What Makes a Plot Good or Bad?

Let’s talk about something we’ve all encountered in our reading or viewing experience: the plot. Sometimes, a plot grips you from the start, takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, and leaves you thinking about it for days. Other times, you might find yourself wondering, "Wait, what just happened?" and "How did we end up here?" So, what is it that actually makes a plot good... or bad?

Good Plot: It's All About Balance

A good plot isn't just about flashy twists or complex storylines—it’s about balance. When a plot works, it flows naturally, has a clear purpose, and aligns with character motivations. It’s the kind of plot that makes you care about the characters, root for them, and feel invested in their journey.

Take Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, for instance. The plot is simple: Harry finds out he’s a wizard and goes on this epic adventure filled with magic, friendship, and self-discovery. But it's not just about the magical world—it’s about Harry’s growth, the choices he makes, and his personal battles. The plot is both easy to follow and full of depth, creating an engaging experience.

What makes this plot so effective? Well, the pacing is key. The big moments are earned, not forced. The rising action feels natural, building up the stakes without rushing through important emotional beats. And, oh, the payoff—when everything comes together at the end, it's not just satisfying, it’s cathartic. You feel the stakes and the emotional resonance, which makes for a truly memorable plot.

Character Arcs Matter

And then, there’s the character arc. A plot where the characters don’t evolve feels... off. Imagine watching a series where the protagonist stays exactly the same from start to finish. No growth, no change. Yawn, right? A good plot allows for dynamic characters—people who change, learn, and grow. Whether they make mistakes, face setbacks, or achieve their goals, the characters’ evolution should always tie into the progression of the plot.

Think about Breaking Bad—Walter White’s transformation from mild-mannered teacher to ruthless drug kingpin is the backbone of the entire plot. The plot would fall flat without his evolution. It’s his choices, reactions, and inner conflicts that propel the story forward.

Bad Plot: When It Feels Like a Drag

Now, on the flip side, a bad plot... well, that’s a different animal. It doesn’t matter how stunning the visuals are or how good the actors are; if the plot doesn’t hold up, the whole thing falls apart. So, what exactly goes wrong?

Lack of Cohesion

A bad plot often feels disjointed. It's like someone started writing a story, got distracted, then picked it up again without any real thought to how the pieces fit together. You know when you’re watching something, and it feels like things are just happening for the sake of happening? That’s a bad plot.

Take Lost—I love the show, but by season three, it started to feel like they were just throwing in mystery after mystery, without really tying things together. It wasn’t bad per se, but it was clear that the plot was losing its original direction. Too many twists without satisfying resolutions often leave the viewer feeling empty.

Forced Drama

Another red flag is forced drama. You’ve seen it before: a plot that suddenly throws in a conflict just to add some spice, but it doesn’t feel earned. The characters don’t act in ways that make sense, and you’re left asking, "Why would they do that?" This is often the case with plots where the creators are too focused on keeping things "exciting" rather than making the drama feel organic.

A prime example of forced drama is seen in soap operas, where the plots are stretched out just to keep viewers hooked. It’s predictable, and in many ways, it feels like the showrunners are just trying to hit certain emotional beats because they have to, not because it makes sense for the characters.

Predictability vs. Creativity

On the other end of the spectrum, a plot can also be too predictable. If you can guess what’s going to happen in the first five minutes, then the plot has a problem. But that’s not to say that surprise is the key to a good plot either—it’s about cleverness. A good plot keeps you engaged through subtle foreshadowing, paying off earlier moments in unexpected ways that feel rewarding, not confusing.

For example, The Sixth Sense is a brilliant example of how a plot can take you in a direction you never saw coming. It’s not just the twist that makes it good, but how everything leads up to it. The story isn’t just a collection of twists—it’s carefully constructed.

So, What Makes a Plot Good?

It’s a blend of many things: cohesion, character development, natural progression, and creativity. A plot has to feel right—like it’s unfolding in a way that makes sense, with the emotional beats hitting when they’re supposed to. A good plot will make you feel invested in the outcome, emotionally engaged, and, hopefully, like you’ve been on a journey that was worth taking.

And a Bad Plot?

A bad plot, on the other hand, is a messy collection of ideas that don’t work together. It’s the kind of plot that makes you roll your eyes or, worse, make you check your watch to see how much time is left in the movie or episode. It’s predictable, disjointed, or full of forced drama—and no matter how pretty the set design or how great the acting, it’s hard to care about a story that doesn’t respect its audience’s time.

At the end of the day, what makes a plot good or bad is subjective. You might love something that others hate, and vice versa. But, when it comes down to it, a great plot is one that leaves you thinking, feeling, and, above all, caring about the characters and their journey.

So, what about you? What plot has stuck with you the longest?

Is 165 cm normal for a 15 year old?

The predicted height for a female, based on your parents heights, is 155 to 165cm. Most 15 year old girls are nearly done growing. I was too. It's a very normal height for a girl.

Is 160 cm too tall for a 12 year old?

How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

How tall is a average 15 year old?

Average Height to Weight for Teenage Boys - 13 to 20 Years

How to get taller at 18?

Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.

Is 5.7 a good height for a 15 year old boy?

Generally speaking, the average height for 15 year olds girls is 62.9 inches (or 159.7 cm). On the other hand, teen boys at the age of 15 have a much higher average height, which is 67.0 inches (or 170.1 cm).

Can you grow between 16 and 18?

Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

Can you grow 1 cm after 17?

Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.