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1. Plot: The plot of the story is that a student from the UK........

2. Theme: The theme is......

3. Character: There are three main characters.....

4. Point of view: .....

5. Setting: .....

6. Symbolism:...

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Week 7 Example Script: Charlie's Video Diary

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Week 7 Example Script: Charlie's Video Diary

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[INTRODUCTION]

‘Camera fades in on Charlie sitting in his bedroom, dim lighting. He looks contemplative.’

Charlie:

"Hey, it's Charlie. I guess this is my first video diary. I'm not really sure what to say... Today was tough. I thought about my Aunt Helen a lot. It still feels weird without her. I miss her."

[PERSONAL REFLECTION]

‘Charlie looks down, fiddling with a bracelet on his wrist.’

Charlie:

"So, school was... okay. I had lunch with Sam and Patrick. They really make me feel like I belong, you know? But sometimes, I feel like I don’t fit in, even with them. Like, when they talk about their lives, I feel so different. I can’t shake off the feeling that I’m just a wallflower, watching everyone else live."

‘He pauses, taking a deep breath.’

Charlie:

"And then there’s this girl, Sam. I think I’m starting to like her more than just a friend. But I don’t even know how to tell her. What if it ruins our friendship? I just wish I could be brave enough to say something."

[CONCLUSION]

‘Charlie looks directly into the camera, his expression more serious.’

Charlie:

"I guess I just want to feel like I matter. I wish I could be someone who isn’t afraid all the time. Anyway, I’m going to try to write some more letters, like I used to. Maybe that’ll help. Thanks for listening."

‘Camera fades out.’

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Please study the following resources before the Week 1 lessons. You are expected to write some notes while studying the resources.

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The Elements of Fiction (and the most important one)

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Symbolism describes the use of concrete images to convey abstract ideas. Because this literary device is widely open to interpretation, and because many readers form different relationships to concrete objects, this is one of the more slippery elements of literature to both understand and convey to an audience. Nonetheless, understanding symbolism, and knowing what is a symbol, are crucial to writing good poetry and prose.

What makes symbolism particularly tricky is understanding how an image is being employed in the text. For example, fire can represent destruction and evil, but it can also represent regrowth and the cycles of life. So, this article demystifies the complexities of symbolism in literature. Along the way, we'll look at symbolism examples in poetry and fiction, before moving towards how to represent abstract ideas in your work.

What is symbolism in literature, and how do you wield it? Let's define this slippery concept.

Symbolism Definition: What is Symbolism in Literature?

Symbolism refers to the use of representational imagery: the writer employs an image with a deeper, non-literal meaning, for the purpose of conveying complex ideas.

In literature, symbolism is the use of a concrete image to represent an abstract idea.

For example, the heart is often employed as a symbol of love. Obviously, love is more complex and full-bodied-it doesn't just sit in the chest-but we constantly refer to a loving person as "having a big heart," or a person who lost their love as "heartbroken."

Sometimes, a symbol is the stepping stone for an extended metaphor. If the heart represents love, what does it mean when a heart is iced over, or two hearts beat in the same chest, or someone has the heart of a deer? While a good symbol can certainly stand on its own, it also creates opportunities to play with ideas in a way that abstract language prevents us from doing.

That said, a symbol is not a metaphor. Symbolism uses a relevant image to convey a relevant idea, whereas a metaphor compares two seemingly unrelated items. Unlike metaphors and similes, symbolism employs a symbolic image repeatedly through the text, with the intent of being a central image and idea of the text.

What is a Symbol?

The trickiest part of understanding symbolism in literature is knowing which images are symbols, and why. To answer this, we must first dive deeper into the images themselves. What is a symbol?

A symbol is an image whose figurative meaning is much deeper than its literal one. It is an object, often ordinary and commonplace, that has been imbued with extraordinary significance.

What is a symbol: an image whose figurative meaning is much deeper than its literal one.

Some symbols are culturally specific. An example of a symbol that varies by culture is that of a marriage proposal. While many countries use engagement rings as a symbol of being betrothed, the people of Wales often uses " lovespoons" to signify one's partnership. In Thailand, a marriage proposal might be signified by a thong mun -gifts made out of gold.

