Plotting the short story

To develop our germ-idea into a full-fledged plot or skeleton upon which to build our story, we must first analyze it carefully, use a little shrewd deduction, supply parts that are lacking, and then write the scattered parts into a lucid and logical whole. Patience, a careful survey of a story-idea’s many possibilities, and a methodical summing up of the conclusions drawn from our analysis will usually bring about the desired result.

If our mood is right and free rein is given to the imagination, it is seldom difficult to analyze a basic idea, provided it is striking or original enough to stir our sluggish minds to action; but it is sometimes hard to choose from the different fields into which our speculations are wont to lead us. The writer can only rely upon his best judgment in picking a way through the maze of possibilities that opens up before him and be guided by his own individual taste.

In explaining our manner of analytic procedure, we will confine ourselves at first to simple story-ideas, so the writer can get a firm grasp on the methods employed before he sets out to explore the labyrinths of the complicated plot. By simple story-ideas we mean embryo plots that follow the line of least resistance in unfolding. From these ideas are evolved the plots that form the basis of most short stories less than three thousand words in length. The simple plot is all that the name implies. It is usually direct in movement, and has no complications to harass the writer and distract the reader. Opening with either the inciting motive or the first incident of plot development, it marches forward over a straight road until it reaches its goal, the climax.

With a copy of the Chart for Plot Construction before us, let us now select a germ-plot and see exactly what we can do with it. We select the following typical plot-germ from one of our note books:

“Bride and groom leave home in dead of night, bride without wraps, groom without hat or coat. They leave a red light burning at one of the front windows. They never return.”

What does this suggest? When we glance at the Chart there instantly leaps into mind the following: Action—mystery; Setting—city; Atmosphere—gruesome; Mood—hate. We already have our principal characters—at least, enough for the present. A title also suggests itself: “The Red Flame.”

We now wish to analyze this idea, and, reading it over again, we find that these questions stare out at us:

1. Why did the bride and groom leave home in the dead of night without their wraps?
2. Why did they never return?
3. Why did they leave a RED light burning at one of the front windows?
4. Where did they go?
5. (a) Who saw them leave? (b) Who first saw the red light? (c) Who first entered the house? (d) Who did he or she find?
6. What would be a logical outcome of the affair?

After considering the matter carefully, we might reply:

1. Because they feared some person or some THING.
2. Same answer.
3. Probably as a signal.
4. To a foreign port, or to their death.
5. (a) Immaterial. (b) Same answer. (c) The man—or woman—for whom the signal was intended. (d) Death.
6. The logical conclusion we draw from the foregoing is that when the man—or woman—who entered the house did not reappear within a reasonable length of time, the police batter down the door and find the entrant lying on the floor dead.

This being the case, we naturally want to know:

1. Why was the man—if it was a man—killed? and
2. The manner in which he met his death.

Reading over the analysis again, we would say:

1. Because of the fear the bride and groom had for him, and as they were absent,
2. They must have left some trap for him to walk into.

Now, before we can draw up a working plot based on this analysis, it will be necessary for us to select from the material offered the four pivots around which a plot revolves—the opening, the crisis, the crucial situation, and the climax. The inciting motive is found in the red light the bride and groom left burning at the window; the crisis would seem to be the appearance of the police on the field of action; the crucial situation when the man—or woman—enters the house; and the climax when the police batter down the door.

Having settled upon these important points, we find it an easy matter to fill in between them, and at once draw up a brief working plot, using the OUTLINE FOR PLOT DEVELOPMENT as our guide, as follows:

THE RED FLAME

(Inciting motive) A red light is seen burning in the window of a house and causes some comment throughout the neighborhood. (Incident of plot development) Man declares he saw the bride and groom who had been occupying the house leave the night before without their wraps, as if in great haste. (First moment of suspense) Stranger, who had been hanging around the neighborhood for the past several days, walks up to house, peers through the window, and walks rapidly away again. (Cause of crisis) Police are notified. (Crisis) They cannot enter the house as the doors and windows are locked and barred. (Second moment of suspense) One policeman goes for an ax with which to batter down the door, the other around to the back of the house. (Crucial situation) Stranger returns, walks rapidly up to the house, inserts key in lock, enters house, locks and bars door after him. (Cause of climax) A pistol shot is heard in the house and the red light goes out. (Climax) Police batter down the door. (Denouement and conclusion) Find the man lying on the floor with a bullet wound in the center of his forehead, and the following letter written in blood grasped in his hand:

“We saw you pass the house this evening and know that you have found us at last. You enter here thinking you will find the ?, but instead you find—Death. For as you pick up this letter from the table you will release a string connected to the trigger of the gun pointed at your head, and as you die, The Red Flame dies with you.”

