What Is The Plot?

When writing your book, there are two types of people: those who make the characters first and those who come up with the plot first. Both are excellent ways to write, but regardless of where you decide to start, it’s necessary to have both. Creating a plot can be a daunting task, but there are smaller steps that can make it more manageable.

A plot is the driving force of your story (though characters can also be a driving force, but that’s due to their own smaller stories that intersect with the main plot). The main story beats can be internal or external, depending on the type of book you want to write.

Whether it’s a story about an epic quest defeating a villain or a narrative about one character navigating the complexities of growing up, every plot has the same elements.

Elements Of Plot

A well-constructed plot is made up of several components, and whether or not they work well together is up to the writer. Ignoring archetypes and cliches, the basic elements of plot boil down to the inciting incident, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution.

Each part has a vital role to play in the telling of a story, and skipping one can be detrimental. No matter what you’re writing, these moments will be part of your plot structure. Without them, your story will feel incomplete or underwhelming.

What Is The Inciting Incident?

The inciting incident is the moment that starts the story. Whether it’s the opening line or occurs in chapter three (though it’s best not to push it off past the first ten pages), your inciting incident is what makes the character embark on their journey. It’s what disrupts their normal routine and pushes them into the fray.

One example would be the Reaping in The Hunger Games, when Prim’s name is called. This unlikely draw of fate pushes Katniss to act, disrupting her definition of normal and uprooting her entirely. Another example would be in Throne of Glass, when Celaena is released from the mines of Endovier. Both happen at different points in the novel, but have the same effect: launching the protagonist into the narrative.

This moment lays the foundation for your story, establishes the stakes, and prepares the reader for what’s to come. This event is what will keep your character motivated or locked into their current path, whether they aim to change it or not.

What Is The Climax?

Much later in your story, you’ll reach the climax. This is arguably the most important point in your novel. This moment is where it all comes to a head: the final battle, if you will. It’s when all the cards are played and there is nothing left to lose. It often comes about after characters have lost something dear to them or have made an important discovery.

To use our previous examples, the climax of The Hunger Games is when Katniss faces off against Cato and makes the deal with Peeta. The climax of Throne of Glass is Celaena’s final duel. These moments are where it all comes together: it’s all or nothing. Everything has been leading to this moment, and the protagonist will either succeed or fail.

This moment will create a memorable scene for your readers if executed properly. Not only that, but it will create a solid ending that feels complete. No one likes it when the climax falls flat–it’s like watching your favorite movie, but the audio cuts out during your favorite part!

What Is The Falling Action?

The falling action comes in the moments after the climax. This is where loose ends should start to get wrapped up, but it mostly focuses on the immediate consequences of the climax.

To use our previous examples, The Hunger Games’ falling action follows the Capitol’s handling of Katniss’ rebellion. President Snow must have a winner, and so the rules are changed–again–to allow that. In Throne of Glass, it’s the events that unfold after the duel, where truth and betrayal are revealed.

This stage is just as important as the climax, as it should steadily bring the reader down from the excitement and prepare them for the end of your narrative.

What Is The Resolution?

The resolution is the final stage: this is it. The end. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. It doesn’t need to end on a cliffhanger (and if you think it does, make sure it’s absolutely necessary). It just has to wrap up (most) of your loose ends.

You can leave some elements up in the air if you plan on continuing your story and writing a sequel, but overall your work should feel complete. A reader should be able to reach the last page and not feel like something is missing.

The resolution doesn’t have to be a happy one, but it should be reasonable. This is NOT the opportunity to kill off characters you don’t know what to do with, introduce surprises that conveniently solve everyone’s problems, or anything like that.

Wrap it up all nice and neat and let your creativity shine! Everything you’ve worked for has led to this. Whether you’re just beginning to outline your story, working on writing your first draft, or polishing the final copy, you’ve got this.