Some writers prefer to write without an outline. Others find they write more clearly and require fewer revisions if they have a map to follow. Whichever method you prefer, the job is the same: decide where to place each part of your story for maximum clarity and effect. In this article I will describe five plotting frameworks that can help you organize your story regardless of whether you are a plotter or a discovery writer.
The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell studied myths, folktales, and legends from cultures around the world. He discovered a pattern among the stories that is so common it is sometimes called The Monomyth. Most of us, however, know it as the Hero’s Journey.1
Campbell’s model starts with a regular person living in their “ordinary world.” However, something occurs that threatens to change the status quo and compels them to leave the safety of their home. At first the protagonist resists, but then they meet a mentor who encourages them to start their journey. Along the path they face some initial trials and tests, most of which have negative results. They also meet allies and enemies who will play a role throughout the rest of the story. After the final confrontation with the antagonist, the now “hero” starts the journey back home. With the powers, lessons, or objects obtained during the journey, the hero can now set things right in their ordinary world. Although the world returns to normal, our hero is changed forever.
Plot-point or beat method
This is my personal go-to for writing both short stories and long fiction. As a discovery writer, I find this system easy to apply to my drafts and it gives me a clear idea of how to proceed with the first round of edits. Since it is so linear, I can see if I have spent an excessive amount of time in some sections compared to others. In addition to helping with pacing and balance, I sometimes find that I need to add a whole scene to fill in for a missing beat.
The first beat in the seven-plot-point method is the hook. This is followed by the first plot point, usually the inciting incident. Next, there is a pinch point, an event that is a setback for the protagonist. The main character is now at the mid-point of the story, another plot point, during which the character takes action or commits to a plan. The darkest moment is where all hope seems lost. It is the worst possible place our protagonist can be. Finally, the character engages in the confrontation, the climax, which is followed by the resolution.
Matt Stone and Trey Parker, writers and creators of South Park, use this method to write their shows. Their stories have an alternating “…therefore…but…” format that syncs perfectly with the plot-point method. Every beat between the hook and the resolution starts with either a “therefore” or a “but.” According to Stone and Parker, you've done something wrong if you can insert the phrase “and then” between any two beats of your story. Check out their talk about it here:
Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson
Randy Ingermanson popularized this simple and effective method of reverse-writing a story. Essentially, you start with a single-sentence premise and add increasing levels of detail until the story is fully fleshed out.
To begin using this method write a sentence or a logline that summarizes your story idea. Next, expand your sentence into a paragraph that provides more detail. Then, take that paragraph and expand each sentence into its own paragraph. Repeat this process until you have a story.2
I have greatly simplified this explanation for the purposes of this article. You can read more about this unique plotting technique in Ingermanson’s book How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method.
Three Act Structure
Many movies, plays, musicals, and novels use the three-act structure. The first act is about twenty-five percent of the story and centers around the main character's ordinary life and the introduction of the conflict. In the second act the antagonist comes into the picture, and this portion of the story makes up the next fifty percent of the story. The final act, the remaining twenty-five percent of the story, contains the climax and resolution.
Kishōtenketsu: Plot without conflict
The name “kishōtenketsu” might not sound familiar to you, but it is a popular plot structure you have likely encountered. It originates from East Asia, particularly Japan, and is seen throughout pop-culture in movies, video games, comics, and increasingly in novels. Novelists such as Emily St. John Mandel, Hye-Young Pyun, and Sayaka Murata have used this form of storytelling in recent years.
Kishōtenketsu is a four-act story structure that does not incorporate conflict directly into the plot. Conflict may still exist within the narrative, but it does not get the same focus as in Western stories. If this sounds confusing, think of urban legends or myths kids might tell each other at camp. These stories often don’t show characters overcoming obstacles or undergoing any significant change by the end. Nonetheless, they are often exciting, thrilling, and memorable.
The organization of kishōtenketsu is incorporated into its name:
Ki: The introduction of the story where the characters are shown going about their ordinary lives.
Shō: The development stage of the story. A unique situation is presented and may take place chronologically before the first act.
Ten: The defining part of kishōtenketsu is the twist. In this part of the story something is revealed that changes the characters’ perspectives of the situation established in the second act.
Ketsu: The conclusion follows up on the twist in the third act. This act often shows the characters coming to grips with their new reality but not necessarily exhibiting any signs of change or growth.
You can find more details about kishōtenketsu in this informative article and Worldwide Story Structure by Kim Yoon Mi.
They are mostly all compatible
These plotting frameworks are almost entirely interchangeable. Whether you prefer the simplicity of the plot-point method or the classic structure of the Hero’s Journey, if your story fits into one framework it likely fits into them all. This is true even for kishōtenketsu. Check out this article from Book Riot, where the author shows how Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery fits a kishōtenketsu outline.
I advise choosing the structure that makes the most sense to you. If you are a plotter you can use it to provide a roadmap for your story. If you’re a discovery writer, apply it to your first draft before your first round of revisions. Whichever style of writer you are, the one thing we all have in common is that everybody plots.
Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. NewYork: New World Library; Third edition, 2008.
Ingermanson, Randy. How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014.
I use the Save the Cat method which has a lot in common with some of these but has more signposts (I believe 15) so it's more tightly structured. My next book is going to be dual POV's with different settings for each so it can get trickier but I find having some initial structure is something I need