The king died and the queen died,” is a story. “The king died, and then the queen died of grief” is a plot. “The queen died, no one knew why, until it was discovered that it was through grief at the death of the king.” This is a plot with a mystery in it, a form capable of high development.
—E.M. Forster (via Malcolm Gladwell’s introduction to The New Yorker’s special Talk of the Town issue)
