Plot vs. Story — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 21, 2023
Plot refers to the sequence of events in a narrative, while the story encompasses the broader narrative, characters, themes, and emotions.
Difference Between Plot and Story
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Plot typically denotes the structured sequence of events that drive a narrative forward. It's the backbone on which a story stands. Story, however, is a broader term, encapsulating not just the sequence of events but the world, characters, emotions, and underlying themes.
In dissecting a novel or film, the plot would refer to the chronological or non-chronological progression of events. The story would encompass everything from character development, motivations, settings, and the overarching message or feeling conveyed.
A plot is more about "what happens," including the conflicts and resolutions, the twists and turns. The story is the entirety of the narrative, the full journey from beginning to end, and everything in between. It's the experience as a whole, how the characters evolve, and what message the audience takes from it.
While a plot can be intricate, exciting, or suspenseful, it's the story that gives depth, resonance, and meaning. A well-structured plot may engage an audience, but a compelling story creates a lasting impression.
In essence, while plot and story are intrinsically linked and often used interchangeably, they serve different narrative functions. The plot is the mechanism that propels the narrative forward, while the story is the complete journey and experience.
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Comparison Chart
Nature
Sequence of events
Broader narrative including characters, themes, emotions
Focus
What happens
The entire experience
Depth
Can be shallow or deep
Always encompasses depth of characters and surroundings
Engagement
Hooks the audience with events
Creates a lasting impression through holistic experience
Components
Conflicts, resolutions, twists
Character evolution, message, settings, underlying themes
Compare with Definitions
Plot
A plan made in secret by a group of people to do something illegal or harmful
There's a plot to overthrow the government
Story
A narrative of connected events.
The story of Cinderella has been told in many cultures.
Plot
The main events of a play, novel, film, or similar work, devised and presented by the writer as an interrelated sequence
The plot consists almost entirely of a man and woman falling in love
He outlined his idea for a movie plot
Story
A tale with characters, themes, and emotions.
The story resonated with many because of its universal themes.
Plot
A small piece of ground marked out for a purpose such as building or gardening
A vegetable plot
Story
An account of an event or series of events, fictional or true.
She recounted the story of her grandparents' journey to America.
Plot
A graph showing the relation between two variables.
Story
An embodiment of the world, characters, and the message in a narrative.
The story was set in a dystopian future, highlighting societal issues.
Plot
Secretly make plans to carry out (an illegal or harmful action)
The two men are serving sentences for plotting a bomb campaign
Brother plots against brother
Story
An account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment
I'm going to tell you a story
An adventure story
Plot
Devise the sequence of events in (a play, novel, film, or similar work)
In a crime story you have to plot carefully to achieve the surprise at the end
She would plot a chapter as she drove
Story
An account of past events in someone's life or in the development of something
The film is based on a true story
The story of modern farming
Plot
Mark (a route or position) on a chart
He started to plot lines of ancient sites
Story
The commercial prospects or circumstances of a particular company
The investors' flight to profitable businesses with solid stories
Plot
A small piece of ground, generally used for a specific purpose
A garden plot.
Story
Variant spelling of storey
Plot
A measured area of land; a lot.
Story
An account or report regarding the facts of an event or group of events
The witness changed her story under questioning.
Plot
A ground plan, as for a building; a diagram.
Story
An anecdote
Came back from the trip with some good stories.
Plot
See graph1.
Story
A lie
Told us a story about the dog eating the cookies.
Plot
The pattern or sequence of interrelated events in a work of fiction, as a novel or film.
Story
A usually fictional prose or verse narrative intended to interest or amuse the hearer or reader; a tale.
Plot
A secret plan to accomplish a hostile or illegal purpose; a scheme.
Story
A short story.
Plot
To represent graphically, as on a chart
Plot a ship's course.
Story
The plot of a narrative or dramatic work.
Plot
To locate (points or other figures) on a graph by means of coordinates.
Story
A news article or broadcast.
Plot
To draw (a curve) connecting points on a graph.
Story
Something viewed as or providing material for a literary or journalistic treatment
"He was colorful, he was charismatic, he was controversial, he was a good story" (Terry Ann Knopf).
Plot
To write or develop the plot of
"I began plotting novels at about the time I learned to read" (James Baldwin).
Story
The background information regarding something
What's the story on these unpaid bills?.
Plot
To form a plot for; prearrange secretly or deviously
Plot an assassination.
Story
Romantic legend or tradition
A hero known to us in story.
Plot
To form or take part in a plot; scheme
Were plotting for months before the attack.
Story
A complete horizontal division of a building, constituting the area between two adjacent floors.
Plot
To write or develop the plot for a work of fiction
A good mystery writer must plot well.
Story
The set of rooms on the same floor of a building.
Plot
(narratology) The course of a story, comprising a series of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
Story
To decorate with scenes representing historical or legendary events.
Plot
An area or land used for building on or planting on.
Story
(Archaic) To tell as a story.
Plot
A graph or diagram drawn by hand or produced by a mechanical or electronic device.
Story
An account of real or fictional events.
The book tells the story of two roommates.
Plot
A secret plan to achieve an end, the end or means usually being illegal or otherwise questionable.
The plot would have enabled them to get a majority on the board.
The assassination of Lincoln was part of a larger plot.
Story
A lie, fiction.
You’ve been telling stories again, haven’t you?
Plot
Contrivance; deep reach thought; ability to plot or intrigue.
Story
A soap opera.
What will she do without being able to watch her stories?
Plot
Participation in any stratagem or conspiracy.
