Welcome to class! It’s wonderful to have you back. As promised, we’re here with the second week of Brandon Sanderson’s class on writing science fiction and fantasy. You can watch the full lecture below, and review the lecture notes in the rest of this article. If you remember from last week, Brandon is breaking this class up into sections, which are:
- 1/16: Plot 1 (you are here!)
- 1/23: Plot 2
- 1/30: Plot Q&A
- 2/6: Character 1
- 2/13: Character 2
- 2/20: Character Q&A
- 2/27: Guest Lecturer (possibly on indie publishing)
- 3/6: Worldbuilding 1
- 3/13: Worldbuilding 2
- 3/20: Worldbuilding Q&A
- 3/27: Publishing 1
- 4/2: Publishing 2
- 4/11: Final Q&A
So, this is your first week of plot. Next week we’ll cover part two before moving on! Whether you’re outlining your book alongside us or saving these resources for when you’re working on your next project, we’re glad you’re here and excited to dive in.
Every great story is a dance, and few understand the choreography as well as Brandon Sanderson. In his illuminating first lecture on plot, Sanderson breaks down the machinery of storytelling, making the development of a compelling plot feel both achievable and exciting for aspiring writers (a rare feat in a sea of plot frameworks and methodologies that feel too abstract or just too convoluted to easily apply to your story).
If you’ve found yourself frustrated by guides that promise to be a one size fits all, a cure for your writer's block, and the key to immortality… or something… you’re in the right place. We’re going to focus on the nitty-gritty, as in how to actually craft your plot.
Read Brandon's first lecture which covers his philosophy for the
semester ahead.
Jump to:
The Three Pillars of Storytelling
Sanderson begins by establishing the foundational elements of storytelling: "Most stories are made up of three things—plot, character, and setting. In between those things you have conflict." You might’ve heard it before, but before the bell rings, we’re going to show you how to use this simple yet profound observation to set the stage for understanding how stories truly come to life.
Let’s get to our first agenda item regarding those elements of storytelling: plot. But not all plot is created equal. Sanderson distinguishes between two crucial types:
Big P Plot vs. Little p Plot
- Big P Plot: This is the overarching narrative that answers the question, "What's your book about?"
- Little p Plot: The chapter-by-chapter progression that shapes the conflict, with "little problems that add up to the Big problem that your characters will eventually solve,” Brandon articulates to the class.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR GAME OF THRONES. SKIP TO “The Plot Framework: Promise, Progress, and Payoff” TO AVOID.
That’s easier said than understood… right? Let’s look at an example:
Big P Plot: In "A Game of Thrones", the overarching plot is about the struggle for control of the Iron Throne and the impending threat of the White Walkers from the North. If someone asks, "What's the book about?", you'd say it's about noble families fighting for power in a medieval-fantasy world while an ancient, existential threat looms.
Little p Plot: The little p plot consists of the numerous smaller conflicts and challenges that drive the story forward, such as:
- Ned Stark investigating the suspicious death of Jon Arryn
- Tyrion Lannister's journey after being falsely accused of an assassination attempt
- Daenerys Targaryen's growth from a powerless exile to a potential queen with growing dragon power
- Jon Snow's experiences at the Wall and with the Night's Watch
- The political machinations within King's Landing
Each of these storylines represents a "little problem" that ultimately contributes to the Big P Plot of throne succession and the coming war against the White Walkers. The little p plot moments create tension, develop characters, and gradually build towards the larger narrative conflict. This approach allows Martin to create a rich, complex narrative where multiple smaller stories interweave to create a compelling big-picture plot.
Interestingly, Sanderson notes that plot is often the most challenging element to innovate. "Plot tends to be the one that is the most difficult to innovate upon. Setting is the easiest, character the second easiest, and plot the most difficult." More on this concept as we move forward.
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The Plot Framework: Promise, Progress, and Payoff
At the heart of Sanderson's approach lies a simple yet powerful framework: Promise, Progress, and Payoff. This concept is crucial for writers seeking to create engaging narratives that keep readers turning pages. And it’s applicable. Rather than high-level plot development frameworks that are either not enough or too much for your writing style, Sanderson’s method is fluid. It’s actionable for any project, and applies to nearly every story.
Let’s look at how he defines it.
Promises: Setting the Stage
In storytelling, a "promise" is essentially the expectation you create for your readers right from the beginning of your book. It's how you signal what kind of story they're about to experience.
Sanderson breaks down promises into several key components:
Tone Promises
The way you start your story immediately communicates its mood and style. For example:
- If you're writing a humorous story, include early jokes (like Terry Pratchett novels)
- For a dark, gritty narrative, you might open with something shocking like a character being beheaded (like in Game of Thrones)
- A whimsical story might use playful language or unique naming (like Hogwarts in Harry Potter)
Story Promises
These are broader expectations about the narrative's ultimate direction. Sanderson gives a classic example from The Wheel of Time, where Robert Jordan promises that by the end of the series, the Dragon Reborn will fight the Dark One. We even see the outcome of a previous fight between these two forces in the prologue, which tells us what we need to know to follow the main narrative through to the end of the series.