Other symbols are either more universal, or else easily inferred from the text. For example, in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a green light represents all that is unreachable to Jay Gatsby. He sees a green light on the other side of the sound, where his love interest, Daisy, lives. Not only is Daisy unreachable, but so is everything she and the green light represents: the (perceived) stability and decadence of the American Dream.

Perhaps there is also symbolism in the color green itself: it is the color of money, and the "go" color of stoplights. This last interpretation is certainly laden with irony, because chasing his dreams is exactly what kills Jay Gatsby.

Because the green light is so far away from Jay, and because he's never able to touch it (or Daisy, for that matter), it obviously represents some sort of unreachability. Because this image recurs throughout the novel, it is a clear example of symbolism-so much so, that the green light has become nearly universally understood, to the point that Lorde has a song inspired by the symbol.

Symbolism Examples

Symbolism operates slightly differently in poetry than in prose, primarily because of the differences in word choice and length in poetry vs prose. A symbol tends to recur in prose, in such a way that it becomes a motif or builds towards a broader theme. Each recurrence of the symbol complicates the idea that the image represents.

Because poetry tends to be shorter, it also tends to employ symbols more economically. Symbolism in poetry may be harder to interpret or understand, as the poem does not provide as much context for the reader, and thus requires the reader to make more inferences and interpretations.

As such, we'll look at symbolism examples differently in prose and poetry. The below symbolism examples come from published works of literature.

Symbolism in Literature

"Big Mother" by Anya Ow
Read this short story here, in Strange Horizons.
Central symbol: Big Mother, a mythical snakehead fish.

What it represents: The loss of childhood innocence.

Symbolism examples in the text: Catching snakehead fish seems to be a rite of passage into adulthood: the oldest boy is obsessed with catching them. What's more, when an uncle finds out that the children have caught snakeheads, he trusts them with his favorite rod. When the oldest boy misses out on catching Big Mother, he becomes obsessed with capturing this symbol of adulthood. Then, when he does catch Big Mother, she ensnares him. The only way to ensure the oldest boy's safety is to bargain their current lives for their future ones.

Analysis: Big Mother represents the complicated relationship people have to adulthood. The children all glorify her at first, but the eldest children realize the sacrifice they must make to save themselves from her wrath. This darkens the moods of the eldest children, as they come to understand the permanence of adulthood, the fragility of innocence. What at first seems mystical and fantastic about the real world is actually laden with terror.

The fact that the river is paved over further complicates this theme. While the characters are saved from the fate they sealed, they also catapult further into a world that replaces magic and mystery with the practical and mundane.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare
You can read the full play here, from Project Gutenberg.
HAMLET: Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kiss'd I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning? Quite chop-fallen? Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must come. Make her laugh at that.

[later]

HAMLET: No, faith, not a jot. But to follow him thither with modesty enough, and likelihood to lead it; as thus. Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam; and why of that loam whereto he was converted might they not stop a beer-barrel?

Imperious Caesar, dead and turn'd to clay,
Might stop a hole to keep the wind away.
O, that that earth which kept the world in awe
Should patch a wall t'expel the winter's flaw.
But soft! but soft! aside! Here comes the King.The Queen, the courtiers. Who is that they follow?
And with such maimed rites? This doth betoken
The corse they follow did with desperate hand
Fordo it own life. 'Twas of some estate.
Couch we awhile and mark.

Symbol: Yorick's skull.

What it represents: The inherent meaninglessness of life.

Symbolism examples in the text: Although many symbols recur through their texts, this symbol occurs exactly once. In Act V Scene I, Prince Hamlet comes across the skull of Yorick, his former jester. This encounter occurs towards the end of the play, after Hamlet's depression, nihilism, and helplessness have radically altered his perspective of the world.

