The Plot of Plots

“What Diabolus understood, and what I hope you will all come to understand as well, is that a scheme must have style; a plot must have a plot, if you will.”

-Dr. Nero, H.I.V.E., Mark Walden, pg 146

If you have not read H.I.V.E. then you should—on this I am adamant. Never mind that it is my favorite series and that I love it so much I bought the book in Spanish to challenge myself, but it is also filled with little wisdoms such as the one above.

A plot must have a plot.

Like Rob, I am of the higher ranked students in my year. I take honors and AP classes, with other students of the same caliber. The only thing any of us seem to have in common is our need to whine. (Well, I try not to—I love most of my classes.)

“He’s a terrible teacher.”

“She never taught us that!”

“This book is dumb!”

“I’m never going to need to know how to write an essay!”

I hear it in history, English, Spanish… my favorite classes, all torn to shreds by their criticisms.

It’s true, sometimes they are probably right. Some of it isn’t going to be important to them. They will probably grow up to be doctors and nurses, architects, engineers, the groomed middle class of tomorrow. But their plots have no plots. And their schemes have no style.

Their purpose is empty, and that frustrates me to no end.

You see, I have no idea what I want to do when I grow up. Perhaps I will be a barista. Maybe I will work two shifts at a coffee shop all morning, work the afternoon at Office Max and then spend my evenings at McDonald’s. Maybe I will even live up to my parents’ dreams and be able to sustain myself.

Regardless, my plots will have plots.

As a writer, I understand this: it is not enough to have supporting characters, a setting, a goal; they all must be their own main characters, with dreams to reach and pasts to hide as well.

As a person, I understand this: it is not enough to live; it must be life to the fullest because that will make it worthy.

Dr. Nero knows what he means about purpose—you can read these kinds of things in the Bible or the ancient myths of old. Purpose is that thing that means you must not succeed but excel. That 110%. It is the meaning to your actions, or as Megamind would say it, “PRESENTATION!”

That is my Dr. Nero. Evil is applicable.

It’s back to school season, and again it seems like we are lining up to learn useless drivel and complete tasks that will be irrelevant and outdated in five years. It will be dull for my classmates. But I know what it is to have style, and so here I am on the brink of new purpose.

Engage.