Your Plot Forces Characters to React

You can turn those familiar aspects of your chosen genres into plot events that don’t just force characters to react, but give readers the visceral emotions audiences crave.

The Problem with Plots Is the Complexity

To satisfy readers’ expectations based on their preferred genre, you’ll need to write content that includes familiar conventions and key scenes.

While bestselling authors make that look easy, it’s not!

• Writing 50,000 to 100,000 words that tie together all the threads of the main plot and subplots is complex.
• The audience senses when a writer does not tie together the many plot threads.
• Loose story threads (i.e., “plot holes”) disappoint readers, resulting in book-review ratings that can decrease future sales.

In contrast, a tight plot structure pleases readers, increasing the likelihood they’ll recommend your book to others.

The Worksheet Guides the Creation of Plot Events

The workbook and worksheet walk you through the creation of a killer plot based on a time-test structure.

• Learn while you create the main plot and subplots.
• Identify opportunities to force your character to react with emotions.
• Use the prompt-based worksheet to gather all the details.

Then let your creativity take over, coming up with the main plot and subplot events that force characters to react with the emotions your target audience craves.

Your Plan for the Main Plot and Subplots

Readers expect stories to unfold in familiar patterns (e.g., Story Beats) based on pre-established notions of storytelling gained through TV shows, films, and books.

• The main plot highlights a thread of crucial events that comprise the narrative of what happens within the story (i.e., the cause) and the result (i.e., the effect).
• Subplots support and amplify the main plot, following a logical series of events arranged based on the Story Beats.

The workbook provides examples of coordinating the many plot points in your novel.

Engage Readers with Plot Events

Armed with an understanding of your chosen genre, engage readers with conventions, key scenes, characters, settings, stakes, secrets, and twists.

For example:

• In a cozy mystery, the investigation of the murder and victim serves as the Main Plot.
• Humorous, quirky characters with intriguing backstories spark conflict and inspire sleuth could serve as the Secondary Character Subplot.
• Other characters reappear across the series (e.g., family, police chief, friends) and could serve as the Community Conflict Subplot.
• The Sleuth’s Character Arc Subplot could show the lead character’s progressive change as she deals with issues (e.g., flaws, needs, wants, emotional wound, relationships).
• The Setting and Story World Subplot paints a charming and interesting place readers will want to revisit, offering opportunities to introduce more characters across the series.

Given the many variables, only your imagination limits the opportunities to freshen up familiar plots.

Avoid Plot Problems with an Outline

A detailed outline helps you envision the entire story, keeping in mind the relationship between the main plot and subplots.

• Readers know what they like and expect the plot events to pay off with a satisfying ending.
• To make sure you don’t disappoint readers, track the many plot events.
  • Open plot-based questions based on your chosen genre.
  • Close each question with a plausible answer before story end.

Use the worksheet in this lesson to identify and close all plot-based questions.

Way Forward

The best stories weave together characters and plot, making them as inseparable as wet and water.

• When the main plot and subplots force characters to react with realistic emotions, you’ll increase your chance to write a book readers will love.
• Your novel can hit the Story Beats familiar to your target audience while introducing fresh twists that surprise and delight.
• Use the prompt-based worksheet to create a main plot and subplots based on a time-proven story structure.

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