2.  Plot is what drives the story forward  If you want to have a good and interesting story, you need a good plot  Elements of a short story Elements of a short story

3.  If an author writes, "The king died and then the queen died," there is no plot for a story.  But by writing, "The king died and then the queen died of grief," the writer has provided a plot line for a story.

4.  The events of a story told in a certain sequence  The elements of plot include: 1. Inciting Force 2. Rising Action 3. Climax 4. Falling Action and 5. Resolution

5. Inciting Force Climax Rising Action Resolution Falling Action

6.  Refers to a character or event that initiates the conflict in the story  It gets the ball rolling (so to speak)  Some also just simply call this the Introduction or Exposition  This is where we learn about/introduced to the characters and setting

7.  Series of events which follow the inciting force or initial conflict  Conflict is developed  It ends with the climax

8.  Point of highest interest and dramatic tension in the story  At the point of a story’s climax, the outcome of events becomes inevitable  Some stories, however, end with the climax, leaving the rest up to the reader’s imagination  Known as the “turning point”

9.  Opposite of Rising action and refers to the events which follow the climax and lead to the story’s conclusion  All the loose ends are tied up

10.  Sometimes known as the Denouement and is the final outcome of the story

11.  Take the Quiz Take the Quiz

12. Special Plot Techniques  Suspense - feeling of excitement or tension the reader experiences as the plot unfolds. Writers create suspense by raising questions in the reader's mind.  Foreshadowing - a hint or clue about an event that will occur later in the story.  Flashback - a section of the story that is interrupted to tell about an earlier event.  Surprise ending - an ending that catches the reader off guard with something unexpected.

13. EXPOSITION: Three little pigs leave home for the first time. Event #1 Pig #1 builds house of straw. Event #1 Pig #1 builds house of straw. Event #2 Big Bad Wolf blows house down and eats pig #1. Event #2 Big Bad Wolf blows house down and eats pig #1. Event #4 Big Bad Wolf blows house down and eats pig #2. Event #4 Big Bad Wolf blows house down and eats pig #2. Event #6 Big Bad Wolf can’t blow down brick house. Event #6 Big Bad Wolf can’t blow down brick house. Event #7 Wolf tries to trick pig #3 to come out of house. Event #7 Wolf tries to trick pig #3 to come out of house. CLIMAX: Wolf gets frustrated and jumps down the chimney to get pig #3. Wolf falls into boiling pot over fire. RESOLUTION: Pig #3 cooks and eats Big Bad Wolf for revenge. Event #3 Pig #2 builds house of wood. Event #3 Pig #2 builds house of wood. Event #5 Pig #3 builds house of bricks. Event #5 Pig #3 builds house of bricks.

14. Do you know what story this picture comes from?

15.  What’s happening at this point in the story?  What plot elements from the Cinderella tale can you list?  It’s important to note that a plot element can seem quite different yet accomplish the same purpose in the narrative

16.  Cinderella Cinderella  Looking at various versions of Cinderella

17. Mi'kmaq (Native American) Cinderella  Predict how plot or setting elements in the familiar Cinderella tale might change in a Native American (Eastern Woodlands) setting  In the Mi'kmaq (Native American) Cinderella tale, the heroine's ability to see the mighty hunter replaces the familiar identity test of the slipper while accomplishing the goal of allowing the heroine to be recognized.  What essential elements of the plot (such as a test of identity) are accomplished, even if in a quite different way?