Plotting Basics – FF028

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a plot is a plan or main story of a literary work. Plot implies careful foresight in planning a complex scheme, as in an assassination plot.
In other words, the story is the sequence in which events occur, while the plot is the sequence in which the writer arranges those events, and which events the writer chooses to include.

This paper discusses:

• The difference between a feminine and a masculine plot
• Different types of plots
• The role conflict must play in the story
• What basics must be present in every plot?
• What is “Sagging Middle Syndrome” (SMS) and how can it ruin the story?
• How does SMS contribute to writer’s block?
• How does GMC (goals, motivation, and conflict) keep SMS away?
• Subplots