How do you solve the problem when you can't create a good plot for a story?
A plot is one of the techniques for creating a story. It is used like a blueprint, with the plot, setting, plot start, punch line, etc. written out and organized. Working on the plot at the plot stage can help give the story more texture and depth, but some people find it easier to just write out the story because they are not good at creating plots. Author Emma Knight explains how to approach a plot as a form of story.
The Shape of a Story: On Losing (and Finding) the Plot of Your Novel ‹ Literary Hub
https://lithub.com/the-shape-of-a-story-on-losing-and-finding-the-plot-of-your-novel/
Writers may have differing opinions on whether a plot should be developed or not. Abraham Belgis, a professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and author of best-selling novels, raised the question, 'Is a plot really necessary?' and concluded, 'I think it is wrong to think of a plot as a detailed blueprint of a story, or to write it to discover story ideas. The only difference in the development of a plot is the timing of when the entire story is solidified. However, even if the story has changed in various ways from the plot and is completed, it is important to rework the plot to match the deviated story in order to analyze the entire story.'
Is it necessary to create a detailed plot when creating a story? - GIGAZINE
Knight originally had a hard time writing plots. One reason was that he didn't think he could plan a plot in detail, but another big reason was his thoughts on so-called 'genre fiction.' A plot brings together the important factors of a story, making it easier to see 'what kind of story it is.' This makes the genre of the story clear, such as 'Is this a love romance?' or 'Is this a thriller?' However, Knight preferred 'stories without a specific structure or characteristics' that focused mainly on the portrayal of the characters, so he said that writing a plot gave him the impression that it would lean towards genre fiction.
E.M. Forster , a 20th century British novelist, once said, 'The difference between a story and a plot is causation.' A story is a series of events arranged in chronological order, and like real-world events, some events occur suddenly without any connection to the events that precede or follow them. On the other hand, a plot is connected by causal relationships, such as 'event A causes event B.' A story needs to be woven with emotion, but a plot requires thought that connects causal relationships, so there are aspects of it that can be solved by logic. On the other hand, Knight thought that it was impossible to intrigue or move readers with events that are connected by causal relationships alone.
Knight, who had difficulty constructing a plot, changed his thinking with the image of 'scaffolding.' In a 2006 interview, British author Zadie Smith said, 'I think all of my work needed scaffolding. I don't know if that's because I'm young and still uncertain, or because fiction needs scaffolding.' Starting with an idea of where the characters are going and what story to tell, you need a direction and a basis for decision-making to know all sides of the characters and be able to make the right decisions.
Knight was not good at plotting as a blueprint, but by thinking of the plot as a foundation for constructing a story to enhance the persuasiveness of the characters' actions and words, he was able to develop his ideas well.
'Put your characters in the setting of your story, put them in motion, think from their point of view over and over again, imagine a way you could understand them, and see if that works,' says Knight. 'That's all you need for a plot.'
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