Mapping Short Story

Plot, Conflict, Climax

• This is a strategy to examine a storyline that has multiple conflicts and subplots—like The Outsiders.

• It allows the reader to see how conflict and climax are related.

The map shows a (very basic) outline Suzanne Collins’The Hunger Games.

Mapping

• Each road or subway line represents a different story-thread or plot line. 

• The dots (exits on the highways or subway stops) represent different scenes or moments in the story. 

• Black dots represent local exits or subway stops (moments that apply only to that one storyline) while the white dots indicate moments where two or more plot lines intersect.

Step 1: Write out your scenes

• You may use index cards for this step or write the scenes out on notebook paper

• For each scene, jot down a brief description of who is in the scene, what happens and why the scene is important to the story overall. 

• The why is key because if you can’t figure out what purpose a particular scene serves in the story, then it probably means that scene is dispensable and you should get rid of it.

Step 2: Figure out your main story threads and the conflict related to each.

• Every novel has a main plot thread and at least one or two subplots.  Each of these plot threads is driven by what’s called the Dramatic Question.  For the main plot thread we have the Major Dramatic Question (MDQ) (or main conflict) and for the subplots we have what I like to call the Lesser Dramatic Questions (LDQ’s) (minor conflicts).  These Dramatic Questions boil down each plot thread and propel them forward.

Step 3: Sort out your scenes according to which plot threads they relate to.

• Remember, some scenes can belong in more than one plot thread. In fact, most key scenes in a novel (like big turning points or the climax) will relate to multiple plot lines.

• You can do this step by drawing colored dots on each index card. – The color of each dot indicates the plot thread(s)

where that scene belongs.

Step 4: Draw your map.

• Now that you have your scenes sorted out and you know which scene falls where, you can draw your map and look at how the different plot lines intercept.

• You can also separate the main plot from the subplots and see how each individual arc works.

Benefits/Learning Goals• It allows you to look at plot lines together and

individually whereas most outline techniques force you to look at all plot lines at once.

• It forces you to think about your story’s major dramatic question (and the lesser dramatic questions).  This means you have to be able to boil down each plot line to one question.  If you can do that, then you know the main plot of your story.

• It’s very visual so at a glance you can see your entire story and how everything fits together.  This is especially helpful for writers like me, who are more visually-than-verbally oriented and have a tough time with traditional outlines.