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Plot
Plot is the action that happens in novels, plays, movies, and narrative
poems. In a novel there may be one main plot with several sub-plots and
a short story will contain only one.
Introduction: gives the reader the time and place a story occurs. It
should get the readers attention and make him/her want to finish the
story!
Rising Action: this is the gradual building of the tension or action in a
plot.
Climax: the point at which the tension reaches its peak, it is the high
point of the story and the moment when the main character is going to
accomplish the goal or not.
Happy:
The protagonist resolves his/her conflict in a satisfactory
manner
Unhappy:
The protagonist fails to resolve the conflict, reader is left
feeling unhappy
Indeterminate:
The conflict is not resolved in favour of either the
protagonist or antagonist
Reader is left to wonder what happened
Surprise:
A sudden twist happens that is unexpected
protagonist.
Together, the protagonist and antagonist
Endings continued
Endings can only be plausible (believable) if:
Foreshadowing has done a great job of anticipation
Are the characters plausible and the preceding events are
believable?
Do events happen in a logical manner?
Ending should seem logical and natural as you take a look
back over the story
Ending should serve to reinforce the central meaning of the
story (theme)
Plot Outline
Setting
Physical Setting: this is the time and place in
which the story occurs. A short story has one
setting but the action in a novel can occur in
several places and over extended periods of time.
Point of View
As you read a story, you will begin to realize that you seem
to be outside the story looking in or perhaps you seem to
be in the story itself! This is because the writer is using a
specific kind of narration to get you involved in the story
in particular way!
1st Person: the writer disappears into one of the
characters and tells the story using I or Me
3rd Person Limited: the story is told from the viewpoint
from outside the characters but we, the reader, only know
the thoughts and feelings of the main character
3rd Person Omniscient: the story is told from the
viewpoint outside the characters but now we know all the
feelings and thoughts of the (main) characters
Character Presentation
Direct:
The author tells you straight out exactly what
the character is like
He/she gives us the physical appearance and
perhaps a little of the personality
Indirect:
The character is presented speaking, thinking
and acting (in other words dramatized)
You have to infer (guess) what the character is
like from:
His/her name
Indirect continued
His/her appearance
What he/she says
What he/she thinks
What other people think of him/her
In other dialogue do they speak highly of the character
How do other characters treat him/her
With respect?
With disdain (they sneer and mock him/her)
Types of Character
Flat Character:
This character can be summed up into one or two
sentences
Not a developed character (2D)
Character does not change
May be many of these characters in a story
Round Character:
Complex and many-sided
This character has depth and dimension (3D), just
like a real human
There will only be one or two of these in a story
Characters continued
Dynamic Character:
This character undergoes a major change
In personality
In outlook of the world
To be convincing this character he/she must be:
Believable
Motivation must come from the story
Change must be given time to happen (not over night)
Static Character:
this character stays the same throughout the story
Even if something horrible or great happens, this person
does not change
Characters continued
Stock Character:
this is a stereotyped character who we see
often in fiction
This character is immediately recognizable;
villain, bad step-mother, nerdy teacher
Character Foil:
this characters sole purpose is to highlight
he/she does?
What motivates the character to act the way
he/she does?
Is he/she believable, life-like, emotionally
convincing?
What kind of change does he/she go through?
Does the character go through a change at
all?
Elements of a Character
Mental
Quick-witted, brilliant, average, stupid, dull
Academically smart or street smart
Emotional
Does the character fly off the handle at every little thing?
Is the character indifferent (doesnt care) to what happens?
Is everything treated like a joke?
Elements continued
Spiritual Beliefs
What are his/her ideals or code of ethics?
What attitude towards life does the character have?
Physical Traits
Hair colour, eye colour, weight, skin colour, posture,
height?
Is the character clumsy, slow, alert or fast moving?
What is the characters general appearance; sloppy,
neatly dressed, well-groomed, messy hair etc.
Theme
The theme is the BIG IDEA or MESSAGE of a
text.
It can be difficult to identify; it is the idea that
Conflict
Conflict is the basis of the plot
Can be clash of ideas, desires or wills
Can be a physical clash or emotional
Conflict involves
a protagonist (main character)
the antagonist; this may be a person, society, an
animal, fate, God, the characters conscience
Antagonist is anything that stands in the way of the
protagonist