Comments on: A Situation Is Not a Plot

By: Kidlit · Situation Queries

Kidlit · Situation Queries — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:30:59 +0000

[...] of my favorite notes to give because it make so much sense to me is “A situation is not a plot.” (Though Stephen King is quick to absolutely disprove me by giving the opposite note here, [...]

By: Chef Todd

Chef Todd — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:17:48 +0000

As requested. http://i.imgur.com/I0jve.jpg

By: Good Books Are About People…GONE by Michael Grantwith ten « Kate's Book Blog

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:04:38 +0000

[...] keep me reading for at least a couple of chapters. However, as I’ve been reminded lately, a premise is not a plot. It will keep me reading for a couple of chapters but GONE is a whopping 560 pages long. After [...]

By: Gordon

Gordon — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:52:13 +0000

Wonderful discussion. My interpretation is that a situation is static, a snapshot. A plot brings in the element of time, and change over time.

A situation describes circumstances at a moment in time. A plot talks about how that situation evolves through changes and how the characters are challenged as a result.

If it’s a good plot, the reader is captivated by how the character responds to challenges.

Would you agree?

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:48:38 +0000

Nice post. I shall have to come back and see what else you’re up to

By: Premise or Plot? « Ideas In Things

Premise or Plot? « Ideas In Things — Sun, 09 May 2010 20:10:11 +0000

[...] 9, 2010 by sashikaufman I really like this post on Kidlit.com about the difference between an interesting situation and an interesting story. [...]

By: Brian H

Brian H — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:45:04 +0000

I agree that what you start with is a situation – a “what if?”. Patrick Ness says that his (brilliant) trilogy Chaos Walking (I’ve read the first two: The Knife of Never Letting Go, and The Ask and the Answer – they are amazing) with the idea, the “situation”, of “what if we could hear each others’s thoughts.” You’d nver know from the complex plot that it started from such a sparse “situation”. My Creative Writing teacher at Sheffield Hallam Uni in UK always started his critiques of my work with the question “Where’s the story?”. Incidentally, Patrick Ness’ awesome trilogy deals with loads of “issues”, but the story comes first – and what a story it is!!

By: Naomi Canale

Naomi Canale — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:49:50 +0000

Loved this post Mary, thanks!

By: Julie Hedlund

Julie Hedlund — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:02:29 +0000

I read a lot of writing blogs, so it’s rare that I read something that I had really never thought of before, but this is it! Just one more thing to file away… situation vs. plot. Thanks!

By: Kate B.

Kate B. — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:13:36 +0000

Alan, I wasn’t trying to call you out. You have a right to have an opinion. I was just curious if anyone could ever do enough research to make a visceral experience, like addiction, authentic enough to write. I’m sorry if I seemed standoffish. I didn’t mean to at all. I was just musing about your post as a writer who’d like to stretch her wings more.