Plots

Hi guys :) So yesterday I talked about how a setting's flexibility was both a major liability and an asset. We're switching gears a bit today and I'm talking about plots today. With a plot, there is no right or wrong, but there is a preferable and a less-preferable. So, let's begin:

To put this in brief terms, a plot is the story line that the book follows. There is a fairly typical structure to every plot, although this structure can be modified depending on the length of the book. A plot will have an opening, where the main characters are introduced, the setting is laid out and the reader starts warming up for the book. Then comes the rising action, where the conflict is introduced and almost all main protagonists begin what is called the "hero's journey" (The hero's journey is the protagonist's physical, mental or emotional quest to attain a goal or a higher sense of being.) The rising action is followed by the climax, which is the where the protagonist and antagonist meet for not necessarily the first, but certainly the final time. Regardless of how much of a misanthropic a writer may be, the good guy always wins in the end. Why? Because the readers need closure. After the climax is the falling action, where the main protagonist cleans up the mess made from the climax (no pun intended there) and sets their affairs in order. Finally, there's the closing, which is often done with an epilogue or in some cases, innuendo. Epilogues are a preferred method of closing books because they show what happens int he future to let readers know that there is in fact closure in the main character.
For me, plots are a great way to showcase creativity and one of my favorite ways of doing this is by tying up loose ends. I love when a writer mentions what seems to be an unimportant detail, almost in passing and then later on in the book, that detail carries the utmost significance. While this is enjoyable to read, it isn't quite as easy to write. This leads to my second general bit of advice, if you want to incorporate a lot of loose ends, write your entire plot out beforehand. I don't just mean that one book (if you are doing a series) write out the synopsis of every single book before you write the book itself, its much easier to create patterns and twists in the plot if you know what you're doing.
Sorry this post was pretty long, but as usual, agree, disagree, like, dislike, let me know in the comments below :) Writers grow through each other :)