Hatrack River Writers Workshop: elements of plot

This is topic elements of plot in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by mags (Member # 1570) on :

The biggest problem I have is not coming up with plots themselves, but rather making sure that I hit all the elements of a plot. This may not make sense to some… For example in a western plot you have:

locale
hero
girl
villain
cause of conflict
villains scheme against hero
heros method of thwarting the villain
a counteraction by the villain
test between the two
crit situation or jeopardy
hero wins

(these were taken from "creating plot" by J. Madison Davis)

Of course some of these can be taken out, but it gives a basic outline of what needs to be there. If someone writes a story and because of the locale being the west, and they have a hero and a girl with the only villain being the bank, who really doesn’t care as the hero walks in and pays the bank in the opening scene, then proceeds to have some talk between characters with no other conflict then, where did the plot go??

In the same book it is discussed that there are two plots: someone came to town, and someone is going on a trip/adventure. Again, if all the plot for the story is in the first paragraph, then is it really a story or a travel article?

I think that having a list of the various elements to make sure that things have been addressed, like a checklist is a good thing.

Posted by Kolona (Member # 1438) on :

Call me simple-minded, but I've always been partial to "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl" -- then the fun is in the details.

quote:
making sure that I hit all the elements of a plot

Looking at the simple romance plot above, with only three elements, I maintain that you'd still have a plot with only the first one, though it may not be a formulaic romance. It could be a coming of age story with a socially inept fellow in which the whole plot is how he conquers his awkwardness to approach his ladylove.

Actually, I look at plot like the verb of a sentence -- it's where all the action is. Consequently, I don't understand your statement,

quote:
if all the plot for the story is in the first paragraph

How can all the plot be in the first paragraph? Except maybe in flash fiction. Not even there. Hyper fiction maybe.

Posted by Chronicles_of_Empire (Member # 1431) on :

Mags -

Why not simply let your imagine run riot for a while, and pick the choicest pieces?