The Count of Monte Cristo, Cinderella, and Jane Eyre. This story can begin with the protagonist being poor or rich, but at some point, the protagonist will have everything, lose everything, and then gain it all back by the end of the story, after experiencing great personal growth. Examples:īeowulf, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. This is one version of the world’s most universal and compelling plot-the ‘monomyth’ described by the great thinker Joseph Campbell. The protagonist must defeat a monster or force in order to save some people-usually everybody! Most often, the protagonist is forced into this conflict, and comes out of it as a hero, or even a king. Here are some classic plots that can be seen in numerous stories all over the world and throughout history. There are many types of plots in the world! But, realistically, most of them fit some pattern that we can see in more than one story.
He spends weeks working out as hard as possible, preparing for try outs. Scott wants to be on the football team, but he’s worried he won’t make the team. The falling action consists of a quick medical check before the resolution, or ending, when Kaitlin and Berkley happily head home. The climax is when she sees the dog of her dreams and decides to adopt him. The rising action occurs as she enters the pound and begins looking. In this example, the exposition introduces us to Kaitlin and her conflict. After he receives shots and a medical check, she and the dog, Berkley, go home together. At that instant, she knows she wants to adopt him. At the end of the hallway, she sees a small, sweet brown dog with a white spot on its nose. She goes to the pound and begins looking through the cages for her future pet. Here are a few very short stories with sample plots: Example 1 Plots, also known as storylines, include the most significant events of the story and how the characters and their problems change over time. Resolution/Denoument: Also known as the denouement, the resolution is like a concluding paragraph that resolves any remaining issues and ends the story. Falling Action: The story begins to slow down and work towards its end, tying up loose ends.ĥ. The most action, drama, change, and excitement occurs here.Ĥ. Climax: At the peak of the story, a major event occurs in which the main character faces a major enemy, fear, challenge, or other source of conflict. Rising Action: The main character is in crisis and events leading up to facing the conflict begin to unfold. Exposition: At the beginning of the story, characters, setting, and the main conflict are typically introduced.Ģ. Plots are typically made up of five main elements:ġ. The plot is the story, and more specifically, how the story develops, unfolds, and moves in time.
In a narrative or creative writing, a plot is the sequence of events that make up a story, whether it’s told, written, filmed, or sung.