Plot elements
A plot is the sequence of events in a story that affect each other and lead to the final outcome. The term storyline is similar, though 'storyline' highlights the more major events, and similarly, the term synopsis refers to a summary of the story. The term 'plot,' however, refers to all significant events and actions in a story.
The core of the plot is the narrative or dramatic structure, plus other key story elements like characters, setting, theme, and perspective.
1 Narrative structure
The plot, narrative or dramatic structure refers to the significant events and the role they play in the development of events. This structure was first identified by Aristotle, and refined by other scholars such as Gustav Freytag, who defined the five key elements of plot structure (as illustrated by the Freytag pyramid).
- Exposition (or introduction): The background, characters, and setting are introduced and explained, and the general mood may be established.
- Rising action (rise, progressive complications). Events in the story start to become more complicated, and some form of conflict unfolds.
- Climax: The turning point, most exciting point of the story, final conflict, point of highest tension, or solution unfolds.
- Falling action (return or fall): Events leading to the resolution begin; complications and events begin to fall into place or get sorted out. Plot points are wrapped up, questions are answered, and all that happens as a result of the climax is finished.
- Resolution, catastrophe, denouement, revelation, or "rising and sinking": The final outcome of events. The antagonists (or tragic hero) meet their final downfall, conflicts are resolved, and the characters return to their normal lives. ('Denouement' is from French, literally meaning untying (of complexities), and 'catastrophe' is from Greek, literally meaning 'falling down').
2 Narrative elements
Aside from the plot structure, other key narrative elements include the characters, setting, perspective (point of view), and theme.
- Setting
- The setting consists of the time and location where the story takes place. Aside from physical location and time or time period, this may also include mood or atmosphere, the social conditions of the characters, and environment (e.g., the weather conditions).
- Characters
- These are the persons who play significant roles in the story, and not just the persons, but also their personalities and personal qualities, physical appearance, and what they say, think, and feel. The key character is the protagonist, or the center of the story; the events of the story center around him/her or are told from his/her perspective. This is often the "good person", but not always. The antagonist is the opponent, enemy, or foil of the main character, and is often the "bad person." Characters may also be fully developed ("round" or three-dimensional), flat (one-dimensional), dynamic (undergoing personal change or growth), or static (not changing).
- Point of view
- (POV) The story may be told from the perspective of the protagonist or others in first person, second person, or third person perspective. A third person narrator may have a limited POV, with limited knowledge of events, or an omniscient perspective, knowing everything in the story.
- Theme
- This can be the main topic, message, moral, underlying meaning, main symbolic meaning, or author's views on the story. This can be implied or stated by a narrator, symbolic elements, the nature of the resolution, or meaning that arises from the nature of the whole story.
3 Plot devices
In addition to the above narrative elements, some plot devices may be used to develop the plot.
- Flashback
The narrative is interrupted by a shift to previous events, sometimes in the form of a character recalling or dreaming about past events, or a more abrupt shift in the narrative flow. A flashback often functions to provide more background to the plot or character development.
- Foreshadowing
Some elements may provide hints about what is to happen. This might be bad weather, words that a character says without knowing that they are predictive of future events, or symbolic elements.
- Reveal
Information about a character or events is suddenly revealed in a surprising manner.
- Plot twist
A sudden, unexpected event occurs that dramatically alters the narrative flow, and subverts audience expectations. This is often near the climax or falling action portions of the plot.
