overplot
Too many twists
To overplot is to add too many storylines, characters, or complications to a narrative, making it convoluted or hard to follow.
The term appears most often in criticism of novels, films, or television series: The second season was badly overplotted.
An overplot can also be a secondary plot layered over another, though this sense is rare.
Excessively complex or twisted
- byzantineDauntingly intricate and devious
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
- intricateElaborately detailed, many parts
interwoven · knotty · serpentine · tortuous · dense · elaborate · multifaceted · baroque
In a confused state
- disorientingCausing loss of direction
- incomprehensibleImpossible to understand
- jumbledDisordered, lacking arrangement
- chaoticTotally without arrangement
befuddling · perplexing · incoherent · disjointed · unfocused · scattered · bewildering · meandering
Deliberately manufactured, unnatural
- predictableAble to be foreseen
- clichedOverused and unoriginal
- unbelievableImpossible to accept as true
- implausibleUnlikely to be true
forced · inconsistent · derivative · hackneyed · formulaic · uninspired · redundant · superficial
Excessively emotional or elaborate
- overdoneExcessive in degree
- excessiveSurpassing reasonable bounds
- saturatedThoroughly soaked through
- overkillUnnecessary additional effort
crammed · packed · stuffed · jam-packed · bloated · padded · overloaded · overbuilt
Narrative's causal chain
- arcCurved line segment
- twistRotating motion or surprise
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
- backstoryCharacter's past narrative
foreshadowing · narrative · pacing · denouement · climax · conflict · resolution · tangent
convoluted
Excessively complex or twisted
- byzantineDauntingly intricate and devious
- labyrinthineExtremely complex and winding
- tangledTwisted confusedly together
intricate · interwoven · knotty · serpentine · tortuous · dense · elaborate · multifaceted · baroque · overcomplicated
muddled
In a confused state
- disorientingCausing loss of direction
- incomprehensibleImpossible to understand
- jumbledDisordered, lacking arrangement
chaotic · befuddling · perplexing · incoherent · disjointed · unfocused · scattered · bewildering · meandering · confounding
contrived
Deliberately manufactured, unnatural
- predictableAble to be foreseen
- clichedOverused and unoriginal
- unbelievableImpossible to accept as true
implausible · forced · inconsistent · derivative · hackneyed · formulaic · uninspired · redundant · superficial · underdeveloped
overwrought
Excessively emotional or elaborate
overkill · crammed · packed · stuffed · jam-packed · bloated · padded · overloaded · overbuilt · overwritten
plotline
Narrative's causal chain
- arcCurved line segment
- twistRotating motion or surprise
- cliffhangerSuspenseful unresolved ending
backstory · foreshadowing · narrative · pacing · denouement · climax · conflict · resolution · tangent · digression
overplotunderplot
Secondary narrative strand
linear narrative · elegant simplicity · plotless · slice of life · vignette
overplotunderwrite
Assume financial liability
simplify · pare down · streamline · distill · edit