Jul 06, 2025 18:00:00

The plot of a story is not just about organizing the story, but also about taking a 'bomb-throwing' approach

A plot , one of the techniques for creating a story, is used as a blueprint for actually creating a story by writing out the synopsis, setting, trigger and punch line of the story. Plots are useful for organizing ideas and arranging a story, but Matthew Clark Davison, a writer and professor emeritus of the Department of Creative Writing at San Francisco State University, explains the technique of adding depth and interest to a story by placing a 'bomb' in the plot that deliberately destroys the plot.

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A plot organizes ideas as a blueprint for a story, giving it consistency throughout the story and making it easier to sprinkle hints that highlight interesting points. In character-driven stories, plots are considered a worthy goal that can improve the quality of the work, and there are also techniques for creating auxiliary plots called 'subplots' and 'plot filaments' to further improve the quality of the story. On the other hand, some in literary and academic circles believe that 'plot-driven novels are outdated and result in two-dimensional works with no sense of depth.'

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A plot is most effective when it captures the 'structure' of a story. It is said that attractive stories have a certain structure, such as the 'Freitig Triangle,' which 'rises toward the second half, then descends after the climax and settles into a resolution,' and research that shows that ' good stories can be visualized as line graphs .' Organizing the entire story with a plot makes it easier to manage such structure.

Davison suggests an approach to plotting that is even more fascinating than grasping at structure, and that can produce surprising results: 'throwing the bomb.'

Davison separates the 'bomb-throwing' technique into two categories: the 'external bomb,' which is a surprising event beyond the characters' control -- a natural disaster, a stranger's appearance, or an outside threat that thwarts the story's main objective -- that suddenly throws the story into complete disarray.

The other is the 'internal bomb,' which refers to a chain of unexpected events brought about by a character's nature. Difficulties arise in the story due to events caused by unknown aspects of a character, such as 'Actually, this character can't do this because of an innate weakness,' or 'These two people have a hidden bond that makes reconciliation difficult.'

Both external and internal bombs have the characteristic that the writer 'cannot predict what will happen next'. Plot-driven stories tend to be structured and cohesive, but they are also criticized for being too neat and predictable, resulting in a two-dimensional work with no depth. The 'throwing bomb' approach helps to change characters, themes, and story situations in surprising and compelling ways by adding ideas that break the structure of a set formula.

Another plot technique that Davison suggests is to incorporate lies into the plot. When organizing a story into a plot, lies and secrets do not appear in organized plots unless there is a big trick in the overall theme. However, if there are elements that subtly affect the development of the story, such as small lies or secrets, or actions by certain characters that induce misunderstandings, it can also give the reader an opportunity to think about the thoughts and words of each character, creating depth in the story and character relationships.

Davison advises, 'The key is to remember that you don't have to rely on the same old formulas you see in traditional stories. Especially when you're stuck building a plot and wondering, 'How is the story going to move forward?', throwing a bombshell or weaving the characters' intentions and emotional movements into the plot can result in a development that will delight your reader and surprise you as the writer. It's very important that the writer is surprised as well.'