1. The Short Story Open the door to your imagination...

2. A Story’s Building Blocks One of the building blocks of a short story is PLOT Katrina Simpson

3. What Is Plot? Plot is what happens in a story. Most plots consist of four parts— basic situation series of events (complications) climax resolution

4. The Four Parts of Plot Part 1: Basic Situation introduces the characters introduces the setting introduces the conflict Internal conflict – a struggle between opposing forces within a character’s mind External conflict - occurs when a character struggles with another character or with a force of nature Basic Situation

5. The Four Parts of Plot Part 2: Complications or series of events (Rising Action) builds suspense as characters try to resolve the conflict Basic Situation Series of Events or Complications Rising Action

6. The Four Parts of Plot Part 3: Climax the most suspenseful moment—the point where the conflict will be settled, one way or another Basic Situation Series of Events or Complications Climax Rising Action

7. The Four Parts of Plot Part 4: Resolution ties up any loose ends and closes the story Basic Situation Series of Events or Complications Climax Resolution Rising Action Falling Action

8. What Have You Learned? 1. The most suspenseful moment in a story is its a. basic situationb. conflict c. climax 2. The series of events that make up a story is a. basic situation b. rising action c. theme 3. The conflict is introduced in the a. the setting b. the rising action c. the basic situation 4. The resolution a. ties up the loose ends b. introduces the conflict c. is at the beginning of the story.

9. The End