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The plan or main story (as of a movie or literary work) How events happen and what happens.

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In a narrative or creative writing, a plot is the sequence of events that make up a story, whether it's told, written, filmed, or sung. The plot is the story, and more specifically, how the story develops, unfolds, and moves in time. Plots are typically made up of five main elements:
1. Exposition: 2. Rising Action: At the peak of the story, a major event occurs in which the main character faces a major enemy, fear, challenge, or other source of conflict. The most action, drama, change, and 4. Falling Action: 5. Resolution/Denoument: Also known as the denouement, the resolution is like a concluding paragraph that resolves any remaining issues and ends the story. The story begins to slow down and work towards its end, tying up loose ends. excitement occurs here. Kaitlin wants to buy a puppy. She goes to the pound and begins looking through the cages for her future pet. At the end of the hallway, she sees a small, sweet brown dog with a white spot on its nose. At that instant, she knows she wants to adopt him. After he receives shots and a medical check, she and the dog, Berkley, go home together. The main character is in crisis and events leading up to facing the conflict begin to unfold. The story becomes complicated. Scott wants to be on the football team, but he's worried he won't make the team. He spends weeks working out as hard as possible, preparing for try outs. At try outs, he amazes coaches with his skill as a quarterback. They ask him to be their starting quarterback that year and give him a jersey. Scott leaves the field, ecstatic! At the beginning of the story, characters, setting, and the main conflict are typically introduced.
Plots, also known as storylines, include the most significant events of the story and how the characters and their problems change over time.

II. Examples of Plot

Here are a few very short stories with sample plots:

In this example, the exposition introduces us to Kaitlin and her conflict. She wants a puppy but does not have one. The rising action occurs as she enters the pound and begins looking. The climax is when she sees the dog of her dreams and decides to adopt him. The falling action consists of a quick medical check before the resolution, or ending, when Kaitlin and Berkley happily head home.

The exposition introduces Scott and his conflict: he wants to be on the team but he doubts his ability to make it. The rising action consists of his training and tryout; the climax occurs when the coaches tell him he's been chosen to be quarterback. The falling action is when Scott takes a jersey and the resolution is him leaving the try-outs as a new, happy quarterback.

Each of these stories has

an exposition as characters and conflicts are introduced

a rising action which brings the character to the climax as conflicts are developed and faced, and

a falling action and resolution as the story concludes.

III. Types of Plot

There are many types of plots in the world! But, realistically, most of them fit some pattern that we can see in more than one story. Here are some classic plots that can be seen in numerous stories all over the world and throughout history.

a. Overcoming the Monster

The protagonist must defeat a monster or force in order to save some people-usually everybody! Most often, the protagonist is forced into this conflict, and comes out of it as a hero, or even a king. This is one version of the world's most universal and compelling plot-the 'monomyth' described by the great thinker Joseph Campbell.
The Count of Monte Cristo, Cinderella, and Jane Eyre.
Examples:

Beowulf, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.

b. Rags to Riches:
The Iliad, The Lord of the Rings, and Eragon
This story can begin with the protagonist being poor or rich, but at some point, the protagonist will have everything, lose everything, and then gain it all back by the end of the story, after experiencing great personal growth.

Examples:

c. The Quest:
Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Wizard of Oz
The protagonist embarks on a quest involving travel and dangerous adventures in order to find treasure or solve a huge problem. Usually, the protagonist is forced to begin the quest but makes friends that help face the many tests and obstacles along the way. This is also a version of Campbell's monomyth.

Examples:

d. Voyage and Return:
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Home Alone
The protagonist goes on a journey to a strange or unknown place, facing danger and adventures along the way, returning home with experience and understanding. This is also a version of the monomyth.

Examples:

e. Comedy:
Romeo and Juliet, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Macbeth
A happy and fun character finds a happy ending after triumphing over difficulties and adversities.

Examples:

f. Tragedy:
The Secret Garden, A Christmas Carol, The Grinch
The protagonist experiences a conflict which leads to very bad ending, typically death.

Examples:

g. Rebirth:

The protagonist is a villain who becomes a good person through the experience of the story's conflict.

Examples:

As these seven examples show, many stories follow a common pattern. In fact, according to many thinkers, such as the great novelist Kurt Vonnegut, and Joseph Campbell, there are only a few basic patterns, which are mixed and combined to form all stories.

IV. The Importance of Using Plot

The plot is what makes a story a story. It gives the story character development, suspense, energy, and emotional release (also known as 'catharsis'). It allows an author to develop themes and most importantly, conflict that makes a story emotionally engaging; everybody knows how hard it is to stop watching a movie before the conflict is resolved.

V. Examples of Plot in Literature

Plots can be found in all kinds of fiction. Here are a few examples.

