Guest Author - Elsa Neal

It's not always necessary for a story to have a plot in order for it to be well received, but it's not advisable to do away with plot unless you are an experienced writer and you are aware of what you are doing and how you are manipulating a story without a plot.

Paying attention to the construction of your plot will always improve the story, especially if you take care with your character development at the same time. A story without a plot must have well developed characters in order to carry the story.

The difference between a plot and an event

The recent movie Cloverfield is an example of a story without a plot. Cloverfield describes an event and the characters' reactions to that event.

An event is a series of situations that simply occur as they would in real life. The various situations don't necessarily need to have any bearing on each other, but co-incidence and character reaction occasionally connect some of the situations, especially when the narrative follows one character in particular.

A plot, on the other hand, is a manipulation of situations where one leads logically to the next. Everything in the story (even dialogue and description) must contribute to moving the plot along its course. Although sub-plots might prove to be red herrings, they still fit within the themes of the story.

Plot and character are entwined. Characters are part of the plot; their personalities cause specific reactions to the situations of the plot, prompting the next situation and subsequent reaction.

Likewise the plot is part of the characters, especially the protagonist. It is the plot that causes the gradual change in the protagonist that reaches a high point with the conclusion of the story. It is important for the protagonist to change in some way during the course of the story, as this reveals depth of character and adds to reader enjoyment.

The most traditional plot matrix takes a circular construction, with the ending of the story reflecting the beginning or early scenes in some way. It's often said that the story comes full circle, and this, again, is a very effective technique and one that readers find very satisfying. Everything is wrapped up neatly.

This is one reason why real life events turned into dramatisations are often unsatisfying. Real life rarely comes full circle. Situations just occur without leading to a conclusion that relates to a previous situation. There is no theme to tie the various situations together.

All this makes real life very exciting to live, but it makes it boring to read.

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Generate some ideas on how to improve your plot, or create a better plot from scratch by downloading a free introductory copy of Create a Plot by fantasy author Holly Lisle. This is the first 50 pages of her course on plotting and is well worth a read.