When readers are asked to describe a book, they usually tell what happens in it – the plot. A plot that drags, wanders in different directions, or has no conflict and tension won’t hold a reader’s or editor’s attention. Here are some common plot problems and solutions:
A Plot must have Conflict and Tension
Is the plot interesting? Even a compelling premise can fail if the conflict isn’t strong or the readers don’t care.
- Solution: Make sure the conflicts escalate through the story to a life-and-death situation, or at least what seems like it to the character. Don’t let one conflict finish before another one starts – for tension, they should pile up on top of each other. The nature of the conflict isn’t as important as making it strong and creating characters that readers care deeply about.
Does the story start in the right place? An opening in which nothing particular happens will bore readers into putting the book down.
- Solution: Be sure your story starts with a zing, and keep the action moving. Don’t begin with the drive to work and entering the office. Instead, jump straight to the argument in the boardroom, and be sure there are a few surprises and twists in the story that follows.
Does the plot follow a story arc? Is there a strong opening, rising problems and intermediate solutions leading to a climax, and then a resolution? Are these elements balanced?
- Solution: One tried-and-true method is the three-act structure used for playwriting. Act One is the opening, Act Two develops increasing problems with the situation, and Act Three is the climax and resolution. There is an approximately 25-50-25% balance between the three parts, and plots that wander all over can be helped if placed within this structure.
A Plot must Flow through Time
Does the plot follow a time table that flows and makes sense? It’s all too easy for a writer to concentrate on action and reaction in a tense plot, but lose track of which characters are doing what on which days.
- Solution: Plot out the story on a calendar, with different colors for either different plot lines or different characters. The visual form will provide a reference and help time progress logically. A storyboard can also be used if arranged in calendar form.
Does the story take place in the shortest amount of time possible? Even a relaxed character-driven story can drag if it stretches out over too long a time period.
- Solution: Shorten the time frame to add tension. Condense a season into a month, or a month into a week. For more tension, create a critical deadline that fits logically and seamlessly into the story, with dire consequences if it isn’t met. If the story is epic length, determine the focal points in the storyline and shorten the time frame of those, skipping the “boring” parts in between.
Is the plot believable? A horseback rider can’t advance from jumping crossbars to showing Grand Prix in a week, and no one can read a book on antiques and immediately open a successful shop. A story with illogical plot leaps will make readers put the book down out of sheer exasperation.
- Solution: No matter the subject or setting, have a reader knowledgeable in the subject go through the manuscript to look for problems, and then adjust the plot line accordingly.
Once the plotline is superb, with characters revised into strong, well-rounded people, the manuscript is ready for polishing the finer details.
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