Plot Elements
The series of events in a story that builds tension and suspense, developing the central conflict and leading to the climax.
Rising action
When a character or the narrator shares about something that happened before
What is flashback?
The ball left my fingertips, spinning toward the hoop in perfect silence. My heart thudded in my chest—one, two, three beats—as the crowd leaned forward. The orange rim flashed under the gym lights, and for a second I thought it might bounce out. Then—swish. The net snapped, and the gym erupted in a roar.
What is exploding moment?
The very beginning of the essay--this gets the reader's attention.
What is hook?
Take possession of a mortgaged property as a result of the mortgagor's failure to keep up their mortgage payments.
What is forclose?
The part of a narrative that provides background information on the characters, setting, and basic conflict, essentially setting the stage for the story.
What is exposition?
An author writing out things in minute detail.
“You’re late again,” Maya said, crossing her arms.
“I know,” Jordan replied, out of breath. “The bus broke down.”
“The bus, or you just didn’t want to come?”
Jordan looked down at his shoes. “Maybe both.”
What is dialogue?
The main point of your essay; everything should refer back to this.
What is thesis?
the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.
What is identity?
The part of the plot, occurring after the climax, where the main conflicts are solved and the story concludes, providing a sense of closure.
What is resolution?
What is internal dialogue?
Maria stared at the open exam booklet.
"I studied all night for this," she thought. "I know the answer… I just need to breathe."
Her pencil hovered over the page. "Come on, Maria, focus. You’ve got this."
What is internal dialogue?
The first sentence of a body paragraph--this should let the reader know what the paragraph is about.
the dispersion or spread of a people from their original homeland.
What is diaspora?
The part of a story that occurs after the climax, where the tension decreases and the plot moves toward its conclusion.
What is falling action?
A discussion between characters
What is dialogue?
Emma stood on the empty stage, staring at the dusty red curtain.
Suddenly, she was ten years old again, clutching her first microphone at the school talent show. The lights were too bright, and her voice shook as she sang—but when the audience clapped, she’d felt something spark inside her.
The memory faded, and she blinked back to the present. The same stage, years later. Only now, she was ready.
What is flashback?
The information that supports your topic sentence.
CER
the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.
What is tradition
The highest point of tension and drama in a story, serving as the central turning point where the main conflict is faced and a resolution begins to form.
What is climax?
A prediction of what is going to happen in the story.
Flashforward
As Noah packed the last box into the moving truck, he told himself he’d never look back.
Years later, he would still remember that moment—the way the morning sun glinted off the mailbox, the way his mother waved without smiling. He would remember it as the day everything began to change.
What is flashforward?
The part of the first paragraph between hook and summary.
What is bridge?