The all-important plot. It’s a word you’ve likely heard… but what does it mean? Today, we’re going to clear up the confusion by breaking down a plot definition, alongside types, structures, and examples. By the end, you’ll know what a plot is, and what makes it different from a story.
What is a Plot of a Story?
First, let’s define plot
The origins of plot can be traced back to the Ancient world, in which storytellers connected story threads to build suspense and add nuance to their narratives.
Plot belongs to the school of structuralism, which is a contentious theory of interrelation that seeks to understand how humans make sense of the world; one way through which is stories.
In 335 BCE, Aristotle proposed that plot (mythos) is the "organization of incidents" in a story.
Poetics helped give plot meaning – it existed long before… but Aristotle’s text classified it as a structure of narrative interrelation. Now that we know where plot came from, let’s outline a plot definition!
PLOT DEFINITION
What is a plot?
A plot is a sequence of story events that are interrelated by cause and effect. Stories that do not have events with identifiable causality are typically regarded as “plotless.”
What’s a Plot?
Let’s examine the elements of a plot
There are lots of different plot structures, but most share the elements outlined in Freytag’s Pyramid. What is Freytag’s Pyramid? Good question. Freytag’s Pyramid is a framework developed by German novelist Gustav Freytag that outlines a five-part structure for dramatic storytelling: which includes exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and dénouement. Let’s break down each plot element.
Exposition
Exposition is the backstory that explains the circumstances surrounding a film’s narrative.
Rising Action
Rising action is the sequence of events that builds interest, tension, and suspense.
Climax
Climax is the point where the action crescendos, which usually results in the conclusion of the main conflict.
Falling Action
Falling action is the sequence of events that deal with the aftermath of the climax.
Dénouement
Dénouement is the resolution that gives final context to the narrative’s events.
The elements of Freytag’s Pyramid are intended only as a guideline. Remember: plot is a structuralist theory, not a law; give any two people a story and they’ll probably disagree on the diagnosis of the same plot lines. Stories that have inconsistencies between plot lines are considered to have plot holes.
What is Plot vs Story?
Plot vs story differences explained
Most people think “plot” and “story” are the same thing, which makes sense considering they share many similarities. However, there are some key differences that make each unique.
English novelist E.M. Forester explained the differences best in saying
- "The king died, and then the queen died, is a story, while “the king died, and then the queen died of grief, is a plot."
Both stories and plots feature sequences of events, but whereas the former need not interrelate, the latter does. More simply: stories can go from scene to scene even if they aren’t linked together, meanwhile plots must be connected by cause and effect.
All plots are stories. But not all stories have plots.
Plot Function
Common plot structures
Writers have created frameworks for storytelling called plot structures. These frameworks help writers stay on a path of cause and effect that (ideally) resonates with audiences.
Three Act Structure
The most famous plot structure is the three act structure, which includes an easily identifiable beginning, middle, and end. For more, on the three act structure, check out our video below.
What is Plot? • Plot Examples: Three Act Structure Explained
The three act structure has been used as a blueprint for prose, plays, and even poems. In recent history, it’s been repurposed by screenwriters; Syd Field famously cited the structure in his book 1978 Screenplay as consisting of setup, confrontation, and resolution.
Save the Cat
Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat is a 2005 book that lays out a 15 step structure for screenwriting structure. Save the Cat starts with the “opening image,” which is an introduction to the world, and ends with the “final image,” which is a snapshot of the world after the story’s events; sandwiched between are plot points that guide writers on a tried and true path of cause and effect.
In our next video, we apply Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat story structure to Interstellar.
What is a Plot? • Plot Examples: Interstellar Save the Cat
Those hoping to utilize Snyder’s structure can download a Save the Cat beat sheet; of course, the text itself remains one of the best screenwriting books, and the primary guide to his teaching.
The Hero’s Journey / The Story Circle
The Hero’s Journey is a plot structure from Joseph Campbell’s 1949 book The Hero With a Thousand Faces. The structure, which is also known as “the Monomyth,” is a theory of circular narratology that begins with a hero’s call to action and ends with their triumphant return.
Dan Harmon’s Story Circle is a contemporary adaptation of the Monomyth. In this next video, we examine how it works in The Dark Knight!
What is a Plot? • Plot Examples: Story Circle Explained
The Story Circle is just eight steps: “You. Need. Go. Search. Find. Take. Return. Change.” Harmon kept things simple so that writers could master the basics.
What is Plot Used For?
How to use plot devices
A plot device is anything that moves the story forward.
One plot device writers employ is the MacGuffin, which is an item or idea that moves the action forward, but is otherwise unimportant.
Another popular plot device writers employ is the Red Herring, which is an item or idea that purposely misleads character and or the audience.
Perhaps the most ironic plot device is the flashback, which turns back the clock in order to move things ahead. If you’re wondering how to write a flashback in a script – ponder no longer. We imported the Moneyball script into StudioBinder’s screenwriting software to break down how it’s done.
Moneyball establishes Billy Beane as an executive who doesn’t trust scouts. Writers Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin juxtapose this premise with a flashback that explains why.
What is a Plot? • Short Examples of Plot Devices in the Moneyball Script PDF
It’s fair to say that Billy doesn’t trust scouts because they wrongly predicted he would be a star; he was a first round pick out of high school but never lived up to the hype. This example is an expert example of a flashback that explains why a character is the way they are; which effectively moves the story forward.
Types of Plot of a Story
What are the types of plot?
Plots are differentiated by genre, mood, and tone; they can be comedic, dramatic, or tragic, and they can be dark, light, or gray. However, they can also be typified by tropes and cliches: battle-tested structures of interrelated story events.
English author Christopher Booker proposed classification for different types of plot in his 2004 book The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories.
Let’s break down a few!
Overcoming the Monster
The protagonist vies to defeat an evil villain, whether they be a literal, or metaphorical monster.
Examples: Beowulf, Jaws, Godzilla
Rags to Riches
The protagonist goes from poor to wealthy; but usually learns life’s not all about money.
Examples: Great Expectations, The Jerk, There Will Be Blood
Voyage and Return
The protagonist travels to a “new world” and goes home changed forever.
Examples: The Hobbit, The Wizard of Oz, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
These are just some types of plot, there are many more!
Don’t forget: a plot is a series of interrelated story events that are linked by cause and effect.
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What is a Plot Twist?
Now that we know what a plot is, let’s answer the question “what is a plot twist?” Follow along as we break down examples from Memento, The Sixth Sense, and more. By the end, you’ll know what a plot twist is, as well as its different types: the classic twist, the mid twist, and the double twist!