The Razor's Edge by Somerset Maugham

In The Razor's Edge, Larry Darrell returns from World War I disillusioned. His fiancée, friends, and family urge him to find work, but he does not want to. He embarks on a voyage through Europe and Asia seeking higher truth. Finally, in Asia, he finds a more meaningful way of life.

In this novel, the plot follows the protagonist Larry as he seeks meaningful experiences. The story begins with the exposition of a disillusioned young man who does not want to work. The rising action occurs as he travels seeking an education. The story climaxes when he becomes a man perfectly at peace in meditation.

The Road not Taken' by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
...
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
...
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
...
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost's famous poem "The Road Not Taken," has a very clear plot: The exposition occurs when a man stands at the fork of two roads, his conflict being which road to take. The climax occurs when he chooses the unique path. The resolution announces that "that has made all the difference," meaning the man has made a significant and meaningful decision.

VI. Examples of Plot in Pop Culture

Plots can also be found in television shows, movies, thoughtful storytelling advertisements, and song lyrics. Below are a few examples of plot in pop culture.

"Love Story" (excerpts) by Taylor Swift:

I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air.

See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns.

See you make your way through the crowd

And say, "Hello, "

Little did I know...

That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles,

And my daddy said, "Stay away from Juliet"

And I was crying on the staircase

Begging you, "Please don't go"

So I sneak out to the garden to see you.

We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew

So close your eyes... escape this town for a little while.

. . .

He knelts to the ground and pulled out a ring and said...

"Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone.

I love you, and that's all I really know.

I talked to your dad - go pick out a white dress

It's a love story, baby, just say, 'Yes.'"

These excerpts reveal the plot of this song: the exposition occurs when we see two characters: a young woman and young man falling in love. The rising action occurs as the father forbids her from seeing the man and they continue see one another in secret. Finally, the climax occurs when the young man asks her to marry him and the two agree to make their love story come true.

Example 2

Minions have a goal to serve the most despicable master. Their rising action is their search for the best leader, the conflict being that they cannot keep one. Movie trailers encourage viewers to see the movie by showing the conflict but not the climax or resolution.

VII. Related Terms
Plot: The good army is about to face the evil army in a terrible battle. During this battle, the good army prevails and wins the war at last. After the war has ended, the two sides make piece and begin rebuilding the countryside which was ruined by the years-long war. Climax: The climax occurred when the good army defeated the bad army. Without this climax, the story would simply be a never-ending war between a good army and bad army, with no happy or sad ending in sight. Here, the climax is absolutely necessary for a meaningful story with a clear ending.
Outline

Many people use outlines which to create complex plots, or arguments in formal essays. In a story, an outline is a list of the scenes in the plot with brief descriptions. Like the skeleton is to the body, an outline is the framework upon which the rest of the story is built when it is written. In essays, outlines are used to help organize ideas into strong arguments and paragraphs that connect to each other in sensible ways.

Climax

The climax is considered the most important element of the plot. It contains the highest point of tension, drama, and change. The climax is when the conflict is finally faced and overcome. Without a climax, a plot does not exist.

For example, consider this simple plot:

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Plot: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net

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Clear definition and great examples of Plot. This article will show you the importance of Plot and how to use it. In a narrative or creative writing, a plot is the sequence of events that make up a story. The plot is the story, and more specifically, how the story develops, unfolds, and moves in time.

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A style of speaking or writing as dependent upon choice of words.

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AP English Language: Introduction to Diction

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A piece of writing or speech primarily intended to convey information or to explain; a detailed statement or explanation; an explanatory treatise.

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The section of a story that leads toward its climax.

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The decisive moment in a novel or play.

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What comes after the main climax and leads to the conclusion.

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The final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work.

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The main character that the story follows. The character that opposes the protagonist in some way.

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Where the story takes place and when it happens.

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The opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot)

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The beauty of conflict | Clair Canfield | TEDxUSU

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A psychological struggle within the mind of a literary or dramatic character, the resolution of which creates the plot's suspense.

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struggle between a literary or dramatic character and an outside force such as nature or another character, which drives the dramatic action of the plot

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A subject of discourse, discussion, meditation, or composition; topic.

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The study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language. The study of the patterns of formation of sentences and phrases from words. The rules or patterns so studied.

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The associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning. The explicit or direct meaning or set of meanings of a word or expression, as distinguished from the ideas or meanings associated with it or suggested by it; the association or set of associations that a word usually elicits for most speakers of a language, as distinguished from those elicited for any individual speaker because of personal experience.

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This video explains the difference between connotation and denotation. It is intended for use as direct instruction for a flipped classroom or as a supplemental material for remediation. It is aligned to the VASOL ELA7.4d: Identify Connotations. This is part of a larger lesson.

