Plot Structure: Basic Sequence of Events In A Story

Plot Structure: The basic sequence of events in a story or literature is referred to as a plot. An incident that compels the main character to act and start a quest is known as the inciting incident, and it marks the beginning of a plot. Along the way, tension and conflict erupt to help the plot take on a narrative arc. Each of the five components that make up a plot’s structure serves a crucial purpose as follows:

Exposition

1. Story Beginning

You introduce your characters, establish the scene, and start to introduce the main conflict of your novel in this section of your book. The exposition of a story frequently only lasts a few chapters since readers want to get right to the battle. Introduce your inciting occurrence as soon as possible to get things started. Many authors make the error of filling their exposition with fascinating but ultimately pointless details about the world they are describing in their work. Even though you’ll want to make sure the reader is aware of all the background details, reading endless pages of non-action is boring. The reader should be thrust into the action of your story as soon as possible. Try to incorporate background information as naturally as you can at this point.

2. Conflict

Conflict is the main problem in the story faced by protagonist, his friends or community at large. Sometimes protagonist try to solve the problem and make it more complex. Conflict is what make the story interesting, and readers get hooked by the way characters of the story take their step to solve it.

Rising Action

An inciting incident, or a turning point in your novel, usually ushers in the increasing action. There will be numerous conflict-filled moments as the story develops, which will heighten the excitement as it approaches the conclusion. Imagine it as the part of an amusement ride where you are climbing to the top. Until the reader is ready to see everything come crashing down, you want to keep developing your story. Make every moment of tension more compelling than the last because it will take up the most of your book and have the most impact on the reader’s understanding of your story. Don’t be scared to pose certain queries that your book’s conclusion will not resolve.

Climax

Your story’s climax marks the height of the conflict, the storyline, and the characters. Frequently, this is the turning point in the narrative where everything changes or where your main character is compelled to make a crucial choice. The reader should be left wondering what will happen next in your story at this point. Consider yourself at the height of the roller coaster, and everything comes to a complete stop. The feeling that a fantastic climax will leave the readers with will compel them to continue reading until the very end.

Falling Action

You should begin driving your story toward a more satisfactory finish now that you’ve reached its apex. So that your story doesn’t feel hurried in the final chapters, now is the time to begin resolving tensions and subplots. Additionally, this is the point at which any problems that emerged as a result of the climax can begin to be settled.

Resolution/Denouement

The resolution, which brings your story to a close and allows you to tie up any remaining loose ends, determines whether it will have a happy or tragic conclusion. Alternatively, if you’re writing a series, this would be the perfect opportunity to craft a cliffhanger that will have readers eagerly awaiting the next book.

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