Character and Conflict Promises
Sometimes, your opening chapters introduce:
- Who the main character is
- What they want
- Why they can't easily get what they want
Structural Promises
Some genres have specific opening conventions. In epic fantasy, stories often start with "a young person looking up at the sun and wondering what could come next," as Sanderson puts it. This is particularly common in prologue structures. Readers can often tell what kind of genre they’re reading based on the structure of the opening of your book.
Sanderson emphasizes that while the first line isn't crucial, the first few pages are critical. "The first chapter and first few pages are when people will decide whether or not they're going to put your book down."
The key is to give readers a clear sense of the story's core promise—its tone, potential conflicts, and the kind of journey they're about to undertake.
Progress: Controlling the Narrative
Progress is where a writer's creativity truly shines. As Sanderson playfully notes, "As a writer, I could tell you that you had 50 pages and only one second could pass. You could all write it. It wouldn’t be fun, but you could do it!" The magic of storytelling isn't about strict chronological movement, but about creating a sense of meaningful advancement.
Different Types of Progress
Stories can progress in multiple ways:
Information-Based Progress
In mystery stories, progress is often measured by:
- Clues discovered
- Suspects ruled out
- Mysteries slowly unraveling
Relationship Progress
In stories like buddy cop movies or romantic comedies, progress tracks the evolution of character relationships:
- Initial conflict or misunderstanding
- Gradual understanding
- Moments of connection and setback
- Ultimately culminating in a climactic moment of connection
Character Internal Progress
Some stories focus on a character's internal journey:
- Questioning their beliefs
- Overcoming personal challenges
- Developing new understanding or skills
Understanding Signposting
Signposting is essentially leaving breadcrumbs for your readers that say, "Hey, you're making progress in the story!" These are narrative markers that help readers feel they're moving forward and keep them invested in the plot.
Sanderson explains that signposting is crucial because "A big reason that people drop off a book is that there weren't enough signposts of progress." But what does this look like in practice?
Types of Signposts
Your narrative signposts might include revealing a new piece of critical information, introducing a new challenge or obstacle, showing a character making a crucial decision, or shifting the story’s direction entirely. Each of these elements works to keep the narrative engaging, and most importantly to tell your reader that the plot is progressing towards payoff.
At the chapter level, Sanderson suggests treating the opening paragraph as a "stealth thesis paragraph." This approach allows you to subtly guide readers on what to expect while maintaining intrigue. A strong example of this might look something like:
- Introduce what the chapter will be about.
- Provide a hint of the narrative direction or tone.
- Conclude with either a sense of resolution for the chapter's main focus or an anticipation of its consequences in the following chapter.
But, signposts don't have to always involve some sort of action. In relationship-driven plots, emotional progression is the key to keeping readers invested.
Signposts of that kind of progression might include moments where characters suddenly understand each other deeper, display subtle shifts in how they interact, and include small victories or setbacks that reveal relationship development over time.
Avoiding Narrative Stagnation
To prevent readers from feeling like the story is spinning its wheels, Sanderson recommends:
- Varying your pacing
- Providing moments of reflection for your character (slow things down)
- Ensuring each section of your story progresses something - be it plot, character understanding, or underlying conflict
The Twist on Signposting
Interestingly, good signposting can even set up effective plot twists. Sanderson describes this as "promising something and then making them want you to promise something else."
It's about creating narrative expectations and then playing with those expectations in surprising but satisfying ways.
As Sanderson puts it, your job as a writer is "not to make things progress—it's to give a sense of satisfying progress throughout the story."
Payoff: The Satisfying Conclusion
A payoff is more than just an ending—it's "a surprising but fulfilling answer to your promise." Sanderson brilliantly breaks down the art of creating a memorable narrative resolution that leaves readers both satisfied and amazed.
The Anatomy of a Great Payoff
Sanderson describes the perfect payoff as a balance between expectation and surprise. It's not about delivering exactly what readers predict, but about giving them something that feels both unexpected and inevitable.
Understanding Twists: A Careful Narrative Promise
Imagine you're promising someone a Christmas gift. Initially, you say, "You like toy cars? I'll get you a toy car."
But here's the twist mechanism:
- First, you convince the reader they actually want something different
- In this example, you gradually make them desire a toy plane instead of a toy car
- When you finally give them the toy plane, it's surprising yet satisfying
Sanderson provides two concrete examples:
- "While You Were Sleeping": Where someone is "glad my secret fiancé is Sandra Bullock" - setting up an expectation that gets subverted.
- "Into the Woods": A fairytale that breaks its initial promise in an unexpected way.
