Challenging the Traditional View of Plot

Rethinking Plot

It’s important to point out from the start that my courses are not geared towards any academic qualification; they are designed to help writers become more aware of the elements of their craft, understand their own strengths and be more intentional in how they utilise different elements of the storytelling toolbox. 


In this course, I am making the argument that if we lean unquestioningly into the widely used definition of Plot as the series of events that make up a story, then we have to assume that characters fall within a very narrow margin of traits. Such an approach both impoverishes our characters, and erases a whole range of possibilities from marginalised communities. For example, the socio-emotional vocabulary of a neurodiverse person will not give believable outcomes within the framework of clichéd plot triggers; a character from a context that values communalism will not be motivated by the prospect of individual gain that harms the community from which they come.

I am not saying that we can’t use the conventional notion of Plot in storytelling. The aim here is for us to understand the interplay of Plot, Character and, to some degree, Genre, so that we can use them more appropriately for stronger storytelling. To my mind, Plot is not a series of events – it is simply a direction of travel. For example, under the mainstream definition:

Superman is an alien orphan, dispatched from an imploding planet to Earth, where he discovers his powers and origins as he grows up, and attempts to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Using his newly found strengths to combat injustice and make planet Earth a nicer place to live, he becomes a great superhero. 

But if we unpack that, much of the Story comes into being because of Superman’s Character. What if he didn’t care? What if he just used his Heat Vision for making barbecues on the weekend? In simplifying the plot, it would be better to say:

An alien orphan attempts to make a life on Earth.

Then we can come to his Character, which effectively determines how he reacts to every obstacle or event and thus makes the Story – rather like the Goldilocks example I mention in the introduction video.

Main Points:

  • The widely accepted definition of Plot is a series of events that make a story
  • However, events do not make a story; characters' reactions to events do
  • For the traditional view of Plot to hold true, we have to assume certain notions of character that are culturally specific
  • For a more inclusive concept of Plot, it is useful to simplify Plot, relying less on events and more on direction
  • Simplifying plot allows for more possibilities deriving from character motivations and relationships, and ultimately more nuanced stories

Complete and Continue