For me, it means a story in which a lot happens, and at a steady pace throughout -- rather than one where character sit around and chat or brood or contemplate their navel lint.
But I think there's always going to be some grey areas-- one writer's 'brooding' is another's 'thinking until they reach some conclusion/thought/emotional state'. The first is a look inside the character's head, and isn't plotty unless the thinking is basically a first person narrative; the second can be a point in long plot arc, or even enough to hold a short story up on it's own.
How do you all define "plotty"?
For my parts, plotty fic should have external events that are compatible with the kind of storylines that make up the main mythology of the show. And it doesn't necessarily preclude romance--you could have UST or consummated relationship in the midst of a plotty fic. For example, Anna S.'s noir, while having fair emphasis on B/S relationship, would still qualify as plotty fic because of all the episodes-like stories going around the series. On the other hand, I wouldn't qualify most of JennyO's fic as plotty. (YMMV. My definition of plotty fic is a lot narrower than others, it seems like.)
It's difficult to draw this line in Buffyverse fic because romance is such an integral part of this verse. It's more straightforward in shows like The X-Files and Stargate, where "casefiles" vs. primarily 'shippy fic are easier to distinguish.
they're in the motel room and where they're on their way to and it's important to the whole story, then you're into the plotty zone.
Even if the answers are: they're in a motel room because they're in love and want to have sex, they're driving home because they want to, and it's important to the story in the sense that 'falling in love and going home'
is
the story?
This is interesting, because mine isn't as long as PMM's but I'm asking similar questions about it.
Hey, I'm either at the 2/3, 1/2, or 1/4 way point! I've slowed from my 1500+ word a day pace, though. You guys are a distraction.
But yeah, I'm asking myself any number of questions about the plotty/lack of plotty stuff. Thus far, only three characters have actually spoken. Again with the freaking claustrophobic corner thing.
There's also the MICE spectrum to consider. Stories tend to group in SF as
- M (Milieu, where the world/universe/culture is explored),
- I (Idea, where some central conceit is explored, like "What if dogs could talk!?"),
- C (Character, where the focus is on one or more characters and their reactions)
- E (Event, where "something extraordinary happens" (or even "something ordinary"))
Note that most suscessful stories are mixtures with strong subsidiary MICE qualities. You could say that
Lord of the Rings
is a Milieu story -- hey, Middle Earth, anyone? -- but it also rates high on Idea (The One Ring), Character (duh), and Event (The End of the Third Age).
they're in a motel room because they're in love and want to have sex, they're driving home because they want to, and it's important to the story in the sense that 'falling in love and going home' is the story?
I think so, because that assumes the couple is part of a larger world. For some reason, they decided the motel was a better venue. Those reasons are based in something outside the walls of the room. Though I've read stories I've thoroughly enjoyed that take place solely within four walls.
that assumes the couple is part of a larger world. For some reason, they decided the motel was a better venue.
So to write a story that's not plotty at all, you have to assume that they aren't part of a larger world? That there is nothing outside the situation?
So to write a story that's not plotty at all, you have to assume that they aren't part of a larger world? That there is nothing outside the situation?
For me it's a vibe issue, and tough to define exactly. (I very much like connie's definition, FWIW.) It's not so much that there isn't a larger world but whether or not it matters to the characters.
