Well, as promised, I will continue talking about the plot because it is what gives our stories a directed focus. Plus, I have read so many other blogs and books which have a lot of good information, but there also appears to be somethings missing from many of these books, articles and bloggers. Though I'm sure some, or perhaps many others, have covered these same concepts, but for those like me who haven't found those writers or articles, I hope this helps.
Hmm, what information indeed?
Let us consider some classic movies. For some reason, "Back To the Future" has been popping up a lot on my radar, and it's the first one that comes to my mind right now. Well, within the first few minutes we are introduced to Marty McFly, Biff Tannen, Lorainne and George McFly, Marty's parents. We are told it's 1985, the long running conflict of superiority of Biff over George is presented very clearly in the ribbing and teasing (Man V. Man), and the depression Marty has with his lackluster life and family (Man V. Self/Fate).
So what did we get within 10 minutes? Setting - the time, the place, even social status. The key characters, both protagonist and antagonist. Lastly, we're given the conflicts. Holy Cow! That's the whole concept!
More than just the concept, we also have our story, plot twists, complications, climax! Everything was just foretold in the first ten minutes of the movie, or within the first ten pages.
"Whoa! Whoa, Marty. You also said that both the protagonist and the antagonist are played in the exposition. But I want to keep my antagonist a secret so that it's a surprise at the end." You might say.
Well...you can do that. Some authors manage to do that very well. Authors of thrillers tend to pull this off in some form, yet their villain is still established early in the form of a dossier, a news broadcast, an assumption tossed around in the homicide division of a police station. Yet, the big boss isn't disclosed until the end. The puppet master, which is another form of archetype to discuss, is usually kept secret and hidden. It's used to create a cathartic sense of humility and hopelessness for the reader who is bonded to the character.
Also, what's more surprising than betrayal? Your protagonist knows the antagonist early on in the story, or at least knows about them, and then that becomes the person or creature causing strife in their life. Ouch! Knife twist...well plot twist.
A plot twist like this is another cathartic device. It is painful to the readers, because many readers have experienced some form of betrayal.
To provide for you a living example. In another book I'm writing, I am at a crossroads. I have an obvious conflict of Man Vs. Man, a young boy trying to solve the murder of three people in a back alley. However, should it be his uncle who committed the murders so that he could start a feud between the houses of his city and ensconce his power and role as sovereign. Or should it be his adoptive father who is still writhing with anger and revenge for his true son who was murdered by one of the houses. Do I aim large, or do I am simple? Plus, which would have the greatest cathartic tug?
Okay, so time to end this with a question or a challenge. Name some of your authors and their books and see if those authors manage to disclose all three elements early in the book. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Templates are guides and we as writers are meant to experiment and change with these templates. So what can you discover?
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