5 Elements of the Plot
The part of the story, usually near the beginning, in which the characters are introduced, the background is explained, and the setting is described.
What is the exposition?
The start of the mountain.
What is the Exposition?
A problem between characters
What is conflict? (Person vs Person; external conflict?
The person or character who actually tells the story, filling in the background information and bridging the gaps between dialogue.
What is the narrator?
The place and the time frame in which a story takes place.
What is the setting?
The largest part of the story during which various problems arise and the story builds.
What is Rising action?
The second event in the mountain.
What is the Rising Action?
A problem within a character’s own mind
What is internal conflict? (Person vs Self)
The perspective of a person or the narrator.
What is point of view?
The person or force that works against the protagonists of the story.
What is antagonist?
The high point in the action of a story. Things change for the protagonist at this point.
What is the Climax?
The top of the mountain.
What is the Climax?
A problem between a character and society, school, the law, or some tradition
What is external conflict? (Person vs Society)
Someone from the outside is telling the story.
What is third person point of view?
The main character in a story, often a good or heroic type.
What is the protagonist?
The action following the climax that leads the reader into the story’s end.
What is the Falling Action?
The slope of the mountain.
What is the Falling Action?
A problem between a character and some element of nature – a blizzard, hurricane, mountain climb, etc.
What is external conflict (Person vs. Nature)
When one of the characters is telling the story from their own experience.
What is first person point of view?
The message about life or human nature “hidden” in the story that the writer tells.
What is the theme?
The part of the story in which the problems are solved and the action comes to a satisfying end.
What is the Resolution?
The bottom of the mountain.
What is the Resolution?
A problem or struggle that appears when a person feels guilty about something they did.
What is internal conflict? (Person vs. Self).
Someone from the outside is telling the story and knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters.
What is third person omniscient point of view?
The first interesting event that starts the action in a story.
What is the initiating event?