Plot: How do we get from here to there?
Plot is the series of events (sometimes unfortunate) that winds through the storyline. Plot often answers the question, "What happens (next) in the story?". A plot can be simple or complicated. A plot may be made of three basic or main parts.
The Basics of Plot:
Step 1: The Beginning (inciting incident)
- The beginning is the start of the story.
- The Inciting Incident is an event that makes the story move forward.
Step 2: The Middle (conflict or journey)
- The middle is the largest part of the story.
- It refers to the part of the story the comes between the inciting incident and the resolution. It does not refer to the exact middle or halfway point of the story.
- A big part of the journey or conflict a character goes through occurs here.
- Multiple smaller conflicts can move the story forward.
Step 3: The End (resolution...for now?)
- The end of the book concludes all or part of the story. It might end happily, sadly, etc.
- The main conflict of this particular story is resolved or finished in some way.
- The End might include a setup for continuing the story in the next book. This is for writers who are considering continuing to write using the same world, characters, etc.