There are those who say that there are only 7 basic plots. These basic plots are as follows:
1) (wo)man vs. nature
2) (wo)man vs. man
4) (wo)man vs. the environment
5) (wo)man vs. machines/technology
6) (wo)man vs. god/religion

That is about as basic as you can get. I don’t know about you, but I need more than that to my storyline. The above “plots” lack characters and a story; they are simply conflicts. Conflicts - lots of them - are needed to put together a plot. The events that happen and propel both your characters and your story onward is your plot.

I have decided to write a story about spiders. Why did I choose spiders? Spiders are one of the things that I am afraid of, at least a little. There is a valid reason for my fear (at least I think it is valid) - I am allergic to spider bites. Your fears can be used to build your plot on. Decide what your fears are and figure out who else would have the same fears.

What is the first event that will take place in the story? Kathy comes home from work and notices that something isn’t right in her house, but she can’t figure out what it is. Since she had a rough day at work, she figures that it is probably just her imagination so she decides to read the paper first. There is an article on the front page about poisonous spiders being found in a crate of bananas at the local supermarket. She throws the paper down, trying to get the thought of those creepy spiders out of her head.

Why did that happen? To clue the reader in that for some reason Kathy does not like spiders. There must be some reason that Kathy is afraid of spiders. Maybe she is allergic to them, maybe someone scared her with spiders when she was a little girl, or maybe she just doesn’t like the way they look.

Then she notices what is wrong - there is a fedora on the back of the couch. One just like her dead father used to wear. Now she really starts to get nervous because she knows that the fedora wasn’t left there by her. Someone has definitely been in her house.

Now I need to decide who my characters are. There are some questions I need to answer about these characters. What are their needs? Which one of them is Kathy‘s enemy? Does she have more than one? And why? Or do none of them wish any ill towards Kathy? Is a practical joke being played on her?

The above scenario could turn out several different ways. It could turn into a thriller, a mystery, or a romance. Maybe even a heart-warming reunion story or a science fiction/fantasy story. The choice is mine. It all depends on the plot I choose.

A plot consists of every part of the storyline - the people, the conflicts, the world it takes place in. An important thing to remember - no plot is ever set in stone until the story is published. Bits and pieces or it, or huge chunks of it can be changed as you write the story, not just one time but several times.

If you would like to learn more about creating a plot, I highly recommend Holly Lisle’s Create A Plot Clinic. The link I’ve provided below is to buy the book from HollyLisle.com.

Create A Plot Clinic, by Holly Lisle