I mentioned [here] that I'd read Plotto, but didn't talk much about how it works. Here is something of a worked example to show just how fascinating it can be. You may wonder why you'd be interested. Well, a lot of people play solo role-playing games with a bunch of random events and so on to fill in the story between the fighting, and Plotto works in a very similar way.
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| Plotto - the Master Book of All Plots |
To start with, the book recommends that you choose an A clause (the hero), a B clause (the action) and a C clause (the outcome). It sounds a bit like the old game of Consequences. They start on p14 of the book. There are 15 A's, 62 B's and 15 C's to choose from.
I was looking for a rom-com (don't ask, I just was), so I selected A4. An Erring Person B23. Becoming involved in a complication that has to do with mistaken judgment and suspicion. C8. Achieves a spiritual victory.
Now I want to add some detail to that story. Each of the B clauses has a set of suggested conflict situations that can take place (in an index on p20, if you're trying to follow this with the book).
For B23 I am offered Love and Courtship 21, 177, 328, 365. These are listed fully on p30. I'll take the obvious conflict 21:
(4a) (1167) (1168) (1169) (1170)
A meets B and thinks she is a transgressor; and B, on her part, thinks A is a
transgressor * A and B, each thinking the other is a transgressor, nevertheless fall
in love **
(69) (97)
A and B are the standard identifiers for the male and female lead characters. There are a pageful of supporting characters, such as A-2, a male friend of A. The story will make a lot more sense when the characters have names. I'll call our Romeo and Juliet something more English, like Rick and Jill.
The bracketed numbers at the beginning are situations that might come before this one, and the ones at the end could come after this situation. The * and ** divide this into two sections, and you may only want one part of the situation.
OK this situation raises lots of questions for me to resolve into specifics: what is wrong with Rick's judgement? What kind of transgression do Rick & Jill suspect?
Maybe this is chick-lit and our hero A is the woman, she has lousy taste in men (always picking the wrong sort) and suspects that Rick is another one. But what kind of transgression has Rick suffered from women in the past? Gold-diggers?
Just like a solo role-playing game, you are left to fill in these details out of your own imagination. Or you could make a list of six possibilities and roll dice for it.
The method suggests further situations to take place before & after this one, which may make the story clearer. The mention of conflict 69 to follow 21 suggests an altogether different kind of transgression:
(27) (1146) (1173) (1175) (10c) (14b) (147) (61)
A, in love with B and thinking B has committed a crime (1172) (1206) (1292) (1293a, b, c),
declares to the police that he committed the crime himself (828) (833) (787 ch A to B)
This looks more like A is an incompetent detective, mistakenly suspects B of something and confesses to the crime himself or herself (which is a lot to do for a complete stranger). Now situation 21 already told us that B must believe that A is guilty of something, too. How will they get out of this one? Presumably the real culprit(s) must be discovered (or the crime be found not to have actually happened).
At this point I had a flash of inspiration and came up with a working title: Do you take this Mann? (featuring a stolen bust of Thomas Mann, the author of Death in Venice)
Maybe it will help if I add some more situations to happen before this point in the story, so I check the suggested predecessors of 21: 4a is the first suggestion sets up the detective angle. A, seeking to uncover duplicity, falls in love with B, supposed to be guilty of the duplicity - maybe A is looking for a thief, expects an interview with a suspect and some mix-up has her meet B? Later she can visit B and find a replica of the stolen thing boldly displayed in his home.
This other predecessor to 21 takes the same direction: 1168
(599) (1161 ch A-4 to A-2)
A, inspired by altruistic motives, assumes the name and character of A-2, using
A-2’s clothes and other belongings, and seeking to carry out an enterprise begun
by A-2 * A, posing as A-2, does not know that A-2 is a transgressor **
(603a) (822 ch B to A-2) (1044a)
Now we've got a possible mix-up. Rick goes on a blind date in place of his friend Tony, just intending to let the girl down gently. Tomy's mother is always trying to set him up and he has work to do that night (stealing the maguffin), which is why he asks Rick to cover for him. In fact the next meeting could be at Tony's home and it could be the real maguffin on the shelf, not even a replica.
Now detective constable Jill doesn't even have to confess. If she was the blind date then she has become Tony's alibi ! That won't go down well at work.
How do things develop from here? And if Jill doesn't confess, why does Rick think she did it?
833
(1334c) (1337)
A sifts the circumstantial evidence of a crime in an attempt to discover the perpetrator
(1371) (1413a) (1449)
Maybe she didn't confess? What if it was a 1st edition of the book Death in Venice by Mann, and on the date they talk about how she's never read it and so Rick lends it to her, not realising it's stolen? Now it's got her fingerprints on the cover and she can be caught red-handed with it...
Although why would anyone be in her flat to look at it? She could have a boss or a colleague who's trying it on, decides to drive her home after a difficult interview (when she offers the suspect an alibi), and invites himself in for cofee. He spots the book on the coffee table.
Meanwhile the real thief (Tony) is trying to arrange a buyer for the book, which must come back & bite Rick sooner or later.
1371
(l290a ch A to A-5) (1334c)
A is positive, in his own mind, that his friend, A-2, has been murdered by A-5 * A suspects A-5, seemingly an honest man, of a crime, and tries to prove him guilty **
(1222a ch A-3 to A-5) (1413a) (1456a) (1413 ch A-3 to A-5)
A-2 (Tony the thief) was trying to sell to A-5 (let's call Victor Cranborne). Now we've got Tony giving Rick his keys to make the blind date believable. Tony's mum called to set him up while the two men were in the pub, so Rick has to be the thief convincingly and then the blind date (Jill the detective) can convincingly tell Tony's mum how it went. Rick goes back to return Tony's clothes when Jill arrives to take him in for questioning. Tony's mum calls Rick to say she's worried about her son who's not been in touch...
How does Rick get a lead on the buyer?
1413
(a) (1302 ch A to A-5) (1305) (1334c)
A, by mind-reading, secures a confession from a transgressor, A-5 (1451d) (1461b
ch AX to A-5)
(b) (1097b ch A-2 to A-5) (1261 ch A-3 to A-5)
A, a detective, unmasking A-5 as the leader of a criminal gang, finds that he
cannot secure A-5’s arrest as the police authorities refuse to act * A discovers that
A-5 is a government secret service man, merely posing as a criminal in order that
he may secure an advantage in prosecuting his work for law and order ** (1222a
ch A-3 to A-5) (1228 ch A-3 to A-5)
I'll skip the mind-reading option, but 1413(b) looks promising. Once Rick somehow identifies A-5 (Victor Cranborne) as the buyer, he takes it to the police and they aren't interested.
That feels like enough twists and turns for my little brain. Now I just need Plotto to help me tie up the loose ends, save Tony from Victor, and allow Rick and Jill to fix a second date with no lingering suspicions...
That can be the subject for another post, and perhaps a written-out version of the final version of the plot that I choose.
Until next time, health & happiness to you all
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