he Maze of Bones is Book One of the popular middle-grade adventure series The 39 Clues. It was recently suggested to me that read it for tips on plot construction, and I now I see why. Rick Riordan has created a storyline that is plotted with a mathematical precision that is astounding.
How astounding? There are twenty chapters in The Maze of Bones. Here are the major points of plot, for each chapter:
- Overarching threat is hinted at, the plot is set in motion
- Protagonists and antagonists are introduced, meet. Threat is repeated
- Stakes are set, protagonists make a “Point of No Return” decision
- Threat is reiterated. Supporting characters #1 & #2 make contributions
- The 1st step forward in the plot is made. Reversal of fortune #1 occurs
- Sacrifice #1 to continue forward in the plot is made, Protagonists escape Death Trap #1, Supporting character #3 joins the plot
- Focuses on the antagonists.
- Plot step #2, Reversal #2, Death Trap #2 threat is reiterated
- Sacrifice #2, 2 stakes are raised
- Focuses on the antagonists
- Reversal avoided
- Plot step #3, escape danger without sacrifice
- Focuses on the antagonists, reveals the source of previous danger
- Plot step #4, Reversal #3, Death Trap #3 with escape
- Supporting cast provides plot support, more info is revealed
- Plot step #5, Reversal #4, Sacrifice #3 in order to escape Death Trap #4
- Plot step #6, Reversal #5
- Character arc completion, Plot step #7, Death Trap #5, Reversal #6, Sacrifice #4
- Plot step #8, Protagonists are rewarded, new status quo is established
- Threat increases
On first glance, it’s easy to see patterns emerge. Almost every success the characters have in terms of plot is immediately taken away from them (literally, in this case, as the plot points are all clues that lead to next part of the story, like a scavenger hunt), and is followed almost immediately by a sacrifice. This is standard plot stuff, but what’s interesting is how often it happens. The two main protagonists have to make two sacrifices apiece before the story is over, and have the tables turned on them six times. There are five brushes with death. A great deal happens in the books 220 pages.
Breaking the chapters in halves, we can see that everything happens faster. There are more plot points, more reversals, more death traps. It’s also worth noting that all of the characters are at least mentioned by Chapter 2. No one is introduced later who has not been name checked by then, and the final supporting character joins the story midway through the first half. No one new is brought in the second half.
Breaking it into quarters, everything becomes even more clear.
- Chapters 1-5 are all introduction: introducing characters, relationships, situations and the dangers our characters will face. The first quarter tells you everything you need to know about the book. If you’re not hooked by the end of Chapter 5, this isn’t the book for you.
- Chapters 6-10 are our nitty-gritty plot chapters. The supporting cast in finally complete and the plot begins in earnest. A clear pattern is of wins, reversals and sacrifices is set up. There’s two death traps in this quarter, both dramatic (a fire and a bomb). Half our protagonists sacrifices are made here.
- Chapters 11-15 break the formula, and show our characters learning from their mistakes. We get to see the heroes win without sacrifice, and we get the answers to some of the plot questions. The pace is slowed somewhat, the treat of the death trap is less immediate (a pit that will be filled with concrete).
- Chapters 16-20 move at a breakneck pace, with three plot points, three reversals and two sacrifices. Two death traps (an underground train and a rooftop ladder during a storm), though it is noteworthy that neither are explicitly set up by the antagonists; the world is now out to get our heroes. The penultimate chapter rewards our heroes, but the final chapter implies that their victory is short lived.
That’s some pretty tight plotting—it mimics the Lester Dent Master Plot, while adding some “breather” space necessary for a larger work—but what makes the plot interesting is not what happens when you break it into quarters. It’s what happens when you break it into sixths.
The first and last chapters are essentially a prolog and an epilog. If we remove those, that leaves eighteen chapters, which can be broken down into six parts, each three chapters apiece. Here’s what happens in each part:
- Chapters 2-4: The world is set up, the threat is established, and all the characters are introduced.
- Chapters 5-7: The plot begins, the cast is set, there’s one reversal, one sacrifice, one death trap and the antagonists have some focus.
- Chapters 8-10: One plot step, one reversal, one sacrifice, one death trap and some antagonist info. Almost exactly like the previous part
- Chapters 11-13: The formula is broken. Not only does the reversal come before the plot step, but no sacrifice is needed to move forward. And there’s no death trap
- Chapters 14-16: Everything starts moving faster. Two plot steps, two reversals, two death traps and one sacrifice.
- Chapters 17-19: Again, we get a quicker combination of elements. Three plot steps, two reversals, one death trap and one sacrifice. One of the protagonists completes her character arc. The heroes win, but at a cost. The future is met up with a new feeling of accomplishment and apprehension.
What’s fascinating is how clean these breaks are. A place for everything, and everything in its place. You could build a monument on this plot, it’s so sturdy. Given that the books in The 39 Clues are written by a total of seven authors, such an exact plotting framework may have been a necessity to ensure that each book felt the same.
This plot framework isn’t necessarily the best for every story, but one could do a lot worse than learning from it.