8. Plot Points - A Descriptive Model
-Or how Aristotle really did know what he was writing about!

9. Don’t you automatically think… What is this? And - why should I care??????

10. Simply put plot structure is a way to look at writing to get to the authors intended point.
It is a short hand for us to look for common elements.
It is a graphic organizer that helps us see what is essentially an abstract idea.
It is Metacognition!
You don’t own it till you know what you think!

11. Metacognition is often defined as thinking about thinking, and is used to help students learn - tell them this!!!! Much of the existing research on metacognition, at least in the domain of experimental psychology, has focused on judgments people make about the strengths of their memories (e.g., "how confident are you in that answer," or "how well will you remember that if you are tested later?), and how those judgments affect study decisions. The term metacognition is also used in a number of other ways. For example, it refers to the beliefs that people have about how their memory and cognition work (which are frequently incorrect). As another example, it refers to cognitive strategies students use to achieve a particular goal, such as asking oneself a question about a textbook passage.

12. Use Plot structure to give an ancient tool to test what you think about a stories characters and action and why you think it!

13. Sample quiz -
How many times have you seen (or given) this test question?
Can you identify and define and use the six plot points effectively right now?

14. Plot Structure terms that go with the bell curve shaped graphic.
Introduction
Initial incident or first point of action.
Rising Action
Climax
Falling action
Resolution or Denouement

15. Exposition - introduction of the main characters and setting; “en medias res” in shorter forms.
First point of action - “where the action starts.”
Rising Action - one (or more) characters in crisis.
Climax - point of highest emotion; turning point.
Falling Action - resolution of character’s crisis.
Denouement - “untying of plot threads”; resolution.

16. Got it? - most don’t! Terms are vague and do not define points!
Ex: Climax - point of highest emotion; turning point.
What does this mean exactly?
More importantly for whom does the emotion pour – or what turns here?

17. Read the original Poetics - and the terms are used in light of the Protagonists choices and actions at a particular point in the story! The points are meant to define what a protagonist does at a particular point - to show how good writing often works.

18. Aristotle was concerned with how the authors characters act
Aristotle was concerned with how the authors characters act! He went on to define characters as either actors or actor resistors - protagonists or antagonists!

19. Revision = re + vision!
To use this tool based on Aristotle we need to see plot in terms of character choice and action.
To understand action you must be able to identify basic character types.
To understand basic character types you need to understand Greek roots of protagonist and antagonist!

20. Basic character archetypes to know
Protagonist -
Greek - protagnists : proto-, proto- + agonists, actor, combatant (from agonizesthai, to contend, from agon, contest, from agoein, to drive, lead.
Means for the contention, combat or action!

21. Antagonist -
1. Greek - Anti + agonists, actor, combatant (from agonizesthai), to contend, from agon, contest, from agoein, to drive, lead.
Against the agonist - or against the contest or action

22. Protagonist - for the action.
Antagonist - against the action.
There is no “good” or “bad” morality assigned to these characters - they merely are assigned protagonist or antagonist by their function in a work of literature.
To find the protagonist in a story look for the activist!
Then you can tell where the points are by what action happens as the protagonist moves the story along!

23. The protagonist is the center of our investigation.
This makes sense - after all we are interested in what happens to someone or something specific.
They are the the one that we usually are interested in analyzing as they are typically the center point of the story.
Good conflict involves choices by an individual that force action.

24. It is all about the action of the protagonist….
Action can be of many types
Physical
Psychological
Emotional
Thought
Or any other creative force that forces a direction to a direction or activity to a process.

25. Whatever the action we want to know what the Protagonist is doing
The other characters are either antagonists, or other form of utility characters.
What the protagonist does at each point is the key to finding out where you are - and where you are headed.
With this in mind lets re visit the traditional plot points and find out how the protagonists choices and actions set these points.

26. The journalists questions are: Who What When Where Why How
Introduction or Exposition - introduction of the main characters and setting; “en medias res” in shorter forms.
At the introduction the journalists questions are asked- and the Protagonist is often simply introduced.(they may not be present in the story yet). No action is taken at this point!
The journalists questions are:
Who
What
When
Where
Why
How
You get just enough to start the story.

27. The curve labeled - Exposition
5W’s
1 H

28. A good introduction just gives us enough information to get things rolling along. It gives us enough to know who the players are an most of the time introduces the protagonist.

29. Initial incident or first point of action- - “where the action starts
This is where the protagonist chooses a definite action to pursue based on information learned in the introduction.
There is a definite direction for the protagonist - a place to go, a thought to think through or something to find out.

30. The curve labeled - initial incident.
Exp.
5W’s
1 H
Initial
Incident
Protagonist
Chooses an action

31. Again it is all about action….
Physical
Psychological
Emotional
Thought
Or any other creative force that forces a direction or activity to a process.

32. Rising Action - - one (or more) characters in crisis.
This is where the protagonist works out the action decided at the initial incident.
Antagonist (s) arise and cause conflict by opposing the action knowingly or unknowingly!
The conflict usually gets sharper and more defined with time because the protagonist is frustrated by opposition.
The intensity of the conflict often grows.
The direction remains controlled by the protagonists choice of action made at the initial incident.

33. The curve labeled - Rising Action.
Exp.
5W’s
1 H
Rising Action
Protagonist
Pursues action
Initial
Incident
Protagonist
Starts to pursue an action

34. Climax
This is where the action is narrowed down for the protagonist by the antagonists - to only two choices.
If there are more options than two - it is not the climax.
The protagonist must set the final actions by choosing one path to pursue to its logical conclusion at this point.

35. The curve labeled - Climax.
Climax - protagonist must make one choice from two options
Exp.
5W’s
1 H
Rising Action
Protagonist
Pursues action
Initial
Incident
Protagonist
Starts to pursue an action

36. Falling Action
This is where the protagonist climatic decision is played out to its logical conclusion.
There is no turning back or re visioning of the decision or the climax chosen was not really the climax.
The actions usually are pushed along by the antagonists till there is no escaping the outcome of the climatic choice.

37. The curve labeled - Falling action.
Climax - protagonist must make one choice from two options
Falling action
Protagonist pursues
Action from climax to its logical conclusion
Exp.
5W’s
1 H
Rising Action
Protagonist
Pursues action
Initial
Incident
Protagonist
Starts to pursue an action

38. Resolution or Denouement
The action caused by the choice made at the initial incident is brought to a complete close for this story.
All major questions are addressed.
The action chosen by the protagonist at the initial incident can be pursued no longer - it is complete.
Smart authors allow enough questions for another story.

39. The curve labeled - Resolution or Denouement.
Climax - protagonist must make one choice from two options
Falling action
Protagonist pursues
Action from climax to its logical conclusion
Exp.
5W’s
1 H
Rising Action
Protagonist
Pursues action
The action chosen by the protagonist at the initial incident is
Complete.
Initial
Incident
Protagonist
Starts to pursue an action

40. Now we have a model that uses clear action choices driven by the protagonist for each point.
The question now becomes who the protagonist is, and where they make choices to move the story with action!
The antagonists can clearly be identified and the points understood more clearly as the model is geared to action driven by the protagonist!