Plot Diagram
The part of the story that has the highest point of tension. This is the turning point.
Climax
A character who changes from the start of the story to the end.
The two main types of conflicts are:
Internal and External Conflicts
To reside or live in a particular place, or to spend too much time thinking about something negative.
Dwell
After losing the first three rounds of the chess tournament, Lucas spent every afternoon practicing his moves instead of quitting. Two months later, he earned the trophy for first place.
Hard work pays off
The largest part of the story where tension is building. Complictions arise.
Rising action
What is a static character?
A character who remains unchanged from beginning to end.
Elena blocked the goal with all her strength, determined not to let her rival team's captain score the winning point.
This conflict is character vs.
Character
The surrounding circumstances, setting, or background that help explain the meaning of an event or word.
Context
Michael lied and told his parents he had finished his homework so he could play video games, but his lie was exposed when he failed the pop quiz the next day. He lost his gaming privileges for a month and felt terrible for breaking his parents' trust.
Actions have consequences.
Without this, there is no story. This is central to the plot.
Conflict
The main character in the story is called the
Protagonist
Liam knew he should be studying for tomorrow's history exam, but he couldn't stop thinking about playing his favorite video game instead.
This conflict is character vs.
Self
Feeling or showing a complete lack of hope, often driving someone to take extreme risks.
Desperate
Leena was embarrassed by her grandmother's traditional cooking, so she brought a plain sandwich to school instead. When she finally brought her favorite home-cooked dish to share, her friends loved it and asked for the recipe.
Be proud of who you are.
The part of the story that builds background knowledge on characters and setting. This sets the stage for the story.
Exposition
The character who opposes the main character is called the
Antagonist
Caleb pulled his thin jacket tight as a sudden winter blizzard blinded his view of the trail back to camp.
This conflict is character vs.
Nature
Not certain, fixed, or fully worked out; done as a trial or experiment.
Tentative
Sam and Jordan both wanted to build different styles of forts, and they spent an hour arguing without getting any work done. Once they listened to each other's ideas and split the job, they built the best fort on the block before sunset.
Working together can get you to your goal.
The first event/circumstance in the story where the reader can see that there will be conflict.
Initiating event/inciting incident
Static or dynamic: A character begins the story unsure of their role on the team. By the end, they grow confident and are a leader among their teammates.
Dynamic
Kayla spoke out at the town hall meeting against the mayor's plan to tear down the local park to build a massive parking garage.
This conflict is character vs.
Society
An advanced stage of human social development that includes organized culture, government, and industry.
Civilization
Jett wanted the bigger slice of cake, so he shoved his sister out of the way to get it. He ended up knocking the entire plate onto the floor, leaving neither of them with any cake.
Being greedy can cost you.