Suspense Plots

THE PLAYWRITING SEMINARS > STRUCTURE > SHAPE > DIAGRAM > INCITING > PLOTS > SUSPENSE PLOT >

'The MacGuffin, a term used by Alfred Hitchcock, refers to that element . . . that is a mere pretext for a plot. The MacGuffin might be the papers the spies are after, the secret theft of a ring, any device or gimmick that gets the plot rolling, The plot, moreover, is simply a pretext for an exploration of character. The MacGuffin itself has little, if any, intrinsic meaning. The MacGuffin, said Hitchcock, is nothing.'

-- Lorrie Moore

Suspense Plots use up only a tiny fraction of the script. Here's why you go to all that trouble for this thing . . .

It keeps the audience with you
. . . While you concentrate on the emotional consequences of the Suspense Plot's events.
It justifies the eruption of the emotional conflict
. . . So your audience understands why all this is happening right now. As opposed to 5 years ago. Or next week. Or next year. And thus a Rule of sorts . . .

Emotional Plots Don't Float Well on Pure Coincidence

Yes, Maggie could have walked into that bedroom in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and out of the blue said, "Listen Brick, we have just got to deal with our problems." The Human Potential movement and the Pop-Psych folks might applaud her initiative, but audiences would sit on their hands. Assuming they came back after intermission. But Tennessee Williams knew how to do it . . .

The Suspense Plot -- Who's going to get the money? -- forces Maggie to raise this issue today. And so she launches the Emotional Plot with that motivation -- "Listen Brick, we have just got to deal with our problems." -- as her Subtext.

Here's another way of looking at this: The Suspense Plot is a sort of railroad flatcar. It's purpose in life is to cart the Emotional Plot from the Inciting Incident of your play to the Climax. Once it's done that, you can coast those last few pages to the end of the Resolution . . .

Suspense Plot Techniques

But if you're in a hurry -- or you just don't want to spend the time developing an integrated justification for your Emotional Plot -- here's the recipe for an instant Suspense Plot . . .

'Elevator' Plays

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