Writing: Building Plot

Thoughts about the plot progression

I’ve been thinking recently about using the outer imagery of a setting as a way to describe the internal state of those who are in it.

It seems a bit self-evident: if the subject is in a thunderstorm, the rain is pouring down, and the roof is leaking, I would assume the internal state of the subject is in a certain way—maybe in an irritable mood or a bit chaotic—trying to fix the damn leak so the floor doesn’t mold and rot.

I start by describing a warm day, with a group of friends swimming in the river. The reader’s perception can be played with, maybe enhanced or broken. Imagine within the group of friends, the reader discovers a young woman who seems great on the outside but is actually suicidal. This breaks the perceived unity of the friend group, and by extension the setting itself. Suddenly, the reader is in a completely different place, because nothing was as it seemed. In some sense, the writer is building the setting similar to how they would build a character, then playing with the feeling of the setting to further progress the story.

Imagery can be overdone pretty easily. The quality of the imagery needs to be good enough where a few sentences can properly describe the setting to start—as long as it is done right—then subtle descriptors are placed throughout the scene as it progresses to further enhance the scene or adjust it if needed.

I have tried to do that with this short story I’ve been freehand writing. I will do better imagery in the first few chapters to better describe the world, but on the surface, Fairview seems like a regular ice town, going about everyday business—though some of the behavior of the people seems to be off.

The plot starts out with Halliday arriving in the town, noticing a few weird things from the people in the town: first, the clerk at the station is sending word of his arrival; then, when John mentions the name of the guy the clerk was talking to, the blacksmith is suddenly very angry at him.

We have the preestablished notion that the townspeople are truly afraid—of who is not yet clear—whether Vanderbilt is the man they are afraid of, and how he fits in with the man Halliday is chasing from Montana.

I do need to add the information John discovers in the hotel relating to Vanderbilt, which should provide direction as John leaves the blacksmith. That info should also make logical sense for needing a set of blades/skates.

Someone in the town has everyone scared, and none of them are going to talk, so John needs to make it to a homestead or mining outfit out of town where people aren’t as concerned with the fearmongering. I’m cooking up a nasty ambush as he starts back, knocking John out and tossing him down an ice cavern.

I’ll also include direct interaction with the bad guy before John leaves town, who can hear John say where he is going and set up the ambush. It makes logical sense, but more importantly, it establishes multiple characters in the reader’s psyche to set the town setting when he returns.

That’s enough plot progression for now; the key details when John gets back to town have yet to be worked out.

Probably 5 or 6 chapters here. I will think about the plot some more.

Someone in the town has everyone scared, and none of them are going to talk, so John needs to make it to a homestead or mining outfit out of town where people aren’t as concerned with the fearmongering. I’m cooking up a nasty ambush as he starts back, knocking John out and tossing him down an ice cavern.

I’ll also include direct interaction with the bad guy before John leaves town, who can hear John say where he is going, and set up the ambush. It makes logical sense, but more importantly establishes multiple characters in the reader’s psyche to set the town setting when he returns.

Thats enough plot progression for now, the key details when john gets back to town have yet to be worked out.

Probably 5 or 6 chapters here, I will think about the plot some more.