The Bootcamp Mentors have hosted many workshops over the years, and we have included them all in this book. Consider this another ongoing resource from your friends here at BCM.
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Plot - the series of events that make up a story, including the order in which they occur and how they relate to each other.
Structure - the overall design or layout of a story.
📌NOTE: When discussing plot and structure, you will also hear these terms: Story Arc, Narrative Arc, or Plot Clock.
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A Plot Clock is used to break up a story into four acts, with each act featuring important markers in the narrative. If each milestone is met at the proper time and carried out with the finesse, your story will maintain the right amount of action, pacing, and intrigue to satisfy your readers and have them singing your praises well after they close your book.
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~ Act 1 ~
Main Components: The first act includes the Introduction, the Hook, the Inciting Incident, and the Binding Point or First Plot Point.
Introduce your characters and their world. It's often beneficial to have your readers care about the protagonist before the Hook. Most writers know how important a hook is to draw readers in. This could be a killer opening line, the protagonist experiencing a life-changing event, or a cliffhanger at the end of chapter one.
After you have introduced your characters, painted the world they live in, and hooked your reader, it's time to complicate things with the Inciting Incident. This is an event that disrupts the status quo and starts the story's momentum. Sometimes the Hook serves the purpose of the inciting incident. The protagonist experiences something new and external that affects their life.
The protagonist is now confronted with a situation and attempts to resolve it. There is likely angst and pushback, or maybe there is excitement and hope if the incident is a positive one. Either way, this is the pivotal moment when your protagonist is forced to change course; to make a choice. In the process - Bam! - their life is different. This marks the Binding Point or First Plot Point and signals the end of Act 1.
Example for Act 1: The Hobbit
Introduction to our protagonist and the world: We meet Bilbo Baggins, who is enjoying some alone time in his hobbit hole. He likes the familiarity and comforts of his life.
Hook: Bilbo is visited by Gandalf, a wizard who is responsible for taking so many quiet lads and lasses on mad adventures. Through his cleverness, Gandalf attempts to lure Bilbo on an adventure.
Inciting Incident: The Dwarves show up on Bilbo's doorstep, take over his home, and tell him they need a burglar to steal a precious treasure from a dragon's lair, essentially luring him further into Galdalf's clever plan.
Binding Point or First Plot Point: After initially refusing, Bilbo accepts the job of burglar, which raises a dramatic question that needs to be answered by the climax. Given Bilbo's non-adventurous nature, will he be a good burglar? Will he survive his adventure?
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