Writing Tips: More On Plots

Let's talk more about plots. You know you want to!

Remember the last post I wrote about plots?  Today I'm going to have you read an excerpt by author (and former literary agent) Nathan Bransford on his description of a plot.  His is amazing and really nails it on the head, in my opinion.  When I read through his description of a plot, it just clicks and makes sense.

And now Nathan's excerpt on plots:

Think of a book like a really big door, preferably one of those Parisian ones that are thick and heavy and last hundreds of years. Here's how it breaks down. Bullet point time!

• The premise is what happens to knock the door ajar. Something sets the protagonist's life out of balance. Preferably something really intriguing or like totally deep man.
• The climax is when the door closes. Maybe the protagonist made it through the door, maybe they didn't make it through the door but learned a really great lesson about door closing, maybe the door chopped them in half.
• The theme is how the person opening the door changes along the way.

What's the plot? The plot is what keeps the door open!! Why can't that person close the door?

So basically, plot is a premise plus a major complication that tests the protagonist. It's what opens the door plus what's keeping the door from being closed.

Check out these examples:

GILEAD: An aging man writes a letter to his young son (premise) because he doesn't think he'll live long enough for his son to really know him (complication -- also don't you want to cry already?)

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET: A young orphan in Paris wants to repair an automaton because he thinks it will give him a letter from his deceased father (premise -- also tears), but in order to do so he must avoid the Station Inspector and enlist the help of a mysterious toy store owner (complication).

A good plot starts with an interesting premise and an interesting door-block. A great plot also implies a quest and a resolution, which is what makes the reader want to read more. We don't like chaos, we want to see order restored, we want an interesting journey along the way, and we want to see the ways a character changes after facing these obstacles.

Read more from Nathan Bransford on his website:  NathanBransford.com -- trust me, you'll be glad you did!  Be sure to bookmark his site too.