'Plot structure' refers to the patterns the events of a story form. Some cite Aristotle as one of the first writers to codify story structure.He wrote in hisPoetics(though in specific reference to tragedy) that every story should have abeginning,middleandend- our most basic ideas of structur...
You’ll notice as you dive into dramatic structure that none of these plot structures are mutually exclusive; you can have a “Quest” story structure or a “Hero’s Journey” story structure that also follows Freytag’s Pyramid. The Pyramid is simply a dramatic structure that allows you to ...
While Freytag's pyramid is very handy, not every work of literature fits neatly into its structure. In fact, many modernist and post-modern writers intentionally subvert the standard narrative and plot structure that Freytag's pyramid represents. We mention this here because climax is often spoken...
For any plot to work—whether it’s a short story, novel, screenplay, or any other narrative form—it needs a basic plot foundation. You can think of these essential elements as the “Three Cs” of plot structure: character, causation, and conflict. Characteris the backbone of any good n...
Elements of an Epic Elements of Detective Fiction Elements of Dystopia Five Act Play (Dramatic Structure) Literary Genres Narrative Structures Parallel Plot and Nonlinear Narrative Plot Diagrams and Narrative Arcs Propaganda Shakespearean Play Genres Understanding Point of View vs. Perspective in Literature...
The pattern of this 5-act story structure can be seen in the familiar plot diagram called Freytag's pyramid, also known as the dramatic arc. It is a visual representation of a 5-act play that shows the structure of the plot in terms of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action,...
Every person is made up of many different traits or qualities, and these can also change over the course of someone's life. In literature, the traits of a character can change over the course of the plot. What are Character Traits in a Story? In literature, authors utilize various ...
Structure: Foreshadowing always occurs in the present moment of the narrative. In contrast, a flash-forward interrupts the chronology of the narrative by shifting it forward to a future point in time. Put another away: foreshadowing hints at what will come in the future, while flash-forwards sh...
Melodramas often used an episodic story structure, where the plot rapidly unfolds after a short expository scene. Each act ended with a strong climax and all the important action of the play occurred on stage. Melodramas used simple plots. Typical plot devices include disguise, abduction, ...
Freytag’s “climax” is much different from how we would think of the climax today using a modern three-act structure. That’s because Freytag was particularly interested in a single story arc, what we call the “Icarus” arc. Here’s a diagram of the Icarus arc: The Icarus Plot is ...