fundamentals of plot

• literary theme: the main idea or underlying meaning a writer explores in a novel, short story, or other literary work

  • can be conveyed using characters, setting, dialogue, plot, or a combination of all of these elements

  • in simpler stories, the theme may be a moral or message, eg. “don’t judge a book by its cover.”

  • in more complex stories, the central theme is typically a more open-ended exploration of some fundamental aspect of society or humanity

plot arcs

• exposition

  • derived from lain exposito, or

    • a setting or showing forth;

    • narration;

    • explanation

  • exposition: the background information on the characters and setting explained (most often) at the beginning of the story

    • will often have information about events that happened before the story began

• rising action: dramatizes the specific events that set the conflict in motion

• turning point: often occurs midway through the story before further complications prolong the suspense of the conflict’s resolution

  • not always present in every work of fiction

• climax: the emotional high point of the story

  • the point where the character(s) attempt to achieve goals in the face of obstacles

• falling action: the events begin to wind down and point the reader toward the conclusion

• conclusion: resolves the conflict to a greater or lesser degree. Sometimes the conclusion introduces an unexpected turn of events or a surprise ending

types of plot

• dynamic plots vs. static plot

  • dynamic plot: often spans a long period of time and show characters changing from one “state” to another

  • static plot: often short and involve little change in time or character progression