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.
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). 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').
