Plot Pyramid

Plot Pyramid

How stories happen

Every story has the same pattern.

• Problem starts

• Problem gets worse

• Problem is solved

Multiple Choice

What keeps a story going?

• The problem

• The alphabet

Plot

• What happens in a story; the events

• Learning how plot works helps us to understand stories better.

Parts of the Plot

• Exposition (Introduction)

• Inciting Incident

• Rising Action

• Climax

• Falling Action

• Resolution (Denouement)

Exposition

• Beginning of the story

• Introduces characters and setting

• Not very exciting yet

• A few events (usually the first chapter of a book)

Multiple Choice

What is the purpose of the exposition?

• To introduce the characters and setting

• To make the story more exciting

• To bring the story to a conclusion

Inciting Incident

• The event that starts the problem or conflict

• First thing to go wrong

• ONE event (one sentence or paragraph in a book)

Multiple Choice

How is the inciting incident related to the problem, or conflict, in the story?

• It starts the problem.

• It makes the problem worse.

• It solves the problem.

Rising Action

• Events that make the problem get worse and worse

• Story gets more and more exciting
  

• Takes up MOST of the story
  

• MANY events (most of the chapters in a book)

Multiple Choice

During the rising action, the problem...

• Gets started

• Gets worse and worse

• Gets better

• Is solved

Multiple Choice

The rising action takes up how much of the story?

• A little bit

• Half

• Most of it

Climax

• The turning point

• Problem is at its worst - after this, things will start getting better

• Can be the most exciting part

• ONE event near the end of the story

Multiple Choice

How is the climax related to the problem of the story?

• The problem is just getting started

• The problem is getting worse and worse

• The problem is at its worst (turning point)

• The problem is solved

Multiple Choice

Where in the story would the climax be found?

• At the beginning

• In the middle

• Near the end

Falling Action

• Problem is wrapping up

• Story gets a little less exciting

• A few events - last chapter or two of a book

Multiple Choice

How is the falling action related to the problem of the story?

• The problem is getting started.

• The problem is getting worse.

• The problem is starting to wrap up, or come to a solution.

• The problem is solved.

Resolution

• Solution to the problem

• Very end of the story

• "Happily ever after"

Multiple Choice

How is the resolution related to the problem of the story?

• The problem is getting started.

• The problem is getting worse.

• The problem is starting to wrap up, or come to a solution.

• The problem is solved.

Multiple Choice

Why do we learn about plot?

• It helps us to understand stories better.

• It helps us to find books that we may have lost.

• No reason