workshop 1: November 2026

How to Plot Your Story

A Workshop on the Devious Art of Plotting

A good plot is both the skeleton and sinews of your story, providing direction, definition and the power to move readers’ feelings to a satisfactory resolution. The depth, dimensionality and authenticity of the plot are vital.  Yet, many new and emerging writers find plotting difficult, and as their story may be a quest—a physically, emotionally or psychologically stressful journey in which the protagonist has a very hard time—writers need to create a subtly structured yet believable chain of events; one that subjects the characters to all the physical, emotional and mental punishment the story is about to hand out.

In this workshop, by understanding and experimenting with the nine-point arc of a typical plot, you will learn the devious art of plotting. You will discover how plots are driven by the wilful or unconscious desires of the protagonists and that plot and character are two sides of the same coin: that the deepest desires and personality traits of the major characters may only be unravelled through the exigencies of the plot. Getting plot and character perfectly entwined is both a craft and an art.

The workshop is meant to be participatory, interactive – and fun. There will be plenty of time for questions and group interaction in which story ideas and characters are taken from various sources to devise plots using the arc of the plot.

Everyone attending is encouraged to view the movie ‘Thelma and Louise’, the plot of which we will be analysing.