Plot Element Notes

Plot and Conflict

What makes a great story? Unit 1 Notes

Warm UpYou and your group members are stranded on a deserted island.

•You only have the items written on your group’s notecard with you to survive and escape.

•Work with your group to write a short tale describing the events that occurred on your island.

Image Source

PlotNarrative is a fancy

word for storyPlot = the series of

events in a narrative

Conflict

Conflict is at the heart of any good story.

Conflict is a struggle between opposing forces.

Two types of conflict:

internal conflict = a struggle within the character’s mind

external conflict = a clash between a character and an outside force, such as another character, society, or a force of nature

Specific Internal/External

ConflictsInternal Conflict Types

External Conflict Types

character vs. himself: a struggle between opposing needs, desires, and emotions within the character

character vs. character: two characters struggle against each other (verbally, physically, etc.)

character vs. society: a character struggling against society’s pressures (the expectations of a group, cultural traditions, social rules, etc.)

character vs. nature: a character struggling against forces of nature (storm, flood, drought, bitter cold, etc.)

Famous Stories and their conflicts

Famous text:

conflict : internal or external

• What type?

why? :

Famous text:

conflict: internal or external

• What type?

why?:

Plot Structure

Exposition: introduces setting, characters, and conflict

Rising Action: builds suspense; presents complications that intensify the conflict

Climax: the turning point; moment of greatest suspense; makes outcome of conflict clear

Falling Action: eases the suspense, reveals the outcome of the climax, shows the resolution of the conflict

Resolution: reveals the final outcome, ties up loose ends

Narrative Structure Mountain

• Which goes where???

• Falling action

• Exposition

• Resolution

• Rising action

• Climax

Sequence and Time

Most stories follow chronological order (events follow a linear structure meaning they follow in the order they happened)

However, sometimes author’s chose to play with the order of events:

Flashback: an account of a conversation, episode, or event that happened before the beginning of the story, or at an earlier point

Foreshadowing: a writers use of hints or clues in early scenes to suggest events that will occur later

Flashback is... An image or memory clue to help me remember flashback:

What does flashback do in a story?

Strategies to recognize flashback:

Flashback

Flashback is...• an account that

occurred at an earlier time

An image or memory clue to help me

remember flashback:

What does flashback do in a story? •interrupts the main action to describe something that happened earlier• shows how past events led to the present• gives background info

Strategies to recognize flashback: •Look for possible word clues such as “that summer” or “as a young boy” or “her earliest memory”•Keep track of chronological order to recognize flashback

Flashback

Foreshadowing is... An image or memory clue to help me remember foreshadowing...

What does foreshadowing do in a story?

Strategies to recognize foreshadowing:

Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is...

• use of hints to suggest what will

happen later

An image or memory clue to help me remember foreshadowing...

What does foreshadowing

do in a story? •prepares the reader for

events that will happen

later•creates suspense•makes you want to keep

reading

Strategies to recognize

foreshadowing:

• notice repeated ideas

and descriptions

•notice characters acting

unusually or strangely

Foreshadowing