What is a plot? Plot vs Story

Definition : What is a plot?

Plot versus story – What’s the difference?

1.    I woke up at 7 a.m., brushed my teeth, got dressed and rushed out of the house to catch the bus. By the time I reached the bus-stop at 8 a.m., there was already a crowd of people gathering around. When I drew nearer, I saw a lifeless body on the ground.

2.    The first thing I saw when I reached the bus-stop was the crowd of people gathering around. I was still panting, having woken up at 7 a.m. and rushed out of the house. When I drew nearer, I saw a lifeless body on the ground.

Types of plot structure

1.    The Triangle Structure – Most common type. Here the plot begins with a conflict which involves a problem or a dilemma. This is usually given in the introduction. The problem builds up until it reaches its point of greatest intensity known as the climax. Finally, the problem is resolved in the conclusion of the story.

E.g. In Animal Farm by George Orwell, the first chapter begins with the conflict between humans and animals. The animals are unhappy with the humans. The conflict develops to the point where the animals revolt against the humans and the pigs take on the leadership of the farm. The climax occurs when the animals begin to realise how the pigs have abused their power over the other animals.

2.   The fishbone structure – involves one main storyline. However, during the course of the plot, the writer may digress to relate other minor incidents or events that have happened. These minor incidents or events may be unrelated to the main plot and serve to give us a better idea of the characters involved or they may simply be intended to entertain the readers.

E.g. In the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon, the main plot revolves around the protagonist, Christopher, who searches for the murderer of his neighbour’s dog. However, along the way, the writer also includes snippets of Christopher’s life and his relationship with his parents, teacher and neighbours. These are unrelated to the main plot of investigating the murder of the dog, but are important because they give readers a clear idea of Christopher’s character.

3.  The flashback- flashforward structure – involves one main storyline. However, during the course of the plot, the writer may employ a flashback technique, which is a technique used to narrate an incident which occurred before the time of the story. The opposite of flashback is known as flashforward, which is used the writer provides a glimpse of a future event.