Plot Structure

Let’s talk about one reason why you like the stories that you like and that is Plot Structure.

So I am going to try and put this all be it poorly into different mediums terms. So some people when they go to paint, they start by putting a sketch down on the canvas. If you go to write a song you start with an idea and then you fit it into the style you have chosen. This is similar to the plot structure. The structure is how the story will build and come to a conclusion. 

Commonly these are demonstrated as a hill. The plot builds and builds towards the conclusion. In a mystery tale that would be the big reveal of who done it, commonly. In a fantasy epic that would be when the dark lord is defeated. In a self help book that is the a-ha moment. So as you can see the plot structure is used in many ways and even with different styles. The structure is the building of the plot to the resolution of the tale.

So why is this all important to an author to understand? How does it help the reader? Well besides the obvious reasons, readers tend to have this odd fondness for a complete and full story with a beginning and end. I found some articles that discuss how important stories are and why a good plot structure is important.

“Stories provide order. Humans seek certainty and narrative structure is familiar, predictable, and comforting. Within the context of the story arc, we can withstand intense emotions because we know that resolution follows the conflict. We can experience it with a safety net.

Stories are how we are wired. Stories take place in the imagination. To the human brain, imagined experiences are processed the same as real experiences. Stories create genuine emotions, presence (the sense of being somewhere), and behavioral responses.

Stories are the pathway to engaging our right brain and triggering our imagination. By engaging our imagination, we become participants in the narrative. We can step out of our own shoes, see differently, and increase our empathy for others. Through imagination, we tap into creativity that is the foundation of innovation, self-discovery, and change.”

This article entitled ‘The Psychology Power of Storytelling’ by Pamela Rutledge lays out a simple reasons for why there is and needs to be some sort of structure to the story. There is another article that discusses the importance of the story arc or plot structure .

“When you choose to answer the main story question is also important. The moment you answer this question, your story is going to be effectively over. Answer it too soon, and what’s left of your plot and your character’s arc will die a slow and lingering (and boring) death.

Figuring out how to properly link your beginning and ending takes a little forethought, but once you’ve identified your main story question, you’ll not only know what your story is about, you’ll also be able to strengthen your plot, your theme, and your character development all the way through the book.”

For more reading on the subject of reading please see the articles attached and have great fun writing. Don’t forget, Be your Own Fable!

https://thejohnfox.com/2021/01/9-story-structures-to-plot-your-next-novel/

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/why-story-beginnings-and-endings-must/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/positively-media/201101/the-psychological-power-storytelling