: Good to know you can use this for your short film! I didn't write it with that in mind, but a good plot is essential to any work of cinema, so good for you!

    Thanks for the positive feedback so far guys
  • chippychippy <b style="color:pink;">Global Moderator</b>
    edited January 2012
    Good article, someone should publish this.
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