Story
(obsolete) History.
Plot
A plan; a purpose.
Story
A sequence of events, or a situation, such as might be related in an account.
What's the story with him?
I tried it again; same story, no error message, nothing happened.
Plot
Attractive physical attributes of characters involved in a story, originating from ironic juxtaposition with the original meaning (course of the story).
I'm not sure what's happening in that show, I mainly watch it for the plot.
Story
A chronological collection of pictures or short videos published by a user on an application or website that is typically only available for a short period.
Plot
To conceive (a crime, misdeed etc).
They had plotted a robbery.
They were plotting against the king.
Story
(computing) user story
Plot
(transitive) To trace out (a graph or diagram).
They plotted the number of edits per day.
Story
To tell as a story; to relate or narrate about.
Plot
(transitive) To mark (a point on a graph, chart, etc).
Every five minutes they plotted their position.
Story
A set of rooms on the same floor or level; a floor, or the space between two floors. Also, a horizontal division of a building's exterior considered architecturally, which need not correspond exactly with the stories within.
Plot
A small extent of ground; a plat; as, a garden plot.
Story
A narration or recital of that which has occurred; a description of past events; a history; a statement; a record.
One malcontent who did indeed get a name in story.
Venice, with its unique city and its Impressive story.
The four great monarchies make the subject of ancient story.
Plot
A plantation laid out.
Story
The relation of an incident or minor event; a short narrative; a tale; especially, a fictitious narrative less elaborate than a novel; a short romance.
Plot
A plan or draught of a field, farm, estate, etc., drawn to a scale.
Story
A euphemism or child's word for "a lie;" a fib; as, to tell a story.
Plot
Any scheme, stratagem, secret design, or plan, of a complicated nature, adapted to the accomplishment of some purpose, usually a treacherous and mischievous one; a conspiracy; an intrigue; as, the Rye-house Plot.
I have overheard a plot of death.
O, think what anxious moments pass betweenThe birth of plots and their last fatal periods!
Story
To tell in historical relation; to make the subject of a story; to narrate or describe in story.
How worthy he is I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than story him in his own hearing.
It is storied of the brazen colossus in Rhodes, that it was seventy cubits high.
Plot
A share in such a plot or scheme; a participation in any stratagem or conspiracy.
And when Christ saith, Who marries the divorced commits adultery, it is to be understood, if he had any plot in the divorce.
Story
A message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program;
His narrative was interesting
Disney's stories entertain adults as well as children
Plot
Contrivance; deep reach of thought; ability to plot or intrigue.
Story
A piece of fiction that narrates a chain of related events;
He writes stories for the magazines
Plot
A plan; a purpose.
Story
Structure consisting of a room or set of rooms comprising a single level of a multilevel building;
What level is the office on?
Plot
In fiction, the story of a play, novel, romance, or poem, comprising a complication of incidents which are gradually unfolded, sometimes by unexpected means.
If the plot or intrigue must be natural, and such as springs from the subject, then the winding up of the plot must be a probable consequence of all that went before.
Story
A record or narrative description of past events;
A history of France
He gave an inaccurate account of the plot to kill the president
The story of exposure to lead
Plot
To make a plot, map, pr plan, of; to mark the position of on a plan; to delineate.
This treatise plotteth down Cornwall as it now standeth.
Story
A short account of the news;
The report of his speech
The story was on the 11 o'clock news
The account of his speech that was given on the evening news made the governor furious
Plot
To form a scheme of mischief against another, especially against a government or those who administer it; to conspire.
The wicked plotteth against the just.
Story
A trivial lie;
He told a fib about eating his spinach
How can I stop my child from telling stories?
Plot
To contrive a plan or stratagem; to scheme.
The prince did plot to be secretly gone.
Story
The holistic experience of a narrative.
The story was touching, leaving many in tears.
Plot
To plan; to scheme; to devise; to contrive secretly.
Plot
A secret scheme to do something (especially something underhand or illegal);
They concocted a plot to discredit the governor
I saw through his little game from the start
Plot
A small area of ground covered by specific vegetation;
A bean plot
A cabbage patch
A briar patch
Plot
The story that is told in a novel or play or movie etc.;
The characters were well drawn but the plot was banal
Plot
A chart or map showing the movements or progress of an object
Plot
Plan secretly, usually something illegal;
They plotted the overthrow fo the government
Plot
Make a schematic or technical drawing of that shows how things work or how they are constructed
Plot
Make a plat of;
Plat the town
Plot
The structured sequence of events in a narrative.
The movie had a complex plot with many unexpected twists.
Plot
A blueprint of a narrative's main events.
The plot of the novel was engaging, keeping readers on their toes.
Plot
The mechanism driving a story forward.
The plot thickened when the main character discovered the truth.
Plot
Conflicts and their resolutions in a narrative.
The plot revolved around a protagonist's struggle for justice.
Plot
The cause-and-effect chain of a narrative.
The plot was well-crafted, ensuring every event had significance.
Common Curiosities
What's the primary focus of a plot?
The primary focus of a plot is the sequence of events in a narrative.
How does a story differ from a plot?
A story encompasses the broader narrative, characters, themes, and emotions, while a plot focuses on the sequence of events.
Can a narrative have a weak plot but a strong story?
Yes, a narrative can have a weak sequence of events but still be compelling due to strong characters or themes.
Is the plot more important than the story?
Both are crucial, but while the plot engages the audience, the story creates a lasting impression.
Can a plot exist without a story?
A plot might exist without a broader narrative, but it may lack depth without the context of a story.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
