Thinking Of Plots Like HTML – The Climb #610

Saturday 24^th October 2020

I have a working idea that I’m keen to try out. It relates to plots and subplots.

I read something about this back at the start of summer and whilst I’ve forgotten where I read it, the idea obviously stayed with me as it has percolated in my back brain until now.

The idea is that plots and subplots are like nested HTML tags. With HTML you have opening and closing tags, and the rule is that you have to close the tags in the reverse order that you opened them. IE: If you opened tags 1, 2, and then 3, you have to close them in the order 3, 2, and finally 1.

With stories you might have escalating stakes or subplots.

Julie (1) wants to go to the ball, but (2) she needs a dress and (3) has to rob a bank for the Wicked Step sisters in order to get a cut to afford it.

The idea is that instead of being given the dress (2), and going to the ball (1), and then (3) doing the job to payback the sisters… a more effective story conclusion is (3) doing the bank job, (2) getting the dress and then (1) going to the ball.

I’m not sure the idea holds universally true… but then what is universally true when it comes to fiction?

However, given that I outline stories by using corkboard to order scenes, working from both the start and end towards the middle, I think this might be a handy tool for me in planning out stories.

In short, I think it’s a rule that works with the way I write. And I’m keen to try it out.

The big question though, is on what? I’ve decided that I’d like to do a project for NaNoWriMo and with various things that have gone on in recent weeks, I’m not sure whether now might be a good time to slip in something new. I’m not sure when I’ll have that freedom again.

Except… I’m not sure I’m ready to start a new world and story and be in a position to start writing by the 1^st. Whilst winging it is always an option, it’s not the direction I want to go with my craft. Instead, I really want to experiment with more rigid structures and see whether that ends up with a story that’s a little predictable and flimsy, or something creative and original.

Remember, Black As Knight started as an experiment in planning my novels instead of pantsing them, and… well… hopefully, you’ll see the result of that hard work sooner rather than later.

I’m not concerned whether the novel turns out a great success or failure, rather knowing whether more structure makes me a better writer or whether there’s a limit I can’t push it beyond.

But I think the nested HTML idea is possibly a good one and one that I’ll only break if I have good reason to. We’ll see.