Plot Structure v. Plot Points – What’s the difference?


The plot is the crux of your story – what it’s about, what it will involve and the characters it will affect over any given period of time.  It’s the sequence of events that tells the story. Plot structure and plot points are different, however; they do different things.
Plot Structure
The way the story connects together and is laid out, the way it moves from point A to point B and so on, is plot structure.  It’s a basic framework for how the characters, chapters, key scenes, themes, conflict and subplots will work.  It also encapsulates the beginning, the middle and the end of the story.
The structure is down to the writer how they construct it – what they want included, what they don’t and how they want it. There is no right or wrong way to structure plots (some keep it simple, others use complex diagrams and charts or mapping), as longs as the story that forms from it is logical.
All plots follow the same pattern – an exciting beginning, escalating action, drama and conflict, a few twists and turns, the climax and finally the resolution/denouement.
This framework acts as a guide to help when writing the story, which means it’s not set in stone. It can change at any time, because that’s the nature of writing. But the structure allows writers to follow a path from beginning to end. Without that framework in place, there isn’t much chance of writing a cohesive story. That’s why we have plot structure.
Plot Points
Plot points are sometimes referred to as turning points, or twists. They are important or defining moments within the story that impact its direction and move it forward to the next plot point. Think of them as short stepping stones from one point to another within the story, and that every plot point is part of the entire plot structure.
Plot points don’t just push the story forward. Sometimes they can move it in other, sometimes unexpected directions, all while escalating the tension and drama. Not only that, but they can also have a deep impact on the main characters, so these points often help develop the characters as each point happens. 
Without plot points, stories can meander or they might stall. A story without plot points has nowhere to go. That’s why we need them.
Plot structure and plot points have different functions - the plot structure is the framework that contains your story. Plot points are the significant moments within that story that happen from the beginning to move the story forward.
You need both, and you won’t be able to write without them.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chapter & Novel Lengths

Just how long should a chapter be? What’s the best length? And does a novel have to fit into a set amount of words? These are just two of the most common questions asked by writers.   They assume they have to work to a strict template of X amount of words and X amount of chapters, usually because most novels have around 30 or 40 chapters and around 80,000 words.   Novel Lengths Firstly, let’s dispel a few myths - novel lengths are dictated by the story itself, not the writer or the editor or a specific written formula.   Secondly, writers don’t have to fit their word count into generic set amounts.   Again, the story will dictate how long the novel will be. It’s also worth knowing the different types of novels that work well with different word counts.   Uncomplicated stories containing minimal characters tend to be short – usually around 20,000 to 60,000 words.   These are called novellas. Longer, more complex stories, which contain a handful o...
Read more

What Makes a Story Dark?

If you’re a horror writer or you love to write dark, psychological stories and thrillers, or moralistic tales, this is the one question that needs an answer. Wanting a dark story and writing one are two different things, so how do you actually make a story dark? To answer that you first have to understand what is meant by ‘dark’. We usually define ‘dark’ as quantifiable elements that we know and are familiar with, but it’s more than that. Dark doesn’t necessarily mean scary or gory with a crazy psychopath going around chopping people into bits. Instead we have to think of ‘dark ‘as anything outside our accepted rose-tinted reality. Dark is the underbelly of our society; it’s the handling of ideas, themes, social issues and behaviours that would be seen as morally unacceptable. It’s less about fictional monsters but more about the real monsters that lurk in the shadows, something that is underscored by our fears and anxieties. It’s the unknown, because the things we don’t know ...
Read more

Modifiers, Intensifiers and Qualifiers - Part 2

Unlike modifiers, which modify words or phrases, an Intensifier is a term for a modifier that amplifies the meaning of the word it modifies. An intensifier is used exclusively to modify adverbs and adjectives and is placed  before the word it is meant to modify.  In simple terms, the intensifier emphasises adverbs and adjectives - it makes them more intense . The word is derived from Latin, meaning to “intend or stretch”. In grammatical terms, the intensifier lends no weight to the meaning of a sentence other than to give it an additional emotional nuance to the word it is modifying, however, since they modify adverbs and adjectives, they should be treated in the same way adverbs adjectives – used little and sparingly wherever possible within your writing. This is where learning to spot them will benefit your quality of writing. Intensifiers are attributive and serve only to fill space, so unless there is a valid reason to intensify the meaning and emotion ...
Read more