1. Unit 1 Short Story Plot

2. Plot Pyramid Terms Exposition Inciting Incident Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution Denouement

3. Exposition Sets up the setting Description and background (of characters, place, time, etc.) – Where? Who? When?

4. Inciting Incident Single action that begins the conflict or action

5. Rising Action Excitement builds, leads to climax

6. Climax Greatest moment of tension, excitement Turning point of the story

7. Falling Action Action after the climax to the end, often moves quickly

8. Resolution Main problem solved

9. Denouement Conclusion: remaining questions answered, mysteries solved (French for “untie”)

10. The Plot Pyramid

11. The Plot Pyramid in “Cinderella”

12. Exposition

13. France 1700’s, Cinderella, Stepmother, Step sisters, dead mother, father died leaving Cinderella in the care of her wicked step mother who has forced her to become a servant in her own home.

14. Inciting Incident

15. Whole family is invited to Royal Ball Cinderella’s animal kingdom friends make her a custom dress Her stepsisters ruin it and force her to stay home

16. Rising Action

17. Fairy Godmother appears, gives Cinderella a new dress and a carriage Curfew set at 12am Cinderella goes to the ball She meets the prince They fall in love

18. Climax

19. Midnight Strikes! Cinderella runs and leaves behind her tiny glass slipper

20. Falling Action

21. Step mother finds out about Cinderella going to the ball Cinderella is locked up Prince searches the kingdom Step Sisters claim the slipper is theirs All Steps deny anyone else is in the house Cinderella gets out (with help from her furry friends)

22. Resolution

23. The slipper fits!

24. Denouement

25. Cinderella’s identity is established The Steps are exposed as the fiends they are Cinderella lives happily ever after