Transcript:

Whenever I ask my students what plot is, almost every time, they tell me: “The plot is the story.”

Of course, I don’t say that to them, but it does go through my head every time.

For many writers, the difference between story and plot might seem obvious. But for people new to the craft—especially those taught to write stories using a plot diagram—it’s not always intuitive. So if you didn’t know the difference before today, please don’t beat yourself up. You’re not alone.

Let’s break it down with a quick example:

Two characters rob a bank. That’s a plot.

But why do they rob the bank? That’s the story.

Let’s explore the difference—what really hooks readers emotionally—and why understanding this distinction is crucial to your writing.

Hi, I’m C. Sloan Lewis, your virtual writing coach. My goal is not just to help you improve your writing, but to support you as a writer. Welcome to my channel!

Let’s start with plot.

Plot is made up of the events that happen in your story. Regardless of which story structure you follow—Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, the Hero’s Journey, Save the Cat—plot points are those key moments: the status quo, the inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

But wait—if those are the events of the story… doesn’t that make it the story?

Not quite. Plot is like the skeleton—the structure your story is built on. The story itself is the emotional journey. It’s the inner transformation, the character arc, the “why” behind every action.

The story answers questions like:

• Why does your character make this choice?
• How do they grow or change over the course of the narrative?

Here’s another example:

The plot might be “a woman travels across the country.” You’d follow her itinerary—each stop she makes, every person she meets.

But the story at the heart of that journey might be:

“She’s trying to escape her past and redefine who she is.”

The real tension comes from whether she succeeds in that goal—and how she changes in the process. Maybe she learns to accept her past as part of her identity. Or maybe she sheds it completely and starts a new life. That emotional evolution? That’s the story. That’s why we keep reading.

It’s the emotional connection that draws readers in.

You’ve probably heard someone tell a story where they’re just listing events, one after the other—no emotion, no reactions. It’s dull. You could make it compelling, but you’d need to add emotional layers to those plot points.

We don’t care about “what happened” on its own—not even in nonfiction.

We care about what it felt like to experience those things, even when the events are made up.

So let’s talk about some common pitfalls and how to avoid them when it comes to separating story from plot:

Pitfall #1: Action without emotion.

You can throw your characters into car chases, monster attacks, shouting matches in the rain—but if we don’t understand what any of it means to them, we won’t care. The plot becomes just noise.

Make sure your characters feel something. Show us how events affect them—and more importantly, how they change them.

Pitfall #2: Confusing twists with emotional growth.

A surprise betrayal might shock your reader—but if that betrayal doesn’t cause your character to change, it’s just a twist. It’s not story.

What sticks with readers is the emotional impact. We remember how it felt when a character made a difficult choice or faced something they were afraid of. That’s the heart of story.

So the next time you’re planning—or revising—your work, ask yourself:

• What’s the story beneath the plot?
• What’s the emotional core?
• What truth is your character running from—or trying to discover?
• How are they different at the end than they were at the beginning?

That’s where the real power of storytelling lies.

But that’s all from me today.

If you found this video helpful, I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below and tell me what your story is underneath the plot you’re working on. And don’t forget to like and subscribe for more writing tips and encouragement.

You’ve got some writing to do—so I’ll see you in the next video. Ta-ta!