Plots Define
Plots Define Meaning

The plot describes the events and their significance as the story unfolds. There are five different parts to the plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.
This post is here to help make sure that you don’t lose the plot when you’re writing your own story. But before we get that far, let’s first define plot. Plot is the chain of connected events that make up a narrative. It refers to what actually occurs in a story and is one of storytelling’s major pillars.

So, what is a plot in fiction? Let's check your understanding with a pop quiz: which of the following is the best example of a plot?

a. A boy finds a new family in a traveling circus run by orphans.
b. An immigrant comes to the United States to start a new life.
c. A king dies and then the queen dies out of grief.
d. A high school girl discovers love from an unexpected source: a centuries-old vampire.

Plot Definition Plot is a sequence of events in a story in which the main character is put into a challenging situation that forces a character to make increasingly difficult choices, driving the story toward a climactic event and resolution.

If you picked c, you’re right.

But what about a, b, and d? Well, strictly speaking, those are a mix of themes and premises, but the confusion is entirely understandable. Storytelling theory is packed with confusingly similar terms — and as you get further into the nuts and bolts of writing narrative, it helps to know the difference.

This post is here to help make sure that you don’t lose the plot when you’re writing your own story. But before we get that far, let’s first define plot.

What is plot?

Plot is the chain of connected events that make up a narrative. It refers to what actually occurs in a story and is one of storytelling’s major pillars. Some will say that if characters are the who and theme is the why, then the plot is the what of the story.

It is not a series of random incidents. Generally, there must be a cause-and-effect relationship between the events and the plot points. The king died and then the queen died, for instance, is not a plot, as E.M. Forster notes. But the king died and then the queen died out of grief is one because it reveals a causality in the sequence of scenes.

Plot is an incredibly complex thing. It is a key element of establishing your book in the literary community and into the hearts of readers. We as humans have become increasingly story aware—especially within the internet age, where countless stories are only a click away—and readers come to a story with high expectations, both on the conscious and subconscious level.

— Chersti Nieveen, editor of multiple NYT bestsellers

You might be thinking that that sounds very similar to a recitation of events. You’d be correct. To get it closer to being a story, we need to consider its partner-in-crime: the plot structure.

Identifying the plot structure

If you’re exposed to a lot of stories, you’ll notice that most of them — from Westworld and Jane Eyre to your grandma’s favorite anecdote — will share a similar architecture: one with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

This takes us straight to plot structure: the organization of events in a story. There's a reason why no good story has its climax at the start — or resolves its major conflicts in the middle and spends the last half filling in the exposition! On the contrary, it’s the structure that determines the order of events, racks up the tension, and sets the peaks and plateaus of the story.

PRO-TIP: To learn more, you can read this post on how to start a story and how to end a story.

Therefore, if plot is the “what” of a story, its structure is “how” the author chooses to tell it. One of the most prevalent theories for a universal plot structure comes from German novelist Gustav Freytag, who proposed a five-stage architecture for all stories:

Exposition: The de-facto introduction that brings out the story’s cast of characters and plants the seeds of conflict.
Rising Action: In which a series of events (usually triggered by an inciting incident) escalates and sets the rest of the story in motion.
Climax: The moment of peak tension in a story — in other words, what everything else builds up to.
Falling Action: The bridge between the climax and the resolution in which subplots and mini-conflicts are resolved.
Denouement: the wrapping up of the whole story.

We dive deeper into each of these five stages in this article on story structure. Or, if you’re keen to discover ways to incorporate the “beats” into your own writing, go this way for further analysis of the three-act story structure!

Free course: Mastering the 3-Act Structure

Learn the essential elements of story structure with this online course. Get started now.

So what is a plot diagram?

Structuring a story is a bit like a puzzle: it’s easy to jumble up all the moving pieces if you keep them all in a list (or, god forbid, in your head). That’s why many authors find it useful to turn to a plot diagram to visualize the structure and track every major “beat” in a story.

Now that you’re all caught up, it’s time to dive into some of the most popular plots in the history of literature. As you go through these plot examples, see if you can use the plot diagram to understand where each falls in the context of its plot structure.

What are some typical examples of plot?

Since the dawn of time, there have been millions of unique stories by writers, bards, and raconteurs. But can all of them be grouped into just a few master plots? According to journalist Christopher Booker, they can. We’ve taken a leaf from his book to show you some popular examples of plot.

Overcoming the Monster

A protagonist must defeat a threat to society. Sound familiar? If that rings a bell to you, that’s because this plot type is old as time: you can trace it all the way back to Beowulf (who needed to destroy Grendel) and Theseus (who needed to kill the Minotaur). That said, it doesn’t need to be an otherworldly monster. The “monster” could be, for instance, the villain in James Bond, or the big bad weasel in Redwall.

Further examples of this plot type: Jurassic Park, Little Red Riding Hood, King Kong, Frankenstein, Hunger Games

Rags to Riches

Someone poor becomes someone rich or successful. You might’ve encountered this (generally) feel-good story in such classics as My Fair Lady and Aladdin. It gives readers a chance to participate in a universally beloved pastime: rooting for the underdog.

Further examples of this plot type: Great Expectations, Cinderella, Slumdog Millionaire, Jane Eyre

Quest

The protagonist and friends go out in search of something. It could be a MacGuffin (such as Indiana Jones searching for the Crystal Skull), which is by far one of the most famous variations. Or it could be a fellow fish, such as in Finding Nemo! No matter what, the object at the end of the journey is the Holy Grail of this plot type, so to speak.

Further examples of this plot type: The Lord of the Rings, Le Morte d’Arthur, Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Voyage and Return

The protagonist and friends go out on a journey — with a return ticket. This differs from the Quest in that there’s no ultimate item to find. Instead, they’re simply on an adventure.

Let’s take Chronicles of Narnia as an example. When the Pevensie siblings walk through the wardrobe, they’re thrust unexpectedly into the magical world of Narnia. It’s up to them to navigate this new reality before they can return a bit older (and a bit wiser).

Further examples of this plot type: Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Star Trek, Where the Wild Things Are, The Odyssey

Rebirth

Is that. . . the smell of redemption in the air? That’s the gist of this plot type, in which “rebirth” is metaphorical for somebody coming good in the end. You’ll commonly find themes of new beginnings and renewal — The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is a great example.

Further examples of this plot type: A Christmas Carol, The Secret Garden

There are infinite variations

As you might be able to tell, there’s no definitive way to categorize plots in fiction. This is just one sample. Author John Gardner once said that there are only two stories in the world: a man goes on a journey, and a

Plots Define