Every novel has a plot, something that moves the story along and keeps the reader coming back for more. Normally the first idea you have includes characters and a problem, but there’s a lot more to constructing a story than just those two. There are a few basics that every novel should have because they build the world your story takes place in, add believability to the characters and situations (even if the whole story is fantasy or sci-fi), and create a more detailed, well-planned novel.
This list below is based on an Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) curriculum that I used for two of my books. Going through the process of these points and answering the questions for my story gave me more ideas and developed the novel further.
Backdrop
While this point is basically the setting, there’s more involved than adding a few trees and a house. Setting is place, time, history, religion. Whatever a reader needs to know in order to understand the world you’re taking them to, that’s backdrop. Click the links for ideas on how to create an environment and build a world.
Situation
THIS IS NOT YOUR MAIN PROBLEM!! Normal life is normal life until something shifts and a problem arises. The situation is the shift that causes the problem. This could be something new that arrives or something regular that doesn’t happen. A new arrival at school or missing your morning coffee are more concrete examples.
Problem
Now we’re getting to the heart of the story. The situation occurs and now we have a problem that must be solved. Some of the best problems have a time limit or emotional connection. However you decide to write it, the problem is key to building the story and keeping a reader on board all the way to the solution.
Character
Introducing the main character, our hero who will solve the problem. In the IEW curriculum, they have the character introduced after the problem has arisen. This works for dystopias or problems that have affected the world for a long time. Most of my stories have the character introduced and experience the situation and problem. Whatever the order, your character must be a flawed, realistic person that readers can connect to.
Motivation
Motivation drives the character throughout the story. It must be strong and deeply ingrained within their being. Otherwise, why would the character keep fighting to solve the problem? This motivation also highlights the character and makes them more apparent than any side people.
Goal
This point is fairly simple. Motivated character reaches for tangible goal of solving problem. I’ll highlight the tangible part right here; even if the solution is an emotional change, there needs to be something tangible that the character is going after. A good example is the movie Onward: Ian’s goal is to finish the spell and meet his father (tangible), but he realizes the connection he wanted he had with Barley (emotional solution). A tangible goal gives the reader something to look for.
Opponent
Everyone loves a good bad guy. The whole point of the opponent is to stop the protagonist from succeeding. Sometimes this falls under man vs. man, other times it’s man vs. nature or man vs. self. When deciding your opponent, make sure they’re just as prominent and invested as the main character. They should be fighting for best in show as much or more than the protagonist.
Others
Here come the secondary characters. Every protagonist needs a crew or a couple people that help now and again. One thing I’ve learned from writing: clearly define who your secondary and tertiary characters are and keep the secondary circle small. My first book had a lot of characters fighting for paragraph space and that meant a lot of confusion as to who was important and who was on the side.
Consequences
Before getting too far into the book, set the stakes. The higher the risk and worse the consequences, the more engaged a reader will be. Life and death are easy ones, but things like losing high status or leaving an ancestral home can be seen as tragic depending on the time period, culture, or character.
Mood
Set the tone for your novel near the beginning. Will it be lighthearted, scary, mysterious, gloomy, fiery? Setting the mood can be done through the backdrop and situation. A foggy morning would give the effect of mystery while dark forests and crooked peaks would be more scary.
Theme
Every good book has a theme underneath all the entertainment. That’s why some movies from books don’t go well; the director’s trying to make a thrilling movie, but the theme gets lost. Some people create the theme before hand. I find that it gets written into the story and when I go back I make it the theme. Whatever your process, there must be a moral idea or take-away that sticks with a reader.
Plot Point
A plot point is a twist or surprise that catches readers off-guard. It can be a betrayal, a new clue, a reveal. Anything that reveals more of the story and stands out is a plot point. You’ll need a few of these throughout.
Story Decision
This point is an IEW special. The story decision is whether the character succeeds or not. A single yes or no question that determines the end of the story before Chapter 1 is written. I’m including this point because it’s important to stay focused and know ahead of time what the end outcome will look like. This keeps you focused despite whatever plot points and conflicts you throw at your character.
Final Thoughts
Don’t simply read this and call it a day. If you want to write a novel or create a story for a comic, I highly suggest taking out some paper and a pencil and answering these questions. I rediscovered my composition book with all my notes and was amazed at how detailed my worlds became when I went through the questions and really thought about these basic points.