How to Plot a Story: The 8 Essential Plot Points

I don’t know about you, but sometimes plotting a story can feel like digging holes on the beach. You make progress, and then a wave crashes in and fills up all your work so it’s like it never happened.

There are dozens of plot structures out there. There are hundreds of blog posts explaining them and what each is best for. Some writers follow these structures like the Bible; others completely disregard and do “what feels best.” At a certain point, you see the word “plot” and just shudder.

This post is the very basic, very generic, very underwhelming guide for you on plotting your story. I say underwhelming because the goal is to not be overwhelming. I’m not going to delve into plot theory and explain all the different plotting frameworks (such as the Hero’s Journey, Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, Seven-Point Story Structure, Three Act Structure, and so on). The purpose here is to go through the must-have plot points that will enable you to keep developing and progressing your story.

Think of plot points as the major turning points in a story. It’s what keeps the story winding and interesting rather than a straight, flat line. It doesn’t matter if you’re used to outlining or stopping mid-draft to evaluate. These plot points are your markers that will keep your story on track.

A Note on Plot

When I say “plot,” I’m referring to the external events happening in the story. (It’s the stuff you would tell someone if they asked what your story is about, like a boy who finds out he’s a wizard and goes off to wizarding school).

But plot doesn’t work in a vacuum. To have a strong plot, you need a strong character arc (which I talk about in this blog post). Two novels can have nearly identical plots—for example, a detective solving a murder—but feel completely different because the detectives’ inner struggles are different. So while I’m focusing on plot here, keep in mind that to create a strong plot requires working on character arc as well.

And now, without further ado…

The Plot Points

I’m going to give a one-line description of each, and then we’ll break each one down with examples below.

1.      SETUP: Describe the protagonist’s current place in the world (family, friends, etc.) and show who they are and what problem they have.

2.      INCITING INCIDENT: Create a life-changing event that kicks the protagonist into a new world or new way of thinking.

3.      RISING ACTION: The protagonist faces obstacles and is either excelling or failing.

4.      MIDPOINT: Stakes are raised in one scene in which the protagonist has a false defeat or false victory (explained below).

5.      MORE RISING ACTION: See number 3.

6.      ROCK BOTTOM: The protagonist is at their darkest moment, and they have to dig deep, fix their flaw, and pull themselves up to do what must be done.

7.      CLIMAX: The showdown with the antagonist so the protagonist can achieve their goal.

8.      RESOLUTION: The wrap-up, showing how the protagonist has changed in a deep, meaningful way and got what they need even if they didn’t get what they want.

Now we’ll expound on each using some examples.

Setup

While this part may seem self-explanatory, I’ve seen manuscripts that only gave a couple pages of setup before jumping into the inciting incident. Still other stories will spend several chapters just on setup. There needs to be a balance, and what helps is knowing exactly what should be in the setup.

We need an introduction to the character’s world. No info-dumps, no pages-long description of the magic system or family history. But we want to see the places the character frequents, the people they interact with, and what problem(s) the character is facing. Throughout those scenes, we should see the character’s personality, they goal they want to achieve, and what their core flaw is. All of this will help us care about the protagonist.

Real classic example: In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, we learn about his life at the Dursleys, his miserable treatment, his mysterious abilities, and why this is a character worth investing in.

Inciting Incident

The catalyst is the event that pushes the protagonist into a new world. It is a big moment, one that prevents the protagonist from returning to their old way of life.

This new world can be literal, like when Alice enters Wonderland. It may be part of the character’s world but a new location, like Frodo leaving the Shire. Or it may be a figurative new world—a leaving of the old, familiar way of life, like when a child suddenly loses a parent.

Rising Action

As the protagonist gets used to the new world (or struggles in it), they meet the B-story character, whom I speak about in the post on writing a character-driven story. The rising action is when conflict and tension keeps increasing, both externally and internally.

In Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward, this is when Spensa starts learning to fly, deals with prejudices against her, gets to know her flightmates (and has spats with the flightleader), experiences her first battle, and meets M-Bot.

Midpoint

This can be a tricky plot point to work on, but I’ve found Jessica Brody’s explanation of the midpoint very helpful. In short, the midpoint is a scene that greatly raises the stakes and involves a false win or false defeat. Something good happens or something bad happens. Why is it false? Well, if it’s a real win, the book would be over. The apparent victory doesn’t actually solve the main plot problem. It actually makes the conflict more complicated. And if it’s a real defeat, we’d have a tragic ending in the middle of the novel, which isn’t great for sales. Instead, the defeat pushes the hero toward real change.

