There are several building blocks that are essential for writing any story. Without these elements, a story simply cannot be written. These elements include character, setting, point of view, style, theme, tone and the one this article is focusing on today - plot. The plot is perhaps the foundational element of a story, one that the other elements rely on for meaning and purpose. No matter what genre or style you are writing in, there must be a plot for the story to exist. Furthermore, if the plot of your story is not good, even good characterisation, setting, theme and point of view will fail to immerse your readers.
So let's investigate the nuts and bolts of crafting a good ‘plot’- its meaning, types, structure and examples in literature - to better understand how this element is crucial to the storytelling process.
Plot meaning
The plot of a story is the chain of events that occur from beginning to end. So while characters are the ‘who’ of the story, the plot is the ‘what’ - ‘what’ exactly is happening in the story and sometimes even 'how’ it is happening. It can be the entire physical or emotional journey of the main character(s), which begins with a moment of internal or external conflict followed by some action that leads up to a climax and resolution.
However, the individual events that make up the plot of a story are not isolated but are actually interconnected to each other. This means they have a cause-and-effect relationship, where one event in the story influences the next. Hence, when the main character is presented with a challenging situation, the effect this situation has on them causes them to make a decision, which in turn leads to another event that is an effect of their decision. This chain reaction is what propels the plot of a story.
A plot is also a narrative of events, the emphasis falling on causality. 'The king died and then the queen died,' is a story. 'The king died, and then the queen died of grief' is a plot. The time sequence is preserved, but the sense of causality overshadows it.1
Plot structure
What if we see all the events that make up a plot as individual puzzle pieces? Now, we need to arrange these puzzle pieces in their proper place to see the full picture. Similarly, all the events that make up a plot must be presented to the reader in a sequence that is logical, to aid their understanding of the story. This is the plot structure.
Plot structure: The order in which the writer organises the main events that make up the story's plot.
Three-act plot structure
Aristotle was the first to formulate the three-act structure in his book Poetics (c. 335 BCE) after analysing the sequence of events in a dramatic tragedy. According to Aristotle, every play or poem should have a setup, confrontation and resolution, otherwise simply stated as the beginning, middle and end.2
A beginning is that which is not itself necessarily after anything else, and which has naturally something else after it. An end is that which is naturally after something itself, either as its necessary or usual consequent, and with nothing else after it. And a middle, that which is by nature after one thing and has also another after it.
- Aristotle, Poetics (c. 335 BCE)
Setup or beginning
This part introduces the protagonist and the dramatic question, or the conflict in the protagonist’s life. Its main objective is to grab the reader’s attention while also setting the scene for the story to make sense.
Confrontation or middle
This part consists of the main action of the story. These could be the various obstacles the protagonist must overcome in order to complete their journey. There may be various subplots within this part of the story which all must interconnect before moving on to the resolution.
Resolution or ending
This is where the dramatic question is answered and the tension of the story slowly subsides.
Freytag's Pyramid
German novelist Gustav Freytag added to Aristotle’s three-act structure to create a five-act structure with five different plot points that every story must go through. This structure is knowns as the Freytag’s Pyramid.3
Fig. 1 - Freytag's Pyramid Structure
Exposition
This is where the readers are introduced to any relevant information about the main character(s), such as their personality traits, backstory and their relationship with other characters. The setting (place and time) where the story will take place is also established alongside any other contextual or background information necessary for the understanding of the story. This is where we establish the ‘normal’ lives of our main characters.
This is also where the dramatic question or central conflict of the story is planted.
Rising action
This is characterised by the occurrence of an inciting incident. The inciting incident is a turning point where some sort of extraordinary complication that does not occur in the ‘normal’ life of our main character happens. The inciting incident sets our story into motion.
This inciting incident triggers a chain of events where the main characters(s) are forced into challenging situations where they must overcome mental or physical obstacles. The reader also realises the consequences of failing to overcome these obstacles for the main character, a realisation that leads to a build-up of tension and anticipation within the readers.
Climax
This is the big moment! All the challenging situations and obstacles that our protagonist overcomes lead up to the climax, where the protagonist comes face to face with the central conflict of the story. Hence, this is where the tension and conflict reach their peak in the story and push the readers to the edge. This is everything that the readers have been waiting for, and everything that the writer has been promising.
This is where the protagonist makes a major decision that seals their fate and solidifies the direction the story’s ending is going to take - whether it is going to be a happy ending or a tragic one.
Falling action
This bridges the gap between the climax and the resolution where the protagonist begins to experience the consequences of the climax and the character’s actions. This stage is characterised by a rapid decline in tension and drama, as we move towards the resolution.
This is also the writer’s opportunity to tie up any loose ends and conclude any subplots or minor conflicts.
Resolution
This is the official end to the protagonist's journey, where they have reached their destination by answering the dramatic question and ending the central conflict of the story. The final fate of our characters is revealed and a new sense of ‘normal’ is established. Some stories may contain information about the futures of our characters. This is the happy (or tragic) ending of the story.
Now we will apply Freytag's Pyramid to explain the plot structure of the famous movie Titanic (1997):
- Exposition: The audience is introduced to the protagonists- Jack (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (played by Kate Winslet) and are given a brief look at their backgrounds and relationships with those around them. For instance, Rose is from the upper class and is engaged to her wealthy fiance, while Jack is a poor artist who wins the ticket to the Titanic in a poker game. Both characters are placed in the setting of the story - the Titanic, which is where they first meet.
- Rising Action: This is the part where the two protagonists begin to develop feelings for each other. They face many obstacles, primarily Rose's mother and fiance and the difference in their societal statuses. Tensions increase as Rose's fiance frames Jack for theft. Meanwhile, the ship hits an iceberg and starts to sink.
- Climax: This is the part when the ship begins to sink and Rose and Jack both fall into the freezing water. While Rose survives, Jack dies.
- Falling Action: Rose is rescued by a lifeboat and taken aboard another ship. She never meets her fiance again, who soon commits suicide after losing his fortune. Rose realises that she must carry on living her life, to fulfil her promise to Jack to survive.
- Resolution: Rose keeps her promise and lives a full life. She dies of old age and is once again reunited with Jack on the staircase of the Titanic.
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