Seems simple enough, does it not? And it is simple, once we have a grasp on the methods to be employed. It is simply a matter of analysis and of elimination. Of course the writer has to draw freely upon his imagination, for it takes something more than determination to make a success at the writing game. It is the technicalities of invention, generally, that bother the literary aspirant.

Let us now build up another simple plot—simple, but one that seems at first glance a little more difficult than the one we have just constructed. Suppose we select as our central idea a newspaper heading: “Girl Stabs Self, in Wedding Gown.” This gives us a single crisp idea from which we are to build our plot.

Now, having let the idea percolate through our minds, we naturally want to know:

1. Where did the girl stab herself?
2. Why did she stab herself?
3. When did she stab herself?
4. What sort of weapon did she use?

Offhand we would say:

1. (a) A home, (b) in a cab, (c) or before the altar of a church during the wedding ceremony.
2. Because she had just found out something in her intended husband’s past life that promised to wreck her happiness, or (b) because she feared he would find out something in HER past life which she wanted to conceal, or (c) because she was temporarily insane.
3. On her wedding day.
4. (a) Stiletto, (b) hat pin or (c) some instrument she found in the church.

Selecting the most dramatic situations from the foregoing, we find that the girl stabbed herself with a dagger before the altar because she feared the groom was about to discover some dark deed in her past life.

So far so good, but

1. What did she expect the groom to find out?
2. Why did she go as far as the church altar before carrying out her terrible design?

Her motive must have been a great one; therefore we are led to believe that

1. Perhaps she was a Magdalene, or was already married, and
2. She feared that her husband (as the marriage-angle seems the safer of the two possibilities) was about to reveal himself.

But, if this was the case,

1. Why, if she already had a husband, was she about to be married again?
2. Why did she not tell the groom her secret instead of trying to kill herself? and,
3. Why did she stab herself before the altar?

Doubtless because

1. She had believed her husband was dead; yet
2. Hearing that he was still living she had, while not believing the rumor, prepared herself for emergencies.
3. Because she saw her husband in the congregation assembled for the wedding.

What, then, would be a logical conclusion to such a situation? Well, as the plot is a little “heavy” and we want to wind it up with the happy ending, we would say that after the bride-elect stabs herself, the groom, who had seen a man in the congregation leap to his feet in an excited manner and rush from the church just before the bride-to-be plunged the stiletto into her breast, follows the man down the street, sees him killed by a street car or in some other plausible manner, and returns to the church to find his future wife still living.

So far everything is satisfactory. But how are we going to open our working plot? If we open with the inciting motive, it will be necessary for us to do considerable preliminary skirmishing before we can get into the action of the story we are planning to write. In this case, therefore, it would seem to be advisable to skip the inciting motive and open the plot with the first incident of plot development which, without a doubt, is found in bride-elect’s arrival at the church. This brings us to the crisis, which would seem to be when the girl pulls the dagger from the folds of her dress. The crucial situation is found in the act of attempted self-destruction; and the climax, of course, is when the girl’s lover sees the husband killed.

Based on these conclusions, we now draw up the following foundation for our story:

(Incident of plot development) Bride-elect enters church on her father’s arm and walks towards the altar where the groom is waiting. (First moment of suspense) Bride suddenly turns pale and reels back. (Cause of crisis) A man in the congregation leaps to his feet and cries out. (Crisis) Girl pulls stiletto from the bosom of her dress. (Second moment of suspense) Man rushes from the church with the cry “That woman is my wife!” (Crucial situation) Girl plunges dagger into her breast and falls back into the groom’s arms. (Third moment of suspense) Groom swears vengeance and places the girl in her father’s arms. (Cause of climax) Benedict-to-be rushes from the church in pursuit of husband. (Climax) Sees him run over by street car and killed. (Denouement and conclusion) Returns to find future wife, who is only slightly injured, reclining on a lounge, reading a telegram from a detective agency: “Positive proof that your husband died in South America two years ago.”