Analysis: Hamlet's contemplation of Yorick's skull reveals his belief that our lives are inherently meaningless. That Yorick used to make people laugh matters little, because now he can make people laugh no more. He is fated to the same end that the likes of Alexander and Caesar were fated towards, too. Hamlet's contemplation here is especially meaningful, given that he is trying to avenge his father's murder. Because he is visited by his father's ghost, Hamlet tries to believe that a person's life can have meaning after death; but, his father cannot avenge himself, so what meaning is there left to have, unless we, the living, remind ourselves of it?

It is strange to have an important symbol occupy such a small space in as long a text as Hamlet. The importance of this symbol stems partially from its endurance in pop culture: Yorick's skull has inspired many novels, poems, songs, and works of art. Additionally, it is a memento mori, or reminder of death, which is a prominent theme in European artwork in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The full text of Jane Eyre can be retrieved here, from Project Gutenberg.
Symbol: The Red Room.

What it represents: The childhood obstacles Jane must overcome to achieve a life of happiness and freedom.

Symbolism examples in the text: We encounter the Red Room in Chapter 2. Jane is locked inside the Red Room by her unfair aunt after Jane stands up for herself against John Reed, her cousin. The Red Room is also where Jane's uncle died. Jane and her cousins believe that the room is haunted by this uncle, so when Jane is locked inside, she first focuses on the injustice of it all, but then becomes so consumed by fear, and by her belief that her uncle might rise up from the dead, that she blacks out. Jane references this episode several times later in the novel, often to reflect on her journey.

Analysis: The color red is no accident: it represents anger, passion, fear, and intensity. Jane experiences all of this when her aunt imprisons her at only ten years old. The obvious symbolism here is that pure, righteous Jane is imprisoned inside the angry, intense wrath of her unloving family, but the novel encourages us to explore this further. The Red Room represents Jane's ambivalent relationships to adults: they are always authoritarian, always ready to punish, and always ready to trap Jane inside their own worst impulses.

One possible interpretation of the color red is that it represents period blood, and thus the transition from childhood to adulthood. Jane is forced to be an adult before she's ready, maturely handling the emotions of other adults when she's still an innocent child.

Madeleine Wood argues that the Red Room continues to affect Jane, because her relationships to adults as a child manifests itself in her relationships to men as an adult. Remember, the society Jane grew up in was heavily patriarchal: grown women had to always defer to men as authorities. Yet, Jane desires freedom more than anything else, both as a child and as an adult, so the institutions of marriage and the patriarchy fundamentally challenge her freedoms. When she reflects on the Red Room as an adult, it is always juxtaposed to her relationship with a man. She even thinks about the Red Room after walking out on Rochester, an important suitor of hers in the novel.

Only when Jane is comfortable with herself and confident in her freedom is she able to find love and happiness, thus overcoming the burden symbolized by the Red Room.

Symbolism in Poetry

"My Heart Leaps Up" by William Wordsworth
Retrieved here, from Academy of American Poets.
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky:
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I shall grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.

Here's an example of poetry with symbolism in which the symbol is employed only once, but very effectively. The rainbow represents the kind of natural beauty that children are best at admiring. If you remember observing nature as a child, you might remember being moved by a rainbow, or by a forest, or a desert, or by any number of beautiful things that abound on this Earth. Wordsworth asserts that "The Child is father of the Man" precisely because children are inspired by natural beauty in a way that adults are not. We have much to learn from kids and their relationship to our planet, and as an adult, this poem's speaker hope to worship this beauty-"bound each [day] to each [day] by natural piety."

"City Lake" by Chelsea DesAutels
Retrieved here, from The Slowdown.
Almost dusk. Fishermen packing up their bait,
a small girl singing there's nothing in here nothing in here
casting a yellow pole, glancing at her father.
What is it they say about mercy? Five summers ago
this lake took a child's life. Four summers
ago it saved mine, the way the willows stretch
toward the water but never kiss it, how people laugh
as they walk the concrete path or really have it out
with someone they love. One spring the path teemed
with baby frogs, so many flattened, so many jumping.
I didn't know a damn thing then. I thought I was waiting
for something to happen. I stepped carefully
over the dead frogs and around the live ones.
What was I waiting for? Frogs to rain from the sky?
A great love? The little girl spies a perch
just outside her rod's reach. She wants to wade in.
She won't catch the fish and even if she does
it might be full of mercury. Still, I want her
to roll up her jeans and step into the water,
tell her it's mercy, not mud, filling each impression
her feet make. I'm not saying she should
be grateful to be alive. I'm saying mercy
is a big dark lake we're all swimming in.

