Plot question.

[ascanius]

I have orginized one of my characters throughall line into the overall plot, character plot, 2 impact character plots, and two sub plots. There are a total of four acts, inciting, complication, conflict, resolution. and for each of those are my scenes which follow the same breakdown for each event.

I read that the overall plot is the plot that effects everything in the world, it is fare reaching. I am having issues with this because the two characters don't meet until much later and are geographically removed from one another. The extent is great enough that what happens in one area is unknown in the other. So my question is to what extent must the overall plot link these two characters together. Does it have to be an in your face world invasion, or can it be subtle encounters with the enemy? My intention was to have this be a build up for what is to come, a change in the winds so to say.

My second question deals with inciting, complication, conflict, and resolution. I know the inciting event is what gets the story started, but what about in regards to a scene? Does the inciting event delineate the goal or task that must be overcome in the process of achieving the story goal? Or does it simply set the stage for the complication, conflict, and resolution?

 

[ShortHair]

One good idea is to start small and build. If the hero single-handed fights an army of trolls in the first chapter, you'll have a hard time topping yourself. With two heroes, you can foreshadow their eventual relationship by establishing some correspondences (or differences) between their journeys. Maybe they're gathering different clues to the same mystery.

Then again, the heroes may never meet and may have nothing in common. Unity is not the strict device it used to be. It depends on the story you want to tell.

As for your other question, you may be following someone's instructions too closely. If every story followed the same formula, people would get bored and stop reading.

One incitement can push the entire story, or the resolution of one segment can be the incitement for the next, or an incitement may come out of nowhere. Again, it depends on your story, and again, you may want to start small.

 

[gavintonks]

I think start by writing a story and then make it compelling as much as one can formulate a story like a sit com it comes down to how you grab your audience, who are they and what do they want to read

 

[Penpilot]

I have orginized one of my characters throughall line into the overall plot, character plot, 2 impact character plots, and two sub plots. There are a total of four acts, inciting, complication, conflict, resolution. and for each of those are my scenes which follow the same breakdown for each event.

This sounds like you're drawing from Dramatica story theory here or am I just seeing things?

I read that the overall plot is the plot that effects everything in the world, it is fare reaching. I am having issues with this because the two characters don't meet until much later and are geographically removed from one another. The extent is great enough that what happens in one area is unknown in the other. So my question is to what extent must the overall plot link these two characters together. Does it have to be an in your face world invasion, or can it be subtle encounters with the enemy? My intention was to have this be a build up for what is to come, a change in the winds so to say.

I think subtle encounters will work. But I do think the encounters should create some expectation or hint at what's to come. Those expectations may be red herrings, but their presence will help drive the story forward. I think the trickiest thing will be pulling everything together and paying off the build up. If big confrontation at the end doesn't match the build up, IMHO it will kill the story for the reader more so than any other type of story.

My second question deals with inciting, complication, conflict, and resolution. I know the inciting event is what gets the story started, but what about in regards to a scene? Does the inciting event delineate the goal or task that must be overcome in the process of achieving the story goal? Or does it simply set the stage for the complication, conflict, and resolution?

IMHO, Yes.... hahha. Sorry I think it can be both. For example. Somebody just kidnapped my daughter and I have a particular set of skills that enable me to find and get her back. Now there are certain goals that I have to achieve in order to get her back. On the other hand, let's say I get bit by a radioactive spider. It doesn't really delineate any goals or tasks but as you said sets the stage for what's to come.

 

[ascanius]

@ Penpilot. Yeah i'm using dramatica theory, mostly to help me organize my WIP. I have tried without it but the result was a jumbled mess. Personally it helps keep things organized.

Ok so my next question concerns sub plots. What exactly is the spatial relation of a sub plot to the actual plot/s. Going back to dramatica theory. I have 4 acts; inciting, complication, conflict, resolution, each with 4 similar scenes; inciting, etc. No my question is within such framework where does the subplot fit. Is it a plot that is restricted to a single scene? yet follows the four part strategy or can it be squeezed into a single scene, sorta but you get the idea; I hope (That is incorrect grammar right? with the semicolon.) Or does the sub plot serve a specific function such as a requirement before the story goal can be achieved? with each subplot/requirement able to appear in each act.

 

[srcroft]

Your method is perfectly fine. Tension Conflict rating 1-10, when you Protagonist meets your Antagonist should be a 10. Before that you can use other conflicts that mirror the main one. Mental and physical. I would suggest throwing in an 8-9 somewhere in the first quarter. Again could be a conflict that is connected or just reflects the theme and main conflict. You should barely ever go lower than a 2. Make sure your not adding back story and setting and verbosity for the sake of feeling like you have to tell the reader. My novel I ended up cutting out the whole first chapter and started with the action of chapter 2 which was more interesting. Also heres a good example. I had 4 pages leading up to a boy entering a forest. I was able to sum up all 4 pages in 3 lines of text. It hurts to cut it, but its better. The plot should roll and only slow when you want it to for tension or tension release.

 

[srcroft]

I agree. Write now and you can always change things up. If you see it all as scenes and transitions its much simpler than Act chapter scene etc. You can get bogged down with how many words, how long is blah, and other details. I like to write each scene separate, like a module. It easier to make sure the theme exists in it, tension and conflict, and only poignant lines that move the story are there, with some authorial flare of course.

 

[Penpilot]

To me sub-plots support the main plot. I don't know if this is a necessity, but I run under the assumption that it is. If you can removed something and have it not affect anything then it's unnecessary. In sub-plots, stuff is learned or stuff happens that will affect the main plot. Maybe a character learns a piece of information that will help them in a critical choice for the main plot, or they'll do something that has consequences and comes back at a critical point to aid or haunt them.

 

[srcroft]

Your absolutely right. You have main plot points and minor. All should be based on your theme and conflict that you design in your story. The sub-plots are sometimes used for a pressure change -- a quick change in a value or dominant attitude and are 100% needed. Some are allegory or symbolism-- again needed for them. But many people fall into the trap of setup, back story, flashback--things that don't carry the theme or move the plot forward should say byebye.

Also sometimes we need to get out info, but it gets trapped in all this complicated mess because we don't see another way to relay it.