Plot Structure Analyzing plot points
Freytag’s Pyramid
A more detailed version of the pyramid
Exposition Set the scene Introduce characters Establish point of view
Inciting incident The story starts where the trouble starts Create conflict Complicate your protagonist’s life
Rising action The story builds Characters are in trouble Events increase
Climax The moment of greatest tension The point to which all events have led Characters act
Falling action Events are a result of the climax The story nears its end
Resolution The protagonist solves the problem If the problem is solved for the protagonist, it weakens her.
Denoument The denoument is the opposite of the exposition. Remaining plot threads are tied up. The reader learns how the characters will deal with what has happened to them.