Story Structure |
Every good story follows a certain structure, even though some may be longer than others, they usually still go by the same rules. Here is a diagram and key explaining the basics of the story process.
Introduction:
In the intro of the story, your reader meets the setting, the characters, and the main big problem and their goal to solve that problem. Plot Point 1: The conflict that pushes the main characters into moving further in the story. For example: the princess is stolen, which leads to a brave night going and saving her. Middle: The middle is full of mini conflicts that all lead of to the climax of the story. Each mini conflict is solved or temporarily solved. A and B on the graph are each mini conflicts. They're little mountains because you have the rising action, which leads to the mini climax, then the resolution, then it happens again (mountain B) then you reach... C: The Climax: The main conflict of the story. The whole story has been building up to this moment so it has to be the most exciting or the biggest change to the character. The End: The ending of the story and Plot Point 2 are the resolution to the Climax. This should be pretty short because the most exciting part of the story just happened, and it will hard to keep the readers attention after all that. |
More about each part in story structure
Introduction/exposition introduces or exposes to the world that the story takes place in. So the setting, the characters, what time period it is, the time of year and all sorts of details that paint a picture in the readers head, bringing them into another world, the main characters world. The introduction/exposition ends when the conflict or problem is introduced to the reader. This part is sometimes called plot point 1, catalyst, or the inciting incident.
The inciting incident is very important. A story really isn't a story with out a conflict. If you think about it, almost every single movie, book or video game has a conflict. Nothing is every all good. And if it was, that would be a pretty boring story. When the conflict enters the story, the the introduction ends and the rising action, (or middle as it is called on the graph), begins.
Rising action is shown on the graph as the slope leading the top of the mountain. But as you can see, there are two little mountains before you reach the highest point. Those mountains are each a mini rising action, conflict and resolution (sometime there is no resolution though). During the rising action of a story, the main character will struggle with a conflict, and may be unable to solve it. For example, in a comedy, each of those mountains will be an unfortunate, but funny event that happens to the main character. These little mountains keep your reader interested. Each one pulls them in more.
So pretty much, the rising action is all of the events leading to the climax of the story. The climax is the turning point of the story. Most of the time the climax is the most exciting event, like the large battle in the Narnia: Prince Caspian movie. Sometimes the climax is the biggest change in the characters life, they may learn a lesson, or meet a very important person who changes everything, and this change will prepare the main character to resolve the conflict in the story. The climax in a comedy story could be when everything begins to get better after all the funny and unfortunate events that happened in the rising action. If it's a sad or tragic story, the climax could be when everything begins to go down hill or something awful happens.
Figuring out the climax or turning point is the first thing that you should do when planning the structure of a story. Doing this will allow you to separate all of the events into two columns: rising action and falling action. To find the climax, look for changes in the main character that may lead to a turn in the stories direction.
If the main conflict of the story is solved during the climax, then the falling action is the wind down after all that, leading to the end of the story. If the main conflict was not resolved during the climax, then that's what happens during the falling action. Plot Point 2 on the diagram is representing the resolution to the conflict. The falling action before plot point 2 can be preparing for that final resolution, and after plot point b is the wind down of the story, leading all the way to the end. Pretty much, the falling action refers to any event after the climax right up until the end of the story. This should be much quicker than the rising action because the most exciting/important part of the story already happened and it will be hard to keep the reading attention with another 200 pages in a novel or two hours in a movies. The end of the story wraps everything up.
The inciting incident is very important. A story really isn't a story with out a conflict. If you think about it, almost every single movie, book or video game has a conflict. Nothing is every all good. And if it was, that would be a pretty boring story. When the conflict enters the story, the the introduction ends and the rising action, (or middle as it is called on the graph), begins.
Rising action is shown on the graph as the slope leading the top of the mountain. But as you can see, there are two little mountains before you reach the highest point. Those mountains are each a mini rising action, conflict and resolution (sometime there is no resolution though). During the rising action of a story, the main character will struggle with a conflict, and may be unable to solve it. For example, in a comedy, each of those mountains will be an unfortunate, but funny event that happens to the main character. These little mountains keep your reader interested. Each one pulls them in more.
