The art of plot development has become synonymous with having a 'great idea'. A great idea, however, is merely an abstraction without the other elements of writing: characterization, journey, suspense, conflict and context. Analysing the elements of classic storytelling, The Plot Thickens enables beginning and advanced writers alike to consider how these elements can combine - in many heretofore unimagined ways - to produce the kind of plot that will make their work transcendent. A veritable fiction-writing workshop, writers will find it impossible to walk away from this invaluable guide without boundless new ideas.