Staircase and Plot/Story

Writers I work with fall into two groups. Those who begin by listing key events and organizing them into an outline and those who panic at the idea of an outline and write in snippets that are distinct in their emotional valence. I’ve never edited a writer who thinks in both ways at once. Ever.

Yet our writing needs both.  The logical sequence of things that happen (plot) and the emotional logic behind why things happen (story). Like the vibrant yellow and orange colors next to the mottled grey concrete in this gorgeous staircase in Berlin, shot by Matthias Hederich. The dynamism of that contrast which we feel as we climb.

Plot is– a character buys ingredients and a pan, goes home, bakes a cake.

Story is– a character wants to honor his mother, remembers she loves cake, has never baked one before but is undaunted, buys a pan, bakes a cake, feels pleasure. The sequence is emotional.

To write our unique story, we need to write both plot and story. But to do that well, it’s important to know how we personally organize our experience the world. The earlier we figure this out the happier we’ll be, and the less time we’ll waste trying to start with a method that feels abrasive.  Trying the wrong method might make us feel responsible.  But we can’t make art by starting this way. Here’s how I handled this predicament… 

If an outline comes naturally, write it out and then in writing the text, discover the emotions of the characters that drive their actions. Go deeper. Find your story.

If seemingly unrelated moments come first, write them out in separate fragments and sequence them later. Your fragments will cohere. Your outline will emerge.  Why?  Because the mind seeks order.

Start with the natural, then do the foreign. The foreign thing will become a teacher. And the part you dread will become exciting. I can tell you this from my own writing experience.

Exercises:

1. Think of an important event you recently attended. What do you remember first Your itinerary? Guest list? Sights seen? (Plot) Or your excitement, disappointment, joy, surprise? (Story)
2. Consider your current writing project. Do you have an outline? If you’re a plot-first person, list the major events and sequence them. If you are a story-first person, write the 20 key moments that you want your reader to feel. Then circle the one moment that is the core moment, the core feeling.
3. Walk around. Find a staircase or an ascending path you like.  Remember that the ascent is made well. Logical. Sturdy. The steps or path delivers you to a new place. That’s plot. Remember that you wanted to climb this. And as you climb your feelings change and are layered. That’s story. Notice that you experience the interplay of plot and story no matter how many times you go back to your staircase, to your hilly path.

Start where you are.  Start with what you notice most.  Trust that.  And incorporate the other as the second stage in your draft.  But always start with your natural way of understanding your perception.  Honor that and make art not just stuff.

Contact maryrakow1@gmail.com