LESSON 5: THE PLOT

DIAGRAM
The Plot Diagram

■ Narrative arcs and the prototypical “Plot Diagram” are

essential for building literary comprehension and
appreciation.
■ Plot diagrams allow students to pick out major themes
in the text, trace changes to major characters over the
course of the narrative, and hone their analytic skills.
Elements of Plot

Beginning Middle End

• Exposition • Rising Action • Falling Action
• Conflict • Climax • Resolution
BEGINNING
Exposition

■ The insertion of important background information within

a story; for example, information about the setting,
characters' backstories, prior plot events, historical context, etc.
■ The introduction to a story, including the primary characters'
names, setting, mood, and time.
Conflict

■ A conflict in literature is defined as any struggle between

opposing forces. Usually, the main character struggles against
some other force.
■ The primary problem that drives the plot of the story, often a
main goal for the protagonist to achieve or overcome.
MIDDLE
Rising Action

■ Rising action in a plot is a series of relevant incidents that

create suspense, interest, and tension in a narrative.
■ Introduce the primary conflict and set the story in motion.
Each succeeding event should be more complicated than the
previous, creating tension and excitement as the story builds.
Climax

■ Turning point of a narrative work is its point of highest tension

and drama, or it is the time when the action starts during which
the solution is given.
■ The most exciting point of the story, and is a turning point for
the plot or goals of the main character.
■ The point of the highest tension and conflict. This is the
moment that should leave the reader wondering what’s next.
END
Falling Action

■ Occurs right after the climax, when the main problem of the
story resolves.
■ Everything that happens as a result of the climax, including
wrapping-up of plot points, questions being answered, and
character development.
■ The story begins to calm down and work toward a satisfying
ending. Loose ends are tied up, explanations are revealed, and
the reader learns more about how the conflict is resolved.
Resolution

■ The resolution of the issue of a complicated plot in fiction.

■ The resolution is not always happy, but it does complete the
story. It can leave a reader with questions, answers, frustration,
or satisfaction.
■ The main conflict gets resolved and the story ends.
LESSON 6 - FLASH
FICTION
■ Flash fiction is a style of writing which involves
producing very short pieces of fictional literature.
■ This is quite different to the concept of a short story,
which is usually several pages long and can notch
up thousands of words.
■ Works of flash fiction, by contrast, can comprise as little
as a single page or 250 words.
■ The term flash fiction has a number of lexical variants,
including micro-fiction, sudden fiction, postcard fiction, short
short and short short story.
■ Pieces of flash fiction contain all the classic story elements we'd
expect – protagonists, conflicts, obstacles or complications, and
their resolution.
■ Unlike conventional short stories however, their limited word length
means that some of these elements have to remain unwritten and
are merely hinted at or implied in the storyline.
Categories of Flash Fiction

1. Flash fiction: Max 1500 words.

2. Sudden fiction: Max 750 words.
3. Drabble, or microfiction: Max 100 words.
4. Dribble, or minisaga: Max 50 words.
5. Twitterature: Max 280 characters.
6. Microfiction: Max 250 characters.
7. Six-word story: Any story with a single-digit word count is a category
unto itself.
Flash Fiction Characteristics

• Story Structure: A flash fiction story is not the shortened

version of a longer story; it still follows the elements of plot,
including a beginning, middle and end, as well as a conflict and
satisfying resolution.

• Setting: Most flash fiction stories take place in one setting, as

moving between locations uses up too much space. It allows
the writer and reader to focus on the plot.
• Characters and Backstory: Flash fiction pieces are plot-driven
and include no more than three or four characters. They may
include some character development, but too much backstory can
use valuable space.

• Description: One may think that flash fiction stories are short
on description to save space. However, a strong piece can balance
vivid descriptions with a quick-moving plot. Stories that lack
description are not satisfying to read, and a flash fiction piece
should feel complete.
 “It’s been three days, nothing happened.”
“What do we tell them?”
“What they want to hear – Tell them he has risen.”