39 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
39 lines
2.0 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
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)
|