The plot is the foundation of every story. Without one, there would be no story, just a sequence of random events that mean nothing. Characters, settings, and scenes are all crucial parts of the plot, but the plot itself is the most crucial part of every story. To write a compelling story, each scene should drive the story forward by upping the stakes and increasing the emotional investment of the reader. Your plot should grab the readers attention and keep them wanting more. That’s how you get them to keep reading.
So what are the basic elements of a plot?
The Five Main Elements of Every Plot
Every plot, no matter how simple or complex, should encompass these five main elements.
Exposition
Also known as the introduction, this is where the characters and setting are introduced to the reader. In most cases, the exposition also lays the groundwork for the stories main conflict. This part of the story should grab the readers attention by creating a literary hook that engrosses and encourages them to read on.
Rising Action
With the characters and setting already established, this part of the story focuses on fully introducing and building towards the main conflict. Complications will arise at this stage, bringing with it tension and excitement.
Climax
This is where the main conflict plays out. It’s here that the main character faces their toughest challenge and are forced to overcome it. Whether they manage or not depends on the story being written, but all the same, this will leave the reader wanting to know how these actions affect the world you have created.
Falling Action
The events that take place here will help to resolve the conflict. The goal is to present the consequences of the main character’s actions and show how they affect the wider world in which you have created.
Resolution
This is the end of the story. The part in which all sub-plots and loose ends are wrapped up in order to reveal the overall outcome. The resolution may be nothing more than a summary, showing what has become of the world and its characters, or it can be a final event that ends the story once and for all.
Structuring Your Plot
When writing your story, you’re likely going to want to create an outline or guide that you can follow to ensure you hit every major plot point. But there are countless ways to outline your story and structure your plot, so which one works best? That all depends on your preferences and the story you’re telling.
There’s the Three Act Structure, the Save the Cat Beat Sheet, the Hero’s Journey, the Six Stage Story Structure, Freytag’s Pyramid, the Five Act Structure, Dan Harmon’s Story Cycle, and numerous others that have been invented over the years. For reference, what I wrote above about the five main elements of every plot comes from the Five Act Structure. The exact same points are also used in Freytag’s Pyramid, except Freytag wrote tragedies so his plot structure focuses on tragic stories with unhappy endings. Or you could completely ignore plot structures and let the story tell itself. This is how Stephen King writes. He doesn’t outline, he sits down and starts writing at page one and doesn’t stop until he feels like the story has come to it’s natural conclusion.
Personally, I prefer Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat Beat Sheet. It was originally created for screenplays but has since been adapted for novel writing. This method breaks the plot into 15 elements (or story beats) and offers a solid structure for any plot. But due to the number of different methods, only you can decide what works best for you.