Plot Outlining Template Page 2
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11The Set-Up
What kind of rollercoaster are we getting on?
Though some novels begin with an “inciting incident”—which you will read about in just a
second—many of them start by telling the reader a little bit about the characters, the setting,
and the conflict before jumping into the action. Just like you'd want to know what kind of
rollercoaster you're getting on before waiting in line, a reader wants to know what kind of
novel he or she is about to read before committing time to it.
Here is an example of a story’s set-up:
Boris is in his bedroom playing guitar. His unruly hair
bobs up and down as he plays and jumps from side to
side. He knocks over his Coke can by mistake, adding to
the litter on the floor. The walls within his room are covered
with posters, and his floor is covered in guitar magazines and how-to books,
pedals, and various cords and connectors.
His mom, Wilma, walks in with a plate of uncooked Pop Tarts, a childhood
favorite of his that he hasn’t quite grown out of yet. She dodges him as he
swings his guitar behind his back, and continues to play.
“Showoff,” Wilma says playfully.
“Mom, I’m so over it!” Boris shouts over his amp.
Wilma turns his amp off. “Over what?” she says. “What does that even
mean?”
“I am bored with everything.” Boris pushes some dirty clothes off his bed
and sits down.
“I don’t understand you at all, little man,” Wilma says, handing Boris the
plate of pastries. “You have every guitar and guitar gadget in the world. What
else do you need?”
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