There we have the plot, and by adding the telegram (probably based on mistaken identity) we not only relieve the plot of some of its “heaviness” but wind it up with an unexpected twist that gives the reader much food for thought.

For our next analysis, we will select a newspaper heading offering us a broader field than the one we have just developed. The following, which seems to offer unusual possibilities, was actually clipped from a daily paper: “Convict Wins V. C.; Marries Red Cross Nurse.”

After a glance at our Chart, we would “place” this plot-germ as follows: Action—war; Time—during world war; Setting—this will depend upon developments; Characters—we will start off with the one man and the girl; Atmosphere—doubtful; Mood—love.

Now, first of all we want to know something about this convict with such an unique record. Therefore, our first task is to find out:

1. Who was he?
2. Was he a soldier?
3. If so, how could a convict enlist in the army?
4. How did he win the Victoria Cross?

It would seem very likely that

1. He was a notorious highwayman or cracksman.
2. Yes.
3. Under an assumed name.
4. Well, suppose we say he saved his regiment after it had been trapped by the enemy.

Very well; but, if this man was a desperado, it naturally follows that he must possess all of a desperado’s unlovely characteristics. Therefore,

1. How could he change his personality to such an extent that he could win the love of a refined girl?
2. Where did he meet this Red Cross nurse? and where did their romance develop?
3. How did she learn of his past (for of course she must know his true history)?

A rather dramatic situation occurs to us. We would say that

1. Because of a slight pressure on his brain, caused by an injury received in action, his memory up to that instant is blotted out, and because of this his whole personality has changed. (It is a fact that this has actually happened many times.)
2. In the hospital where she nursed him through his illness.
3. Suppose we say he revealed his past to her while delirious, following an operation to restore his memory by relieving the pressure on his brain.

All right. Now we want to know:

1. Was the operation successful?
2. If so, what happens?
3. What would be a logical conclusion to the affair?

And in reply:

1. It would be easier for us to say “no,” but more interesting for us to say “yes.” Therefore,
2. After the operation the man reveals his true character to the girl whom he fails to recognize, and she, nearly beside herself with grief, decides upon a daring course of action to save the man for herself and FROM himself. When he goes to sleep she places her finger over the spot on his head where the pressure has been relieved and presses it gently (the surgeon having warned her not to let anything touch this spot). And lo,
3. When he regains consciousness it is found that the operation has been a failure, and the soldier is the same happy, cheerful, refined lover the girl has learned to love.

This analysis is fairly broad, and as the material offered seems to call for a plot of a more leisurely type than the one we last evolved, it might be well for us to open our working plot with the inciting motive. This, it appears to us, is found in the surgeon’s decision to operate on the afflicted soldier. Very good. The crisis? The operation itself. The crucial situation? When the soldier regains consciousness in the character that was his before his mind became affected. The climax, of course, is when the girl renews the pressure of that part of the unfortunate man’s brain upon which the surgeon operated.

We now draw up a working plot:

(Inciting motive) Soldier is informed by his sweetheart-nurse that he is to be operated on within the hour. (First incident of plot development) They discuss the matter and its many possibilities. (First moment of suspense) Surgeon says operation may fail. (Second incident of plot development) Questions soldier, bringing to light his unique record back to the time of his injury. (Cause of crisis) He is wheeled to operating room. (Crisis) Operation, the nurse assisting. (Second moment of suspense) He is brought back to his room, still under the influence of ether. (Crucial situation) He regains consciousness in his true character and, not knowing the girl, upbraids her in harsh language, and tells her he is a famous highwayman, of whom she has heard. (Cause of climax) The girl decides there is but one thing for her to do: THE OPERATION MUST BE A FAILURE. (Climax) Girl touches “danger” spot on sleeping soldier’s head. (Denouement and conclusion) He regains consciousness and, the operation failing because of the pressure the girl applied to his head, proves to be the tender lover she has always known.

There are great possibilities to the above plot, especially if the writer is equipped to deal authoritatively with the dual-personality angle; but the author who knows little about the mechanism of the human mind, would do well to side-step the psychological lead and follow some other line of reasoning in working up the plot. He would find the experiment not only interesting but instructive, and if he has his proper share of creative ability, he should be able to work out a plot which, when compared with the one we have just unfolded, would show no signs of having sprung from the same basic idea.