Plot, Narrative, Story

I once attended a script workshop and asked the tutor what the difference was between plot, narrative and story? He said they were all the same. This didn't make sense to me.

For me, plot & narrative are very similar in that they help build scenes and/or events to tell the story. But where I like to distinguish between plot and story is that plot is something that can be interchangeable for the wider needs of the story. For example, a car chase is plot, and could be changed to a foot chase or a helicopter chase but still serve what needs to happen in the story (the bad guy catching the good guy or whatever). Or, a guy having a big meltdown at work could be a nice plot moment but if a different scene in its place wouldn't suffice, then the meltdown at work is a vital part of the story.

The opening sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark is brilliant plot but it could have been done in a number of different ways just as long as it established the bravery of Indiana Jones, and flagging up what kind of adventure lies in store for the audience. The narrative builds from the opening sequence in the jungle to Indiana lecturing at college, and then getting involved with the quest to find the ark. The plot and narrative elements start to efficiently build the story: what Indiana has to do.

Story is generally more concerned with the protagonist's compelling problem, opportunity or goal. When you pitch a film to your friends, or tell them about a film you just saw, you're essentially telling them the broad story; the vital parts of what the protagonist wants to achieve, and why, and what's in their way, and how it ends. Any specific detail is usually to do with plot and the narrative, which could be nice to highlight, but the story remains resolute in terms of the basic structure and purpose of what happens.

Over on Facebook, Jeremiah Quinn raised the issue of plot vs narrative vs story, as he was told recently that "plot is not story". And it's true, in a way. Plot helps to tell the story. It is not the story itself. But let's not give plot a bad rap. It will determine how suitably the audience is engaged in what's going on, and the narrative (from the Latin verb 'to tell') is the sequence of events from the plot that makes up the overall story.

All clear now? My work here is done...

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