3 Changes that Made My Plot More Interesting

Let me start by saying this is not an exhaustive list. It would probably be impossible to make a list of all the ways to improve a plot, but that’s why it’s important to consider all your options.

While revising the plot of my fantasy WIP The Everstone, I discovered I was afraid to try most of these things because I didn’t fully realize the potential they had. I hope reading this article and seeing how these changes have impacted my story will inspire you to explore big and frightening ideas for your own projects because those are often the best kind.

1. Change the Setting

Originally The Everstone was set in an old orphanage, and the most interesting thing about its architecture was the secret staircase in one of the walls. I think I knew while writing the first draft that the building would have to go at some point, but I wasn’t sure what to replace it with until recently.

The question that came to mind was, “what could you easily convert to an orphanage that would also fit the fantasy world better?” Obviously, the first thing I thought of was a castle, but seeing as there are no castles in America (thank you, founding fathers), that just wasn’t going to be realistic. But you know what America does have? Abbeys and monasteries.

I like this idea much better than a castle for several reasons. It’s a more unique location that would fit the number of inhabitants better than a castle, which might have resulted in a lot of awkward extra space. While the castle would have matched the fantasy vibes, a monastery brings in one of the minor themes in the story about our relationship with creation and a creator. It also provides opportunities to show the orphanage curator Hestia’s own devotion to the creator. In this way, the monastery setting adds to the story aesthetically, practically, and thematically.

2. Add a Subplot

I had also been considering this for a long time, but I took the first draft to just get a feel for the story and play out the main plot. Still, it felt like it was lacking depth. There was a huge plot hole as to why Mia’s parents were having Mia stay at the orphanage, and Mia was not as emotionally invested in the plot as she could have been. The solution? A subplot that mirrors and interacts with the main plot, though not obviously at first.

I think I was afraid to try this because similar attempts to accomplish this in other stories didn’t end so well. However, even though I’m still working out the details, this subplot has been helping me pull together the themes and loose ends of The Everstone much better.

I believe it is working out because on top of solving the plot hole, it is helping develop Mia’s character and connect her to the main plot. She becomes more emotionally invested as she learns how her family’s conflict is connected to the main conflict. Plus, her opinion of her family develops as she begins to see parts of her own family members in the Stewards, but more on that in the next section.

3. Focus on Foils

I didn’t realize how amazing literary devices were until I went to college and started studying how they actually work, but from now on I want to be more intentional when using them. I highly recommend it, but make sure the literary devices naturally help to tell the story.

For example, I believe the foils in The Everstone are the ultimate reason the subplot is holding up. Foil characters are two characters that share certain similarities to make their differences stand out more. They can be used to bring out a character's good or bad traits, depending on the desired effect on the story as a whole.

The foils were naturally present as I was developing the subplot; I just needed to lean into them. The family conflicts between the Stewards and Mia’s family are similar but only enough so that Mia’s experience with the Stewards helps her to better understand her family’s situation, especially with her father. At the beginning, Mia is angry with both her dad and the Steward Vendor, but though her dislike for Vendor remains at the end, through him she learns to empathize with her father’s decisions.

What I’m most excited for is to explore how Mia’s opinions towards the characters change as she discovers their similarities and differences. At the beginning of the story, she is convinced that her uncle is innocent, but hearing all the suffering the Steward Lucio has caused messes with her head, and towards the end she begins to doubt her uncle’s good nature. My goal is to add a layer of complexity to the story that encourages the reader to think deeper about the themes and heightens the emotional stakes of the story line.

There you have it: the three changes that made my story more interesting. If I’m being perfectly honest, the thought of actually executing these ideas in writing still frightens me. But even more so, they’ve reignited my excitement for this project, and I hope I’ve excited you to go and try some frightening things in your own projects!