Novel Plot Structure Hello! 2 what is plot is all the events - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Novel Plot Structure

Hello! 2

what is × plot is all the events that happen in a story × plot structure is how those events are arranged. Everyone is probably familiar with the simplest form of plot structure: beginning, middle, and end × good plot structure is making sure that all the events in your story happen in a manner that is consistent, logical, and emotionally satisfying 3

Why is good plot structure important? × think of your story as a roller coaster: in order for your reader to have a fun time, there needs to be ups and downs, happy things and sad things spread throughout the story...or else things are boring × events also need to build upon and/or connect with the events around them logically and (ideally) smoothly...or else things won’t make sense × Note: “exciting” and “logical” can be relative depending on the person and genre of the work 4

story templates and “standard” plot structure × technically there’s no “standard” plot structures...just ones that have worked well for other people in the past × think of the standard “essay templates” you learned in school × there are tons of different plot structures out there, so feel free to experiment and use whatever one you think fits your story best, customize it as much or as little as you want, or take everything you’ve learned and make your own × a standard plot structure template is a great starting point for beginners; you have something that’s proven to work for others, but also the chance to put your personal touch on it × remember: the same plot structure might form the core of many different stories, but execution--writing, characters, setting, etc--is what makes each one unique 5

examples of common plot structures Freytag’s The Hero’s Pyramid Three-Act Structure Journey 6

Save the Cat! method × Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder × savethecat.com × This method uses something called the beat sheet: a set list of standard events--or “story beats”--upon which to base your story around. × there are 15 beats spread across 3 acts of the story × these are intentionally vague to allow as much adaptability as possible × think of it like a mold, or scaffolding 7

A couple notes and caveats × this is not the only story structure guide out there, nor objectively the best. It’s just my favorite, and the one I’ve personally found most useful and easy to understand × this guide was originally meant for screenwriting (aka movies), but it works great for novels as well, and many novelists love it. However, some things might need some slight tweaking to better fit the medium and genre × this works best for longform fiction, but it can work for short stories with some tweaking × plot-driven books (usually genre fiction) tend to fit this structure better than literary or experimental works, but there are plenty of successes of all kinds of books × all numbers are approximate 8

Some vocabulary Story beat/beat Genre Pacing -an individual action point -the type of story you’re telling -how fast or slow things within a story happen - the “model” of story you’re creating -can be a single event/scene, -different genres will have - each genre has its own or group of scenes different pacing conventions, aka the things people expect from it Act -Blake’s definition of genre is a bit Beat sheet different, ignore it for now -the main divisions of a story - a full list of all the major beats - ex: the beginning, middle, and Theme in a story end - literally a sheet with all the - several beats make up an act -the central message of the beats on it story; the emotional core 9

Before you start, you should know... × the setting: where your story takes place × the protagonist: the “hero” of your story, whose journey the reader follows × the antagonist: the “villain” of your story; the person/people/forces opposing the protagonist × the confl flict: who is fighting against whom, and about what × the protagonist’s goal(s): what your protagonist wants and is trying to accomplish throughout the story × the stakes: what happens if your protagonist fails × a logline/summary (optional): a short summary of your general story × a logline is 1 sentence × a summary is 1-2 paragraphs...what you’d find on the back of the book 10

Example: The Hunger Games × Setting: post-apocalyptic America, now divided into 12 Districts under the rule of the tyrannical Capitol, where 2 teenagers from each district are picked every year to compete in the Hunger Games, a fight to the death for the entertainment of the Capitol × Protagonist: Katniss Everdeen, a brave and resourceful 16-year-old from District 12, who gets drafted into the Hunger Games × Antagonist: the evil Capitol regime, headed by the ruthless President Snow × Confl flict: Katniss vs. the Capitol; Katniss vs. the other tributes × Katniss’s goals: Survive the Hunger Games × Stakes: life and death--if she loses, she’ll die 11

Blake Snyder’s 15 Story Beats ACT II ACT I ACT III 7. B Story 😙 1, Opening Image 📸 14. Finale 😏 8. Fun & Games 🙄 2. Theme Stated 💭 15. Final Image 📹 9. Midpoint 😂😬 3. Set-Up 👌 10. Bad Guys Close In 😩 5. Catalyst 😯 11. All is Lost 😲 5. Debate 🤕 12. Dark Night of the Soul 😮 6. Break Into 2 😷 13. Break into 3 😥 12

Act 1 The thesis world 13

Opening Image 📸 (1 %) × the scene that starts the story × The very first impression of what a movie/book is — its tone, its mood, the type and scope of the film — are all found in the opening image × definitely more of a film feel, but the concept still holds for novels Example: At the start of the story, we see Katniss waking up alone in bed, thinking about the day ahead, the world around her, and the upcoming “reaping”. 14

Theme Stated 💭 (5 %) × Theme: the message explored throughout the story × Somewhere in the first few chapters, someone will pose a question or make a statement that is the theme of the movie. × The rest of the screenplay is the argument laid out, either proving or disproving this statement, and looking at it, pro and con, from every angle. Example: The theme of The Hunger Games is survival: Katniss’s whole life has been about just surviving. Playing by the Capitol’s rules to protect her family. But soon she’ll learn that in order to “win,” she’ll need to do more than just survive the Capitol...she’ll need to beat it by living up to her true potential as the face of the revolution. 15

Set up 👌 (1-10 %) × The purpose of the set-up is to introduce all the main characters and the world around them × introduce their goals, their conflicts, quirks, and plant seeds for anything that will happen later on × It’s where we see the protagonist’s “normal” life before the adventure starts × “normal” doesn’t mean boring Example: Katniss sneaks into the outskirts of District 12 with her friend and hunting partner Gale. Life is tough in the impoverished area of District 12, and Katniss is an accomplished archer who took up illegal hunting in order to provide for her mother and beloved younger sister after her father’s death. We also learn more about the dreaded Reaping and the Hunger Games, where teens from the district are drafted into a televised fi fight for the death each year to appease the Capitol 16

Catalyst 😯 (11 %) × aka the “inciting incident” × the event that changes your protagonist’s life forever, the “spark” that sets them on their adventure × if you know your premise, you should have a good idea of what your catalyst is × usually takes the form of an outside force acting on your protagonist...but not always Example: Katniss’s sister Prim is chosen during the Reaping, and Katniss “volunteers as tribute” to save her, Peeta Mellark, a boy who saved Katniss’s life 5 years earlier, is also chosen. Other examples: Luke Skywalker fi finding Princess Leia’s message in Star Wars , Nick Fury reactivates the Avengers Initiative in The Avengers, Hiccup fi finds an injured dragon in the woods in How to Train Your Dragon. 17

Debate 🤕 (11 -23%) × the time where the protagonist is standing at the edge between their old world and the new world of the upcoming adventure × protagonist wonders: Should I go? Dare I go? Sure, it's dangerous out there, but what's my choice? × last chance for the protagonist to turn back (thematically) × should ask a question of some kind; not just in the mind of the character, but in the minds of the reader as well Example: Katniss says goodbye to friends and family before boarding the train, gets some advice from Gale, and receives a mockingjay pin as a parting gift from a friend, and the pin will eventually become a symbol of hope and rebellion. On the train, she talks with Peeta and her mentor, Haymitch. The question the debate section poses is: will Katniss survive the games? And if so, how? 18