This poem tells you precisely what the central symbol represents: the lake symbolizes mercy. Yet, the two have no easy relationship, and the poem constantly complicates the concept of mercy itself. Rather than highlight the grace of mercy-how wonderful it is to be saved-this poem reminds us that mercy is just a form of chance: random with whom it saves and with whom it doesn't. No matter how well the narrator "steps carefully" through the lake, she can never predict how and why anyone receives mercy.

"Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson
Retrieved here, from Poetry.
This poem employs a lot of symbols, most notably in the third stanza. The images used each signify a different stage of life. The school represents childhood. The fields of gazing grain represent adulthood-grain is fertile, in its prime, and it "gazes" upwards towards the sky. The setting sun represents old age. Though each of these symbols are employed only once, they are certainly evocative in the context of Death personified, as the poem suggests each of us are on a horse drawn carriage towards the afterlife.

Universal Symbolism: Does it Exist?

The theorist Erich Fromm divides symbolism into three categories: conventional, accidental, and universal symbolism.

Conventional S ymbolism is closely related to concrete imagery. Essentially, it is the use of images which everyone in a particular language can understand. When I say "light bulb," you imagine some sort of glass bulb with a filament inside. We might have different mental images, but we agree on the same meaning. This is a non-interpretive form of symbolism, and in semiotics, we're essentially referring to the sign, signifier, and signified.

Accidental S ymbolism might be best described as specific to a certain person. We form relationships to objects all the time: some positive, some negative. A character might form a specific relationship to an object, and that relationship will continue to affect this character throughout the story. For example, let's say your character won the lottery using a $5 bill they found on the street. They might assume that every time they find a $5, something lucky is about to happen, making that $5 bill a symbol of luck.

Finally, Universal Symbolism refers to images which, over time, have developed a symbolic meaning that we all instantly recognize. These symbols are understood across time and culture: a heart represents love, the sky represents limitlessness, and a fire represents power-or destruction, or rebirth, depending on how it's employed.

However, don't be misled by the word "universal"-it is better to see these categories as postmarks along a spectrum, as few, if any, symbols would actually be understood by every person in the world.

Additionally, don't assume that "universal" is automatically better. Because these symbols are well understood, they are also often cliché. It is important to employ imagery in fresh, interesting ways, using the context of your work to discover new and surprising relationships between images and ideas. Often, using a poem or story to expand upon the accidental symbols (of your life or the lives of your characters) will result in more impactful imagery.

Lastly, you may be interested in the idea of the " objective correlative." An objective correlative is a device that makes an abstract idea concrete in the context of a piece of literature. An obvious example of this is the mirror in The Picture of Dorian Gray, which represents Dorian's soul as it becomes corrupted by vanity. T. S. Eliot, who popularized the term, argues that a work of literature should arrange images and symbols precisely so that they evoke a certain meaning without telling us the meaning itself. It is, in essence, a way to exercise show, don't tell.

Wielding Symbolism in Your Writing

Here's some advice for employing symbolism in literature:

1. Be concrete. Use images that are easy to visualize and grounded in everyday reality.

2. Be specific. Show the reader exactly what the symbol looks like. The more physical detail you provide, the easier it is to explore the complexities of what your symbol represents.

3. Prefer the accidental to the universal. There's no problem with employing universal symbolism, but you should have at least one accidental symbol in your work, as it will often reveal the most about the story or poem you write.

4. Be spontaneous. Don't write with symbolism in mind, just employ imagery tactfully. Writers often don't realize what their work means until after they've written and revised it; trying to muscle meaning into your work might limit the work's possibilities.

5. Don't overthink it. There's no "perfect image" to represent any particular idea. We all forge our own relationships to different objects. Sure, the heart can represent love. So can the dining table, a lightning strike, the stomach, the ocean, or a pair of shoes.

