The Simple Plot

A two-character plot is certainly not the norm, but it is possible to create a lot of simple, straight-forward stories using only the characters on a single square, and without resorting to any of the more complicated devices that are generally employed in literary masterpeices or Shakespearean plays.

A simple plot is generated by initially taking a single character, who will be the perspective character or the hero, and then adding a second character to form the foundational relationship on which the rest of the plot will be built. With the addition of a third, and often a fourth character, the narrative assumes its shape.

In a simple plot, all of these characters will be involved in the same basic conflict or action. This means that there are no sub-plots; if the story is a tale of Epic Conflict, then the Lover, if he or she appears in the story, must serve the conflict. Perhaps the fair maid will be captured by the evil usurper, and her beloved will sally forth to do battle and rescue her. Or maybe the Warrior and his beloved Warrioress will go forth together to slay the dragon. In either case, there is no room for an extra line that concerns the falling in love of the Lovers; either they will be Lovers before the plot begins, or they will simply become Lovers without any further ado at some point during the story. Likewise, if the story is a Romance, there is no place for battles between the the Hero and the Villain over anything other than the Beloved. If the evil Stepmother wants to appear in the love story of Cinderella and Prince Charming, she had better be trying to marry her daughters off to the Prince. If she suddenly started competing with Cinderella for the affections of the Heroine's father, it would cease to be a simple plot; a sub-plot would have been introduced.

This is especially important for anyone who wants to begin trying to analyze works of fiction to see and understand the archetypes and the rolls that they play within a plot. Do not start with I Claudius or Der Ring Des Nibelungen. Start with the Brothers Grimm, or classic Hollywood, or Greek Myths. Stories that contain a handful of characters and a single objective show the archetypes and the relationships the most clearly, because every scene is a part of the same plot-line, and is written from the same perspective.

For a simple plot the most important thing to know is what kind of a plot it is: what is the primary defining relationship? After that, you need to know who the third character is. We will call this character the “complicating character,” because he or she decides in what direction the story will be complicated beyond a simple Romance, Tragedy, Conflict, etc. If, for example, the story is a Conflict tale, and the Sidekick is the complicating character, then it will become a story about how the Hero needs the Sidekick's help to overcome the Villain (Batman and Robin). If the story is a Tragedy, and the complicating character is the Lover, then it will be the story of how the Nemesis dragged the Hero into misery and thwarted his chance of true love (Sunset Boulevard). If the story is a Tale of Hapless Love complicated by the Villain's Lieutenant, then it will become a story about how the Hero overcomes the trifling obstacles between himself and the girl – and loses her anyways (Roman Holiday).

Once the first three relationships have been established, there will be enough material for a simple, yet interesting plot – enough material to sustain a short story, a fairy tale or a one act play. In most cases, however, a fourth character will still be called for to flesh out the story. This is the last character that will be a part of the core plot. Other characters after the first four are basically fifth business: they may perform a single, important function within the plot, but they will not be instrumental in determining the kind of plot that it will be.

To get an idea of what I mean, let's look at a common fairy tale: Cinderella. This is a story of Romance between Cinderella, and Orphan, and the Prince, who is archetypally a Disciple. They are in a Lover relationship to one another. The complicating character is the evil Stepmother: the Villain's Lieutenant – not the Villain. This tells us that the story is going to be about outside forces trying to prevent the Romance from taking shape, not about a direct rivalry in which Prince Charming's own affections are torn in two directions. The story is fully fleshed out by the addition of the Fairy Godmother (Mother), who is Cinderella's Sidekick and helper. Her presence allows Cinderella to thwart the stepmother. Finally, filling in as fifth business are the evil stepsisters (Parasites), who are necessary in order to provide the stepmother with a realistic motive for opposing Cinderella, and who provide the necessary tension at the end of the story. Note that if they were removed the story would not quite work, but the shape of it would not be essentially changed.

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