---
title: Create or Edit a Plot Thread
category: Plot Lines
tags: plot threads, editing, clues, subplots, continuity
contextKey: plotThreads.edit
micro: Define a smaller strand that supports or complicates a larger Plot Line.
quickTitle: What belongs in a Plot Thread?
quickSummary: Use a Plot Thread for a smaller clue chain, subplot strand, question, promise or payoff path inside a larger Plot Line.
screenshot:
---

# Overview

Create a Plot Thread when a larger Plot Line needs a smaller strand you can follow through scenes. A thread might be a clue chain, a suspect theory, an emotional complication, a promise, a secret or a subplot beat that needs setup and payoff.

Threads help revision because they make smaller story material visible. You can check whether a thread starts clearly, develops enough, disappears for too long or resolves in the right scene.

# When To Use A Thread

Use a thread instead of a note when the strand needs tracking across more than one moment. If it has a beginning, development and payoff, it probably deserves a thread.

# Understanding the Fields

| Field | What it means | Example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plot line | The larger story lane this thread supports. | "Who killed Annie?" |
| Type | The kind of strand being tracked. | Question, clue, suspicion, promise or secret. |
| Status | The current state of the thread. | Planned, Introduced, Developing, Dormant, Ready For Payoff, Resolved or Abandoned. |
| Importance | How much the thread matters within the wider story. | 9 for a major clue; 3 for a small atmospheric promise. |
| Introduced scene | Where the reader first encounters the thread. | The scene where the key is noticed. |
| Resolution scenes | Where the thread is planned to pay off and where it actually pays off. | Planned in Chapter 20, actually resolved in Chapter 22. |

# Related Guides

- [Plot Threads](/Help/Article/plotThreads.index)
- [Edit Plot Line](/Help/Article/plotLines.edit)
- [Scenes](/Help/Article/scenes.overview)
- [Story Assets](/Help/Article/storyAssets.overview)
