Developing Your Novel’s Plot

“I start a book (…) knowing just two things: the basic situation and that the story will create its own patterns naturally and organically if I follow it fairly (…) and by fairly I mean never forcing characters to do things they wouldn’t do in real life.” (Stephen King)

Some novels are character-driven: the author develops a protagonist and other secondary and tertiary characters, and allows them to guide the storyline. These authors never know in advance how their novel will end, which can be rather … exciting, to say the least. (This is how I write, so I pretty much know whereof I speak. Excitement is an understatement.)

What’s in a plot?

Other novels are plot-driven, and while there are obviously variations on a theme, there are certain elements that enable a plot to move forward. Here’s one possible progression through a plot-driven novel:

• state an obvious problem
• discover a hidden need for the protagonist
• create an inciting situation
• introduce complications
• cause characters to lose hope
• enable the protagonist to reach a decision
• bring the situation to a resolution.