To make it really clear, here’s your formula:

Character has been...	Midpoint will have...
Mostly succeeding	False victory
Mostly failing	False defeat

If the protagonist has thus far been succeeding in the rising action (defeating bad guys, discovering clues, and making friends), then they will achieve a false victory at the midpoint. For example, if they’re a detective, they will find evidence that leads them to a prime suspect: victory. Except it is a false victory because that suspect will actually be innocent and make things more complicated and difficult for the detective.

On the flip side, you might have a protagonist who has been failing throughout the rising action. Perhaps they’re learning to become a knight, and they’re failing miserably. Then there’s a test, which they fail even more miserably (false defeat). It ends up being false because when they handle the defeat with humility and honor, they receive a second chance.

Whether it’s a false victory or defeat, this moment in the story should raise the stakes and propel both plot and character onward.

More Rising Action

There are a bunch of clever names for his, but this is really what it is. More tension, more conflict. If in the first rising action the character struggled, they’re now succeeding. If they’d been succeeding, they are now struggling. Either way, their internal flaw is still in there and is about to take them way down. In The Giver, Jonas starts gaining deep emotions through the memories, and it starts affecting his relationships and how he views the society he always accepted.

Rock Bottom

Because of their flaw, the protagonist is now alone, lost, trapped, and in despair. There seems no way out. The villain has seemingly won, the relationship is lost, and the protagonist is ready to die at the bottom of a pit. The protagonist is worse off than they were at the start of the story. For example, in Way of Kings, Kaladin is in a hopeless battle and facing his worst fears. And this is exactly when a mentor or memory surfaces to remind the protagonist of the lesson they need to learn—and this is exactly when they learn it. This enables them to…

Climax

Defeat the antagonist! Win the day! Save the relationship! Discover the culprit! Etc. etc. etc. As we said in “How to Write a Character Arc that Actually Works,” the protagonist is only able to do this because they fixed their internal flaw and learned the theme of the story.

Resolution

Make sure plot and subplot is wrapped up. If there were any plot twists, they’re usually explained here. The protagonist sometimes returns to their old world now changed. It can be helpful to mirror a scene in the beginning to show clearly how the protagonist is now different. What’s most important is showing through scene how the protagonist has fixed the flaw and achieved what they needed for a better life.

In Conclusion

Reading dozens of blog posts about plotting and trying to fit your story to match certain plot structures can feel like digging holes on the beach. And let’s be real, sometimes reading yet another blog post is just plain ol’ procrastination. But hopefully this one gave you enough structure that you can close the browser and get back to your story. :D

If it still seems overwhelming, focus on just these four plot points first: Inciting Incident, Midpoint, Rock Bottom, and Climax. These are the major turning points of the story. Once they’re in place, the others become easier to build.

And hey, if you ever want to brainstorm your plot together, just contact me.

FAQs About PLOT

Do all novels need these eight plot points?

In my opinion, yes. But they may not appear in this form—there are different names for each, and there are additional plot points that impact the ones surrounding them. But most satisfying stories will have these major turning points.

Can I write my first draft without plotting?

Sure. Many writers discover the story as they go. But I highly recommend having some idea of where you want your protagonist to end up before you start writing. And you should use the above plot points as a guide when you are a little ways in or ready to revise.

What is the difference between plot and character arc?

Plot is what happens. Character arc is how the protagonist changes because of what happens. The strongest stories develop both in tandem. One informs the other. Every major plot point should challenge the protagonist in a way that forces them to grow. If you want to know more about character arc, see my blog post on the topic.

What if my story feels boring in the middle?

The middle of a novel can drag if the conflict is not changing. Ask yourself: Are the stakes getting higher? Am I challenging my protagonist enough? Is each scene changing the situation in some meaningful way? If the answer is no, the rising action likely needs more tension.

About Adina

Adina Edelman is a book editor who works with authors of memoir and fiction, especially historical, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, literary, and middle-grade fiction. She’s all about mining your message, unearthing the gold in your story—not just the grammar errors.

Adina has worked on over 140 titles in the past five years (and published one of her own). She offers 30-minute coaching sessions alongside her editing services.

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