Plotlinjer

Plotlinjer is a Norwegian term that can refer to lines in plots used in two main domains: data visualization and narrative structure. The meaning depends on context, and the term is often clarified by the accompanying subject matter.

In data visualization, plotlinjer describe the lines on a graph that show how one variable changes relative to another. This includes line charts, time series plots, and function graphs. A plotline is characterized by data points connected by a line, with attributes such as slope, intercept, color, and line style. These lines help readers identify trends, patterns, seasonality, or anomalies and are commonly interpreted together with axes, scales, and legends.

In literature and media, plotlinjer refer to the sequence of events that constitutes a story or a film’s narrative. A single plotline follows the main arc, while additional plotlines may run in parallel as subplots. Plotlines develop through traditional narrative stages such as exposition, rising action, climax, and resolution, and they can intersect or diverge to deepen character development and thematic exploration.

Because plotlinjer can denote distinct concepts in different disciplines, clarity of context is important. When discussing graphs and statistics, they denote graphical lines; when discussing fiction or screenplays, they denote storytelling arcs. See also: plott, linjediagram, narrativ struktur, subplot.