1. Good Things…
Please get out a piece of notebook paper and get ready to take some notes!

2. Plot Elements: The Conflict

3. Review: Plot Components
Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment—either mentally or in action
Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crisis in the story that lead to the climax
Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax
Exposition: The mood and conditions existing at the beginning of the story. The setting is identified. The main characters with their positions, circumstances and relationships to one another are established. The exciting force or initial conflict is introduced. Sometimes called the “Narrative HOOK” this begins the conflict that continues throughout the story.
Rising Action: The series of events, conflicts, and crises in the story that lead up to the climax, providing the progressive intensity, and complicate the conflict.
Climax: The turning point of the story. A crucial event takes place and from this point forward, the protagonist moves toward his inevitable end. The event may be either an action or a mental decision that the protagonist makes.
Falling Action: The events occurring from the time of the climax to the end of the story. The main character may encounter more conflicts in this part of the story, but the end is inevitable.
Resolution/Denouement: The tying up of loose ends and all of the threads in the story. The conclusion. The hero character either emerges triumphant or is defeated at this point.
Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts
Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads

4. Review: Types of Characters
Protagonist-
the main character of the story, usually the hero. (often considered the good guy)
Antagonist-
a character that the main character struggles against, the opposite force. (often considered the bad guy)

5. Two types of characters in a story:
A dynamic character undergoes a permanent change during a story
Much like dynamite will cause something
to change by explosion!
A static character is one who remains basically unchanged throughout a story.
Much like static on a T.V. set will stay the same!

6. So…what is conflict???
Conflict is the dramatic struggle between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.

7. Main Types of Conflict Character vs Character Character vs Nature
Character vs Society
Character vs Self

8. Character vs. Machine Vs. Supernatural
Bonus: Can you guess some of the lesser know categories of Character vs. ?
Character vs. Machine Vs. Supernatural

9. Plot: Character vs. Character Conflict
This type of conflict finds the main character in conflict with another character, human or not human.
Examples:
Two girls fight over a boy
Luke Skywalker fights his own father, Lord Vader

10. Plot: Character vs. Nature Conflict
This type of conflict finds the main character in conflict with the forces of nature, which serve as the antagonist.
Examples:
An native American must fish and hunt in the extreme cold
to feed his family.
A young boy survives a plane crash and must survive alone
in the woods until he is rescued.

11. Plot: Character vs. Society Conflict
This type of conflict has the main character in conflict with a larger group: a community, society, culture, etc.
Examples:
A woman refuses to move to the back of the bus
because of the color of her skin.
A group of students fight the school over dress code.

12. Plot: Character vs. Self Conflict
In this type of conflict, the main character experiences some kind of inner conflict.
Examples:
A small boy trains to make the football team.
A young girl learns to respect herself.

13. Internal Conflict & External Conflict
Finally, there are two categories of Conflict that each of the “vs” falls into…
Internal Conflict & External Conflict

14. Internal Conflict
Character vs self is an internal conflict, because it’s “all in the character’s head”

15. External Conflict
All other kinds, such as character vs. character, nature, or society are external, because they are conflicts with outside sources

16. Let’s practice identifying conflict…

17. Character vs. Nature

18. “The new one is the most beautiful of all; he is so young and pretty
“The new one is the most beautiful of all; he is so young and pretty.” And the old ducks bowed their heads before him.
Then he felt quite ashamed, and hid his head under his wing; for he did not know what to do, he was so happy, and yet not at all proud. He had been persecuted and despised for his ugliness by all of them, and now he heard them say he was the most beautiful of all the birds.
The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson
Character vs. Society

19. Character vs. Self

20. Character vs. Character
While Harry Potter was in Hogwarts getting hit by Bludgers and losing his memory, Lord Voldemort was having problems of his own. So far, all of his plans to capture Potter had failed.
- Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince
by JK Rowling
Character vs. Character

21. Character Vs. Society

22. Character vs. Nature It´s a Truffula Seed. It´s the last one of all!
You´re in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.
And Truffula Trees are what everyone needs.
Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
and all of his friends
may come back.
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Character vs. Nature

23. Character vs. Character

24. Character vs. Self Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness
Finally, Sam’s father said, “Go to bed now! But before you go to sleep, Sam, you must tell yourself the difference between REAL and your imagination!”
Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness
Character vs. Self

25. Character Vs. Supernatural
Bonus Question:
Character Vs. Supernatural