Make Your Writing Symbolic at Writers.com

Whether you write poetry or prose, the instructors at Writers.com are masters of imagery and symbolism. Receive the benefits of focused feedback and a friendly writing community in any of our upcoming creative writing classes.

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Symbolism in Literature: What Symbolism Is, and How to Use It In Your Writing Finding Meaning in Images | Writers.com

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What is symbolism in literature? Writers use this device to represent abstract ideas in concrete language. Learn more about symbolism here.

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Different Types of Point of View Writing | EIW

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From first person to third person, learn the different types of point of view writing and why it is important for your homeschool student.

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The plot of a story defines the sequence of events that propels the reader from beginning to end. Storytellers have experimented with the plot of a story since the dawn of literature. No matter what genre you write, understanding the possibilities of plot structure, as well as the different types of plot, will help bring your stories to life.

So, what is plot? Is there a difference between plot vs. story? What plot devices can you use to surprise the reader? And how does plot relate to the story itself?

In this article, we go over the elements of plot, different plot structures to use in your work, and the many possibilities of narrative structuring.

But first, what is the plot of a story? Let's investigate in detail.

Plot Definition: What is the Plot of a Story?

The plot of a story is the sequence of events that shape a broader narrative, with every event causing or affecting each other. In other words, story plot is a series of causes-and-effects which shape the story as a whole.

What is plot?: A series of causes-and-effects which shape the story as a whole.

Plot is not merely a story summary: it must include causation. The novelist E. M. Forster sums it up perfectly:

"The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then the queen died of grief, is a plot." -E. M. Forster

In other words, the premise doesn't become a plot until the words "of grief" adds causality. Without including "of grief" in the sentence, the queen could have died for any number of reasons, like assassination or suicide. Grief not only provides plot structure to the story, it also introduces what the story's theme might be.

Elements of Plot

The plot of a story must include the following elements:

Causation: one event causes another, and that cause-and-effect unleashes a whole chain of plot points which formulate the story.

Characters: stories are about people, so a plot must introduce the main players of the plot.

Conflict: a plot must involve people with competing interests or internal conflicts, because without conflict, there is no story or themes.

Combining these elements of plot creates the structure of the story itself. Let's take a look at those plot structures now, because there are many different ways to organize the story's events.

Plot is people. Human emotions and desires founded on the realities of life, working at cross purposes, getting hotter and fiercer as they strike against each other until finally there's an explosion-that's Plot. -Leigh Brackett

Some Common Plot Structures

There are many ways to develop the plot of a story, and writers have been experimenting with plot structures for millennia. Consider the following structures as you attempt to write your own stories, as they may help you find a solution to the problems you encounter in your story writing.

Plot Structures: Aristotle's Story Triangle

The oldest recorded discussion of plot structures comes from Aristotle's Poetics (circa 335 B.C.). In Poetics, Aristotle represents the plot of a story as a narrative triangle, suggesting that stories provide linear narratives that resolve certain conflicts in three parts: a beginning, middle, and end.

To Aristotle, the beginning should exist independent of any prior events: it should be a self-sustaining unit of the story without prompting the reader to ask "why?" or "how?" The middle should be a logical continuation of the events from the beginning, expanding upon the story's conflicts and tragedies. Finally, the end should provide a neat resolution, without suggesting further events.

Obviously, many stories complicate this basic plot triangle, and it lacks some of the finer details of plot structure. One way that Aristotle has been developed further is through Freytag's Pyramid.

Plot Structures: Freytag's Pyramid

Freytag's Pyramid builds upon Aristotle's Poetics by expanding the structural elements of plot. This pyramid consists of five discrete parts:

Exposition: The beginning of the story, introducing main characters, settings, themes, and the author's own style.

Rising Action: This begins after the inciting incident, which is the event that kicks off the story's main conflict. Rising Action follows the cause-and-effect plot points once the main conflict is established.

Climax: The moment in which the story's conflict peaks, and we learn the fate of the main characters.

Falling Action: The main characters react to and contend with the Climax, processing what it means for their lives and futures.