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Any sound considered with reference to its quality, pitch, strength, source, etc.

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A distinctive emotional quality or character.

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A device in the narrative of a motion picture, novel, etc., by which an event or scene taking place before the present time in the narrative is inserted into the chronological structure of the work.

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A narrative device in which suggestions or warnings about events to come are dropped or planted.

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Foreshadowing?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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A literary device in which parts of the sentence are grammatically the same, or are similar in construction.

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Parallelism: Explanation, Effects, Example | AP Lang Rhetorical Strategies

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A position or perspective from which something is considered or evaluated.

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The telling of a story in the grammatical first person, i.e. from the perspective of an "I,"

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A little-used technique of narrative in which the action is driven by a character ascribed to the reader, one known as you.

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The narrator reports the events that take place without knowing the motivations or thoughts of any of the characters.

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A narration style that gives the perspective of a single character.

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This is a common form of third-person narration in which the teller of the tale, who often appears to speak with the voice of the author himself, assumes an omniscient (all-knowing) perspective on the story being told.

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A figure of speech comparing two unlike things that is often introduced by like or as.

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A comparison between two things that are otherwise unrelated. A version of metaphor that extends over the course of multiple lines, paragraphs, or stanzas of prose or poetry.

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The attribution of personal qualities.

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A figure of speech that is an intentional exaggeration for emphasis or comic effect.

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It is the idea that things represent other things.

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Symbolism?": A Literary Guide for English Teachers and Students

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A rhetorical term that describes words or phrases that, when placed together, create paradoxes or contradictions.

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is an Oxymoron?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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The substitution of a less offensive or agreeable expression for an expression that may offend or suggest something unpleasant.

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A brief but purposeful references, within a literary text, to a person, place, event, or to another work of literature.

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is an Allusion?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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The repetition of vowel sounds across a line of text or poetry.

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What are Assonance and Consonance?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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Alliteration is the repetition of the same sound at the start of a series of words in succession whose purpose is to provide an audible pulse that gives a piece of writing a lulling, lyrical, and/or emotive effect.

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Oregon State University - School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Alliteration?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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A trite phrase or expression.

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A cliché (pronounced 'klee-SHAY') is a saying, image, or idea which has been used so much that it sounds terribly uncreative. The word "cliché" was originally French for the sound of a printing plate, which prints the same thing over and over. Using clichés is considered bad writing and speaking because they make it sound like you didn't put any thought into your words. Good writers and speakers try to use thoughtful and original language rather than clichés in their work. Synonyms for cliché include platitudes and banalities.

II. Examples of Cliché

Because clichés are, by definition, common and overused, they can be found frequently but you may not notice them because we take them for granted. Here are a few examples:

This image of a cloud starts with a common cliché:
Every cloud has a silver lining
Which means that even in a bad situation, you can usually find something good.

The rest of the cloud is made of other popular clichés:

"Diamond in the rough": something or somebody with a lot of potential.

"Going bananas!": going crazy.

"Easy as pie": very easy.

"Cold as ice": very cold or not friendly.

"Take a chill pill": to relax.

"Don't judge a book by its cover": don't judge something based on its appearance.

"Driving me crazy!": annoying somebody to the point of almost insanity.

"Kid in a candy store": feeling happy about the things that surround you.

"Light as a feather": very very light.

"Happily ever after": the ending of all fairy tale romances, this is a typical ending where everybody is happy for the rest of their lives.

"When pigs fly!": something that is very unlikely to happen.

To describe falling in love:
She fell head over heels.
Another common characteristic of clichés is that they tend to simplify and dramatize. Rather than admitting that a story may not always have happiness or explaining that serious love takes time to develop, these clichés make the writing seem shallow and therefore un-interesting.

Clichés are sometimes ideas, images, or characters, rather than phrases. Here are a few examples of cliché characters:

"The Damsel in Distress": a young attractive woman who is incompetent and in need of someone else to rescue her.

"The Superhero": the man who saves the Damsel in Distress, often incredibly strong and good looking!

"Brooding Bad Boy": the boy from 'the other side of the tracks,' who needs someone caring to lead him to a better life.

"The Good Girl": the girl who saves the Brooding Bad Boy with her kindness and good heart.

III. The Importance of Cliché

Clichés are important because they express ideas and thoughts that are widespread and common within a culture, hence the phrase "cliché but true." Yet in our culture, we tend to dislike clichés because we place a high value on creativity, originality, and cleverness, rather than on repetition and using other people's words. Not all cultures feel this way though; in China, it is considered good to use clichés because Chinese culture places a higher value on tradition and looks down on individuality. But even in our culture, clichés are still very common in popular books, poems, movies, television shows, speeches, and advertisements.

