Just as we earlier had gone over the Three C’s of Writing, we will now look at the Five C’s of Plot. By considering these five ideas, you will be able to develop a skeleton that you can then fill in with appropriate details to build up your story. These aren’t named quite the same as the Five Plot Points, but I’ll show where they tie in. Before you start expanding your story by aiming for the Plot Points, you may want to at least identify what these concepts are in your story, so you can use them as a guide.
Character
Of course you have to have some characters in your story…otherwise who would we be reading about? Some authors argue that Plot is more important than characters…others argue the other way around. I find that Characters are part of plot, so you can’t have one without the other.
Right up front, you need to create a wonderful main character (MC) that the readers can worry about. You’ll also need a flock of minor characters to carry out the various tasks required of them (Elements—Character). We get to know all these characters in Plot Point #1, Introduction, but they need to be believable, not flat, or the reader won’t care what happens to them. All right, now that you have your cast of thousands, what do you do with them?
Conflict
Here is where the real story starts. To find the conflict, the question you have to ask yourself is why is this day different from all others? That’s the key to the start of conflict. Something happens in our Hero’s life that disrupts things the way they were. Although he spends the rest of the story trying to get back to normal, it never happens. This change in his situation makes a change in him as well.
The Conflict could be internal (he realises that he needs to change) or external (someone or something interferes with his life). A good example is a Bad Guy taking something away from him or preventing him from getting something he desires. It could also be something as simple as a tree branch falling on his car. This conflict happens as part of Plot Point #2, Inciting Event, but that’s just the beginning.
Complications
Here is where the bulk of your story resides. There is a problem…and every time your MC tries to fix the problem in front of him, another, greater, problem develops. You can have fun with these complications…dreaming up more and more convoluted difficulties. If he gets out a chainsaw to cut up the branch lying across his car…he could find the gas tank empty…OR he could be cutting the branch apart and the saw kicks back…slicing off his fingers!
It’s your choice to envision appropriate setbacks for him…depending on how seriously you want him to fail. These complications, taking place during the Rising Action, continue to escalate until the Hero is defeated…he has reached his Darkest Point (Plot Point #3).
Climax
This is the point where your Hero finally turns things around, coming from behind to somehow defeat the enemy. The method he uses to succeed in completing the challenge is up to you, but it has to be logical, though not predictable. Twenty-twenty hindsight will make it clear why he did what he did, but the reader shouldn’t be able to guess what’s going to happen before it does.
In addition, you have to remember that it has to be his decision that makes the difference, though possibly guided by his Mentor. Once he makes that decision, and is committed to following through, he goes for it and something changes…either himself or the world…but he never manages to return to his old self (Transformation). This part of the process matches up with Plot Point #4, also called Climax (isn’t that amazing?).
Conclusion
Now you finally get to tie up all those loose ends you left lying about with all the subplots you so carefully wove throughout the story and maybe explain how your Hero achieved his victory. This is your chance to show the reader the new world that was created by the Hero’s change.
Now would be a good time to allude to other activities in the continuation of the story…possibly revealing that a subsequent story may be about to take place. (Remember, the best way to get your first book to sell is to write a second book…and to get that one popular? Just write a third! You aren’t a one-trick pony, are you?) After all this, you’ve ultimately reached Plot Point #5, Resolution, just with a different name.
Put It All Together
Now that you have the Five C’s identified, all you have to do is figure out the rest of the story…but with this foundation, that should be easy, right?