The key elements of a twist are:
- An initial promise
- A gradual redirection of expectations
- A resolution that feels both surprising and inevitable
The goal isn't to trick the reader, but to create a moment of delightful surprise that still feels true to the story's core promise.
Comparing Effective Payoffs: Pride and Prejudice vs. Lord of the Rings
WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Sanderson uses two narratives to illustrate the art of payoff:
Pride and Prejudice
This novel represents a more straightforward promise and payoff. As Sanderson notes, it "promises to be a book about people getting married and they actually do get married." The brilliance lies in the journey:
- The initial promise is clear: characters will find romantic resolution
- The story includes complications and escalations
- These elements don't undermine the twist, but enhance it
- The ultimate resolution feels both expected and deeply satisfying
Lord of the Rings
In contrast, the Lord of the Rings offers a more complex payoff mechanism:
- The overarching promise is the ultimate confrontation with evil
- Readers are "pretty sure that Frodo is going to succeed, and the world won't end"
- Sanderson highlights moments of genuine doubt (like when Frodo is stung by the spider)
- These moments make readers genuinely worry: "Maybe Frodo won't make it! Maybe Sam will have to do this all by himself!"
- The final resolution feels both surprising and inevitable
The Payoff Mechanism
Both examples demonstrate Sanderson's key principle: creating doubt without betraying the core promise. The art is in making readers simultaneously:
- Believe in the ultimate resolution
- Doubt that resolution is possible
- Feel surprised and satisfied when the promise is fulfilled
As Sanderson explains, the goal is to create moments where readers wonder and worry. The most effective payoffs keep readers on the edge of their seats, even when they suspect the ultimate outcome. Both of these stories do that very effectively.
Creating Narrative Tension: The Gandalf Promise
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR LORD OF THE RINGS. SKIP TO “Strategies for Effective Payoffs” TO AVOID.
Sanderson uses the "morning of the fifth day" promise from The Lord of the Rings as a masterclass in narrative tension. Here's how it works:
In the second film (The Two Towers), the characters are facing an seemingly impossible battle at Helm's Deep. The situation is dire—vastly outnumbered, with little hope of survival. Gandalf had previously promised to return "on the morning of the fifth day," but as the story progresses, that promise becomes buried under mounting tension.
The brilliance is in how completely the immediate danger overshadows the earlier promise. Readers (or viewers, in this case) become so immersed in the characters' desperate struggle that they almost forget Gandalf's original commitment. The darkness becomes so overwhelming that survival seems impossible.
Then, when all hope seems lost, Gandalf arrives precisely as promised—but the moment feels unexpected because the audience has been so consumed by the immediate conflict. Sanderson explains this as the magic of forgetting the promise: "Because of how dark things get in the second movie, you forget that Gandalf promised what he promised."
The contrast is stark when compared to the third film's similar scenario. In that instance, when Aragorn arrives with the ghosts, the rescue feels almost too convenient. Or, at the very least, satisfying but not in the same chills-down-your-spine kind of way. But in the second film, Gandalf's arrival is a moment of pure narrative catharsis.
Sanderson summarizes the power of this technique: "If you can do that, you don't need a twist. You can make it so it's so dark that when the sun comes out, you're cheering."
This approach transforms a simple plot point into an emotionally powerful moment that goes beyond mere plot resolution. It's about creating a narrative experience that makes readers feel the full weight of hope and redemption.
The moral of this story? Payoffs come in all shapes and sizes. You don’t need to agonize over a narrative twist if your story doesn’t need one.
Strategies for Effective Payoffs
Create genuine doubt by:
- Introducing real obstacles
- Making the promise seem impossible to fulfill
- Using red herrings and escalations
Provide plausible deniability by:
- Giving readers just enough doubt
- Making the ultimate resolution feel earned, not cheap
Match the payoff to your core story by:
- Identifying the soul of your narrative
- Ensuring the climax reflects the most important plot line
To dive deeper into each of these strategies, watch the full lecture where Sanderson explains them in detail.
Final Thoughts
What makes Sanderson's approach so compelling is his recognition that great storytelling isn't about following rigid rules, but about understanding the underlying principles. "Authors that do something they aren't supposed to do but make it work often garner a big following," he notes.
Take his own work, The Way of Kings, for instance. It breaks conventional wisdom with three prologues. This potential "red mark" against the book ultimately serves a greater narrative purpose. Sanderson says, "What do I get as a result? I can tell a much more interesting story when the pieces finally do click together."
The takeaway for you? Realize that you aren’t trying to make your plot “perfect,” in fact, that’d be less interesting. You want to leave some of those red marks, the ones that are worth the creative risk because you know how you’ll progress them and develop a rewarding payoff.
Remember, your job isn't to eliminate every potential flaw, but to create a story that resonates, surprises, and ultimately satisfies your readers.
Until next week!