CREATIVE WRITING - Plot & Narrative
In its simplest terms it is a plan of action, and where the writer is concerned it is the sequence of
events which make up his story.
Here is a sequence of events :-
George woke up that morning.
He showered, shaved and brushed his teeth.
He ate the breakfast his wife had prepared.
He dressed and drove to work.
At his desk he checked his emails.
He processed some orders his company had received.
He ate lunch in the local pub with his friend Bob.
In the afternoon he presented his monthly report to his boss.
He visited the factory and checked output with the foreman.
He drove home and played with his two kids.
He ate dinner with the family.
He watched TV.
He went to bed.
Fascinating? A day in the life of? No, I’d expect you’d say it was boring. Why? Because nothing
out of the ordinary happens. There is no plot, or at least none that would interest a reader. So rule
number one of creating a plot must be that something happens. Let’s look at that again.
George woke up that morning.
He showered, shaved and brushed his teeth.
He ate the breakfast his wife had prepared.
He dressed and drove to work.
At his desk he checked his emails.
He processed some orders his company had received.
He ate lunch in the local pub with his friend Bob.
Bob told him he loved him.
In the afternoon he presented his monthly report to his boss.
