Chapter 8
Plotting Your Way
IN THIS CHAPTER
Identifying the basic plots
Choosing how to plot
Exploring the elements of plotting
Creating narrative drive and tension
Some beginning writers think of plot as simply the structure of a piece of writing, but it’s much more than that. Plot is all about the chain of consequences that link one action to another.
Plotting is both the easiest and most difficult aspect of storytelling. Easy in the sense that you’re familiar with stories from fairy tales in childhood to the novels, films, and newspaper articles that you read or watch, and so know a thing or two about how to tell a story; but difficult in that the plot holds the whole structure of your writing together and is actually much more challenging than expected.
How do you write a story where the outcome isn’t completely obvious from the start, but not so confusing that the reader gets lost? How do you keep the reader engrossed? How do you create that “ah-ha!” sense of satisfaction at the end when everything comes together, and all is revealed?
Plot is most easy to follow in straightforward ...
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