IV. Examples of Clichés in Literature

It is important to remember that every cliché was once original and became overused only because it was such a popular idea at first. So, many clichés come from classic works.

Many clichés have their origins in classics like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet:
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
This cliché is from Juliet's speech in which she claims that it does not matter that Romeo comes from her family's enemy house, the Montague. Like many Shakespeare quotes, this phrase was so creative when Shakespeare wrote it, that now other people have overused it-to mean that the names of things are not important compared to their qualities.
Forever and a day
This cliché is also derived from Shakespeare, as it first appeared in The Taming of the Shrew. Countless clichés were coined by Shakespeare, including:

All that glitters is not gold - (The Merchant of Venice)"

Jealousy is the green-eyed monster - (Othello)"

Melted into thin air - (The Tempest)

And many more. It is a compliment for a writer's work to become a cliché, but it is an insult to be accused of writing something cliché.

V. Examples of Cliché in Pop Culture

Although clichés should usually be avoided, they can be used for comedic effect or in works where originality and deep thought are not expected such as television shows, advertisements, and movies like romantic comedies and superhero blockbusters.

Conversely, the Old Spice commercials become funny by using the cliché of the perfect man, one often used in men's commercials:

Hello, ladies.
Look at your man.
Now back to me. Now back at your man. Now back to me.
Sadly, he isn't me.
But if he stopped using lady scented body wash...
...and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like he's me.
Look down. Back up. Where are you?
You're on a boat with the man your man could smell like.
What's in your hand? Back at me.
I have it.
It's an oyster with two tickets to that thing you love.
Look again. The tickets are now diamonds.
Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady.
I'm on a horse.

And clichés are still alive and well in popular movies ("alive and well" is a cliché!). Consider the movie The Last Song:

" It is a story of second chances, first loves, and the moments in life that lead us back home. "

This movie is complete with the brooding teenage daughter, the father figure looking for a second chance, and the rambunctious younger brother, who is there just to provide comic relief. These are all clichés.
This movie may be cliché, but many people still enjoy it. For this reason, cliché is a matter of taste; critics may not like clichés, but they can still be part of enjoyable entertainment.

VI. Related Terms

Cliché vs. Archetype

An archetype is an image or character which is used over and over in literature and art and may not seem cliché because it represents a universal truth about life or a universal aspect of human psychology. The line between an archetype and a cliché is thin: both archetypes and clichés are frequently found in compositions. Whereas clichés are considered overused and unwanted, archetypes are accepted and only cliché if they are represented in cliché images and words.

One such archetype is the hero-- Superman, Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, Jesus. This archetype is so common throughout history and all over the world that you would think it would be cliché, but it has such psychological appeal and depth, and makes for such good stories, that we don't care how cliché it is. Archetypes, unlike clichés, provide a frame for a character or story which is then shaped and presented in an original way by the storyteller.

VII. In Closing

Clichés are, by definition, prevalent phrases or ideas in literature, advertisements, and numerous other forms. They are common in romance novels, parodies, and television. Although critics advise against clichés, they remain popular.

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Clichés: Definition and Examples | LiteraryTerms.net

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Clear Clichés examples and definition. This article will also show you the importance of Clichés and how to use it. A cliché is a saying or idea which has been so overused that it has lost the power of its original meaning.

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A widely used saying or expression that contains a figurative meaning that is different from the phrase's literal meaning.

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Idioms | Award Winning Teaching Video | What Is An Idiom? | Figurative Language

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Puns involve words with similar or identical sounds but with different meanings.

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Pun | Figure of Speech | Pun Examples and with Explanation | Pun Literary Device |English Literature

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Irony often stems from an unanticipated response (verbal irony) or an unexpected outcome (situational irony).

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OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film

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"What is Irony?": A Literary Guide for English Students and Teachers

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The speaker intends to be understood as meaning something that contrasts with the literal or usual meaning of what he says.

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What is verbal irony? - Christopher Warner

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The irony of something happening that is very different to what was expected.

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A literary device by which the audience's or reader's understanding of events or individuals in a work surpasses that of its characters.

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The art of persuasion through communication.

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What Is Rhetoric?: Study Hall Writing Composition #10: ASU + Crash Course

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The character or emotions of a speaker or writer that are expressed in the attempt to persuade an audience.

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The appeal to emotion.

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The appeal to logic.

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The act of creating and describing characters in literature.

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Author directly states how a character acts or looks.

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The author showing the audience what kind of person a character is through the character's thoughts, words, and deeds.

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One that does not undergo important change in the course of the story, remaining essentially the same at the end.

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A character who undergoes some important change in the course of the story.

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A two-dimensional in that they are relatively uncomplicated and do not change throughout the course of a work.

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A deep and layered character in a story.