What is the difference between plot and story? Think of the plot as riding an airplane. It’s the path tha plane takes from one city to the next, from the beginning to the end of the novel. It’s the reason we get on in the first place, because we want to reach the final destination. But like the saying goes, it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters. But what, exactly, is the difference between plot and story?
Plot Vs Story
If plot moves you from one place to another, then story is the actions you take mid-flight. Yes, the plane will arrive at is predetermined destination. But what you do while on the flight is up to you. Likewise, the characters are free to “move about the cabin” getting into mischief.
Plot Structure
The plot is the flight path of the events of your novel. These are the three acts which comprise the events your characters must endure. The beginning is the take off, the excitement and the beginning. The long flight is the middle, where many novels fall flat. And then the climactic landing, where you finally reach your destination.
The Story
If the plot is the route you take, then the story is the reason you boarded the plane in the first place. Here, the author can explore themes and emotions related to your final destination.
The story is where the characters truly live. Readers can connect with relatable characters and sympathize with their struggles and follow their growth. All the while, the plane/plot barrels toward the inevitable conclusion.
The Window Seat
On a plane, if possible, I always grab the window seat. Why? Because I love to gaze down at the landscape passing below me.
In a novel, the author does much the same, creating a sense of place to immerse the readers in the world of the story. You become excited or amazed at what you see out the plane window, much as a good author will evoke wonder in readers with a well crafted setting.
Destination Vs The Trip
The plot is keyed in on one thing, the inevitable destination. All the elements of the plot conspire to make the ending a foregone event. Yet we stay on the trip because of the story, the characters and their interactions. How characters respond, emotionally and physically, keep us turning pages until we reach the end of the story.
Tim Kane