Denouement: The end of the story, wrapping up any loose ends that haven't been wrapped up in the Falling Action. Some Denouements are open ended.

For more on Freytag's Pyramid, check out our article. https://writers.com/freytags-pyramid

Plot Structures: Nigel Watts' 8 Point Arc

A further expansion of Freytag's Pyramid, the 8 Point Arc is Nigel Watts' contribution to the study of narratology. Watts contends that a story must pass through 8 discrete plot points:

1. Stasis: The everyday life of the protagonist, which becomes disrupted by the story's inciting incident, or "trigger."

2. Trigger: Something beyond the protagonist's control sets the story's conflict in motion.

3. The quest: Akin to the rising action, the quest is the protagonist's journey to contend with the story's conflict.

4. Surprise: Unexpected but plausible moments during the quest that complicate the protagonist's journey. A surprise might be an obstacle, complication, confusion, or internal flaw that the protagonist didn't predict.

5. Critical choice: Eventually, the protagonist must make a complicated, life-altering decision. This decision will reveal the protagonist's true character, and it will also radically alter the events of the story.

6. Climax: The result of the protagonist's critical choice, the climax determines the consequences of that choice. It is the apex of tension in the story.

7. Reversal: This is the protagonist's reaction to the climax. Reversal should alter the protagonist's status, whether that status is their place in society, their outlook on life, or their own death.

8. Resolution: The return to a new stasis, in which a new life goes forth from the ashes of the story's conflict and climax.

If the plot of a story passes through each of these moments in order, the author has built a complete narrative.

Watts expands upon this plot structure in his book Write a Novel and Get It Published.

Plot Structures: Save the Cat

The Save the Cat plot structure was developed by screenwriter Blake Snyder. Although it primarily deals with screenplays, it maps out story structure in such a detailed way that its many elements can be incorporated into all types of stories.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, we'll point you to the great breakdown of Save the Cat, including a worksheet you can use to draft your own story. Find it here, at Reedsy.

Plot Structures: The Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey is a plot structure originally crafted by Joseph Campbell. Campbell argued that the plot of a story has three main acts, with each act corresponding to the necessary journey a hero must undergo in order to be the hero.

Those three parts are: Stage 1) The Departure Act (the hero leaves their everyday life); Stage 2) The Initiation Act (the hero undergoes various conflicts in an unknown land); and Stage 3) The Return Act (the hero returns, radically altered, to their original home).

In his screenwriting textbook The Writer's Journey, Christopher Vogler expands these three stages into a 12 step process. To Vogler, the hero's journey must pass through these parts:

The Departure Act

1. The Ordinary World: We meet our hero in their mundane, everyday reality.

2. Call to Adventure: The hero is confronted with a challenge which, if they accept it, forces them to leave their ordinary world.

3. Refusing the Call: Recognizing the dangers of adventure, the hero will, if not reject the call, at least demure or hesitate while considering the many probable ways it will go wrong.

4. Meeting the Mentor: The hero decides to go on the adventure, but they are much too inexperienced to survive. A mentor accompanies the hero to help them be smart and strong enough for the journey.

The Initiation Act

1. Crossing the Threshold: By leaving for their adventure, the hero crosses a liminal threshold. They cannot go back, and if they return home, they won't return the same.

2. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The hero enters a strange new world, with unfamiliar rules and dangers. They also encounter allies and enemies that broaden and complicate the story's conflicts.

3. Approach (to the Inmost Cave): The "inmost cave" is the locus of the journey's worst dangers-think of the dragon's lair in Beowulf or the White Witch's castle in The Chronicles of Narnia. The hero is approaching this cave, though must locate it and build strength.

4. Ordeal: This is the hero's biggest test (thus far). Sometimes the climax (but not always), the ordeal forces the hero to face their biggest fears, and it often occurs when the hero receives unexpected news. This is a low point for the hero.

5. Reward: The hero receives whatever reward they gain from their ordeal, whether that reward is a material possession, greater knowledge, someone's freedom, or the resolution of the hero's internal conflict.