So pretty much, the rising action is all of the events leading to the climax of the story. The climax is the turning point of the story. Most of the time the climax is the most exciting event, like the large battle in the Narnia: Prince Caspian movie. Sometimes the climax is the biggest change in the characters life, they may learn a lesson, or meet a very important person who changes everything, and this change will prepare the main character to resolve the conflict in the story. The climax in a comedy story could be when everything begins to get better after all the funny and unfortunate events that happened in the rising action. If it's a sad or tragic story, the climax could be when everything begins to go down hill or something awful happens.
Figuring out the climax or turning point is the first thing that you should do when planning the structure of a story. Doing this will allow you to separate all of the events into two columns: rising action and falling action. To find the climax, look for changes in the main character that may lead to a turn in the stories direction.
If the main conflict of the story is solved during the climax, then the falling action is the wind down after all that, leading to the end of the story. If the main conflict was not resolved during the climax, then that's what happens during the falling action. Plot Point 2 on the diagram is representing the resolution to the conflict. The falling action before plot point 2 can be preparing for that final resolution, and after plot point b is the wind down of the story, leading all the way to the end. Pretty much, the falling action refers to any event after the climax right up until the end of the story. This should be much quicker than the rising action because the most exciting/important part of the story already happened and it will be hard to keep the reading attention with another 200 pages in a novel or two hours in a movies. The end of the story wraps everything up.
Here is another way to think about story structure...
Some stories follow this three part story structure that is very focused on characterization. Every story should contain The Setup, the Conflict, and the Resolution. This way is basically the same thing as the one above, but it's just another way of explaining it. If you like this one better, you can plan out your story this way, or the way above if that one makes more sense to you.
- The Setup is where all the main characters and their basic situations or problems are introduced, just like the Introduction above. It contains the primary level of characterization. Then a problem is introduced, which drives the story forward (like Plot Point 1). This is called the catalyst and it sets things into motion.
- The Conflict if most of the story. It begins after the catalyst happens. The character goes through many major changes in their lives as a result of what is happening in the story. This is called the character arc. Learn more about characters here. The Conflict is that part that would contain all the mini conflicts like points A and B in the chart above. The Conflict also contains the Climax of the story.
- The Resolution is the part in the story where things start to come together and boil down. The character is forced to confront, allowing all the elements of the story to come together and then lead to an ending. This part should be short just like the ending in the chart above.
Example: The Exorcist (1973 film)
The Setup/Introduction is where you meet Father Karras who is a Catholic priest that is losing faith. You also meet the other main characters in the story such as Regan and her mother. The catalyst of the story is when she is playing with her Ouija Board and meets a demon named ZuZu, which sends us to the conflict, Regan becoming possessed by the demon, which is the problem. Karras' character arc is being forced to accept that there is no rational or scientific explanation for what is happening to the girl except that she actually is possessed by a demon, which brings us directly back with the theme of him losing his faith. (Learn more about themes here). The Climax of the film is the actual exorcism. Which leads to the resolution (resolving the possession), and the ending of the movie.
The Two Types of Narrative Story Structures
A non- linear story begins at the same starting point, which then leads to different plots, developments, and outcomes. This is the typical narrative approach of most video games now, or the best example, choose your own adventure books, or gamebooks. Like video games and gamebooks, the user chooses the path of the main character in the story. Usually in video games you choose a different character to be, but in most gamebooks you are the main character and the story is written about you. Depending on what path you choose, you will have a different conflict, climax, and resolution.
Linear stories are stories that follow the basic story plot in the diagram above. These stories you don't choosewhich path to take, and the ending is always the same. This is the set p for most books and movies other than choose your own adventure books.
Linear stories are stories that follow the basic story plot in the diagram above. These stories you don't choosewhich path to take, and the ending is always the same. This is the set p for most books and movies other than choose your own adventure books.