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Things need to happen in a story, and these things need to matter. The way these events unfold before the audience is through the story's plot.
Things need to happen in a story, and these things need to matter. The way these events unfold before the audience is through the story's plot.
Plot - a sequence of cause-and-effect events that make up a story.
Introduction
Introduction
A compelling story is one in which the audience is always curious to know what happens next, and how the story ends. This ending should be satisfying, and the audience should feel that their time with the story was well spent.
When studying stories, we are interested in how writers hook the audience, encouraging them to continue reading, listening or viewing. We are also interested in how writers build tension, setting the audience on the edge of their seats as they worry about what will happen to the characters. This tension should build to a tense climax where the threads of the story come together, and ultimately resolve in a satisfying way.
Plotting a Story
Plotting a Story
As we can see, there are a number of stages in an effective story. While not all stories follow this pattern precisely, it is helpful to know what the various stages are, and the different names they go by.
The excellent cartoon below by Donna Lichaw illustrates these stages very well. Let's take a closer look at each one, and consider a sample story as we go.
Exposition (orientation)
Exposition (orientation)
The writer introduces the audience to the setting and characters of the story.
On the way to the bus stop after school, a new student buries their head in their phone as they try not to draw attention while following a larger group.
Inciting incident (complication)
Inciting incident (complication)
Something happens to complicate the story. A conflict is introduced which the protagonist must try to overcome.
A member of the group begins talking to the new student as they approach the bus stop. Instantly flustered, the student makes a hurried excuse and flees down a nearby side street into an unfamiliar neighbourhood.
Rising action (rising tension)
Rising action (rising tension)
Obstacles and opportunities appear, and the fate of the protagonist becomes increasingly uncertain.
The student becomes hopelessly lost. They reach for their phone as the sun begins to set, only to find their pocket is empty!
Crisis
Crisis
The protagonist is at their lowest point, and the audience is most concerned about what will happen to them.
Despairing, the student looks up to see a car approaching slowly in the shadowy streets.
Climax
Climax
The protagonist is faced with a critical situation which will determine their fate. Have they learned anything which will help to save them?
The student turns to flee, but pauses. After a moment of staring into yet more endless streets, they turn back to the car, determined to not run again. The door opens, revealing the face of the person who had tried to talk to them at the bus stop—they are smiling and waving a phone.
Denouement (falling action)
Denouement (falling action)
This word is pronounced day-new-mon, and refers to the way the tension in a story is released in a satisfying way.
"You dropped this!" the student cries. "When I looked up to give it to you, you were gone. Mum and I have been looking for you for ages."
End (resolution)
End (resolution)
The conflict is resolved, and a sense of relief is felt by the characters and the audience.
As they ride home in the car, the two new friends agree to walk to school together the next morning.
Sizzling Starts
Sizzling Starts
Not all of the stages in a story's plot have to be told in chronological order. Sometimes, a writer will use a fractured narrative to tell a story out of sequence to make the plot more engaging for the reader.
Indeed, when you are writing a short story (and your word count is very limited) it is a good idea to use a sizzling start to place the reader directly into the action, thus avoiding an overly convoluted build up.
Sizzling start - when the beginning of a story places the reader directly into a strange or exciting moment.
Sizzling starts create a sense of intrigue about what is happening, although we need to quickly provide background information to bring the reader up to speed. Don't waste too many words on this, though: we need to move the story forward to keep our reader's attention.
Editor's Notes
Editor's Notes
What happens if a protagonist does not overcome the conflict they are faced with? Can this still be a satisfying story?
Well, yes, and in fact such stories form the basis of one of the oldest and most revered types of stories: tragedies.
In a classic tragic tale, a hero is faced with a powerful conflict which they must attempt to overcome. Tragically, they do not, because there is something about their character which prevents them from making good decisions in increasingly dire circumstances. For example, in Shakespeare's Macbeth, it is the protagonist's ambition, in Hamlet, his indecision, and in King Lear, his vanity.
Unable to overcome their fatal flaw, the tragic hero becomes increasingly tyrannical, to the point where they threaten the safety of those around them. As their mental state deteriorates, they bring about their own tragic downfall and the audience feels a shared sense of relief (known as catharsis) when the tyrant is gone and things return to normal.
Therefore, even though the protagonist does not overcome the conflict they are faced with, the audience has still experienced a satisfying story because justice has been served, and an important lesson has been learned.
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