The Return Act

1. The Road Back: The hero ventures back home, though their newfound reward raises additional dangers, many of which stem from the Inmost Cave.

2. Resurrection: The main antagonist returns for one final fight against the hero. This is a test of whether the hero has truly learned their lesson and undergone significant character development; it is also the other climax of the story. The hero comes closest to death here (if they don't actually die).

3. The Return: The elixir is whatever reward the hero accrued, whether that be knowledge or material wealth. Regardless, the hero returns home a changed person, and their return home highlights the many ways in which the hero has changed-both for better and worse.

Plot Structures: Fichtean Curve

The Fichtean Curve was originally crafted for pulp and mystery stories, though it can certainly apply to stories in other genres. Described extensively by John Gardner in The Art of Fiction, the Fichtean Curve argues that a story plot has three parts: a rising action, a climax, and a falling action.

In the Fichtean Curve, the rising action comprises about ⅔ of the entire story. Moreover, the rising action isn't linear. Rather, a series of escalating and de-escalating conflicts slowly pushes the story towards its climax.

If you've ever read one of Agatha Christie's murder mysteries, then you're already familiar with the Fichtean Curve. In Murder on the Orient Express, for example, Hercule Poirot continues to stoke the flames of the story's many suspects: he uncovers every passenger's flaws, insecurities, and secrets, each time generating a little more conflict, and each time narrowing down the murderer until the story's explosive climax.

What is Plot Without Conflict?

In a moment, we'll look at some common plot devices that authors use to keep their stories fresh and engaging. But first, let's discuss a central element of all plots: conflict. Is it always essential to good storytelling? What is plot without conflict?

First, let's define conflict. Conflict is not necessarily two characters bickering, although that's certainly an example. Conflict refers to the opposing forces acting against a character's goals and interests. Sometimes, that conflict is external: an enemy, bureaucracy, society, etc. Other times, the conflict is internal: traumas, illogical ways of thinking, character flaws, etc.

Typically, conflict is the engine of the story. It's what incites the inciting incident. It's what keeps the rising action rising. The climax is the final product of the conflict, and the denouement decides the outcome of that conflict. The plot of a story relies on conflict to keep the pages turning.

So, a word of advice: if you're developing a story plot, but don't know where to go, always return to conflict. Each scene should stoke a conflict forward, even if the conflict isn't readily apparent just yet. Anything that doesn't explore, expand, or resolve the elements of a story's conflict is likely wasting the reader's time.

If you're developing a story plot, but don't know where to go, always return to conflict.

Before we move on, it's worth noting that the centrality of conflict in plot in literature is a very Western notion. Some forms of storytelling don't rely on conflict. The Eastern story structure Kishōtenketsu, for example, involves characters reacting to random external situations, rather than generating and resolving their own conflicts. A conflict might be featured in this kind of storytelling, but the story engine is the characters themselves, their own complexities and dilemmas, and how they survive in a world they can't control.

To learn more about conflict in story plot, check out our article:

What is Conflict in a Story? Definition and Examples

Common Plot Devices

The plot of a story is influenced by many factors. While plot structures give the framework for the story itself, the author must employ plot devices to keep the story moving, otherwise the rising action will never become a climax.

These plot devices ensure that your reader will keep reading, and that your story will deepen and complicate the themes it seeks to engage.

Aristotle's Plot Devices

In Poetics, Aristotle describes three plot devices which are essential to most stories. These are:

1. Anagnorisis (Recognition)

Luke, I am your father! Anagnorisis is the moment in which the protagonist goes from ignorance to knowledge. Often preceding the story's climax, anagnorisis is the key piece of information that propels the protagonist into resolving the story's conflict.

2. Pathos (Suffering)

Aristotle defines pathos as "a destructive or painful action." This can be physical pain, such as death or severe wounds, but it can also be an emotional or existential pain. Regardless, Aristotle contends that all stories confront extreme pain, and that this pain is essential for the propulsion of the plot. (This is different from the rhetorical device "pathos," in which a rhetorician seeks to appeal to the audience's emotions.)

