The story Plot

Does a story require a plot?

My daughter, who is eight , knows most of the popular stories and tales . A year back she insisted I make up some stories because the usual ones had become repetitive and boring. She had already made up her mind who the hero would be. She had decided on ‘Supandi’, who is a comic strip hero. Over the year, we went through all the roles, Supandi the policeman, Supandi the plumber, Supandi the pilot ………… The story inevitably started with a problem. Supandi in the thick of trouble would create situations from which it was difficult to extricate himself. Let me say that it always began with a conflict. The story continued with Supandi creating more and more problems for himself. Let me put it as escalation of his problems. In this case, since Supandi is a comic character, he always required some bit of luck and divine intervention. For example in the story, Supandi the Plumber , Supandi by mistake opens a master valve and the sudden gush of water hits the robbers and they are swept away and caught by the police. Supandi is hailed as a hero and honored with a gallantry medal. A satisfying end to a thrilling story!

If you look back, you will see all the signs of a standard plot. Situation, problem, conflict, escalation and finally resolution. Added to it the character of Supandi is such that you root for him right from the beginning. The empathy created by character is carried forward by the plot. This gets the reader involved with the story. Next, Supandi is thrown into a conflict situation. Good show ……..Can he cope up or will he succumb? The situation is almost unbearable when finally at the peak of suspense, there is resolution.

I suppose by now it is clear what a plot is about. All stories have to go through the stages. Even if you miss a single step, the story would remain incomplete.

Plot. Plot. Plot. And more. Your story hinges on it. Let the reader start wondering right from the first page and the momentum should carry him through till he finishes the book. Hopefully in a single sitting . This brings us to the question of a’HOOK’ . Do you requires a hook?

Pankaj Mishra 'The Romantics'

What do you make of an auther who has THE NEW YORK POST to THE WASHINGTON POST eating out of his hands. Well almost . Pankaj Mishra is a well known figure among the Literary circles in US and UK. His fame is still a mystery to me. I suppose the Western press looks at him as an expert on Indian English writing.
I read Pankaj Mishra's 'The Romantics' and let me be frank , I was not much impressed. I would have bypassed him altogether but for a friend who pestered me into reading this book.
The story is about an Indian who meets some foreigners while living in the holy town of Banares , his fascination with the white skin and ultimate disillusionment . As I commented to my friend
"From a first book perspective , 'The Romantics' is more like an autobiography with elements of fantasy thrown in. Of course , 'butter chicken' doesn't count. But each one to his own. You are fascinated by romantics because you see some part of it reflecting yourself and your experiences. We all read the same thing but come away with our own interpretation of the experience . The issue here is empathy. You could connect with the 'Hero' at a deeper level , whereas I could not. I was kinda observer while reading while you were a participant. After all , the success of a novel depends on how many people it can touch base with. More the merrier."

The ending is rather facile and left me dissatisfied . It was as if the author had suddenly decided that enough was enough and put an end to a rather sordid drama. Though I must confess that the narrative in first person is haunting whith some deft touches to the background and setting.
The plot was also weak. Is plot important to a story? I will throw my views on it later.
Here is a free site with all the Literary agents and publishers . It is the best site for writers looking for agents. And Gerard Jones is hilarious and a great time pass. I am adding a link to the site .

Anatomy of a story

What makes a story ?

Story telling or writing is a craft. The author has to manipulate the characters in such a way that they forward the predetermined plot to a plausible and satisfying ending. What happens in between is the story. The story is based on a premise which is challenged by a conflict which needs a resolution. As the story develops, the conflicts escalate making the resolution more and more difficult. Finally a stage is reached when the protagonist is positioned in a life and death situation from which he usually emerges victorious. Even if the hero dies which happens in a tragedy, the story has to provide a final resolution, all loose ends have to be tied and the story should eventually close. If this doesn’t happen, there is no story.