3. Peripeteia (Reversal)

A peripeteia is a moment in which bad fortunes change to good, or good fortunes change to bad. In other words, this is a reversal of the situation. Often accompanied by anagnorisis, peripeteia is often the outcome of the story's climax, since the climax decides whether the protagonist's story ends in comedy or tragedy.

Plot Devices for Story Structure

The plot of a story will gain structure from the use of these devices.

Backstory

Backstory refers to important moments that have occurred prior to the main story. They happen before the story's exposition, and while they sometimes change the direction of the story, they more often provide historical parallels and key bits of characterization. Sometimes, a story will refer to its own backstory via flashback.

Deus Ex Machina

A deus ex machina occurs when the protagonist's fate is changed due to circumstances outside of their control. The Gods may intervene, the antagonist may suddenly perish, or the story's conflict resolves itself. Generally, deus ex machina is viewed as a "cop out" that prevents the protagonist from experiencing the full growth necessary to complete their journey. However, this risky device may pay off, especially in works of comedy or absurdism.

In Media Res

From the Latin "in the middle of things," a story is "in media res" when it starts in the middle. On Page 1, word 1, the story starts somewhere in the middle of the rising action, hooking the reader in despite the lack of context. Eventually, the story will properly introduce the characters and take us to the beginning of the conflict, but "in media res" is one way to generate immediate interest in the story.

Plot Voucher

A plot voucher is something that is given to the protagonist for later use, except the protagonist doesn't know yet that they will use it. That "something" might be an item, a piece of information, or even a future allegiance with another person. Many times, a plot voucher is bequeathed before the story's conflict properly takes shape. For example, in the Harry Potter series, the Resurrection Stone is hidden in Harry's first golden snitch, making the snitch a plot voucher.

Plot Devices for Complicating the Story

What is the plot of a story, if not complicated? These plot devices bring your readers in for a wild ride.

Cliffhanger

A cliffhanger occurs when the story ends before the climax is resolved. Specifically, the story ends mid-climax so that the reader experiences the height of the story's tension, but doesn't see the outcome of the climax and the fate of the protagonist or conflict. Cliffhangers will generally occur when the story is part of a series, though it can also have literary merit. In One Thousand and One Nights, Scheherazade ends her stories on cliffhangers so that the king keeps postponing her execution.

MacGuffin

A MacGuffin is a plot device in which the protagonist's main desire lacks intrinsic value. In other words, the protagonist desires the MacGuffin, which causes the story's conflict, but the MacGuffin itself is actually valueless. Many times, the protagonist doesn't even obtain the MacGuffin, because they have learned what lessons they were supposed to learn from the chase. An example is the falcon statuette in The Maltese Falcon. This statuette is never obtained, but it drives the novel's many murders and double crossings.

Red Herring

A red herring is a distraction device in which the author misleads the reader (or other characters) with seemingly-relevant details. (The MacGuffin is a form of red herring.) Red herrings are primarily found in mystery and suspense stories, as they string the reader down different possibilities while distracting from the truth. Although this plot device can complicate the story and even build symbolism, it can also fracture the reader's trust in the author, so writers should use it sparingly and wisely. (This is slightly different from the logical fallacy "red herring," in which irrelevant information is used to distract the reader from a faulty argument.)

For more plot devices and storytelling techniques, take a look at our article The Art of Storytelling.
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8 Types of Plot in Literature

Certain types of plot recur throughout literature, especially in genre fiction. These stories build upon the previously mentioned plot devices, and they have their own tropes and archetypes which the author must fill to tell a complete story.

Some, but not all, of the following plots were originally defined by Christopher Booker in his work The Seven Basic Plots. (We've omitted some of the plots he mentions if they are rarely seen in contemporary literature.)

The plot of a story might take the following shapes:

1. Plot of a Story: Quest

Often resembling the Hero's Journey, a quest is a story in which the protagonist sets out from their homeland in search of something. They might be searching for treasure, for love, for the truth, for a new home, or for the solution to a problem. Often accompanied by other allies, and often embarking on this journey with hesitation, the protagonist comes back from their quest stronger, smarter, and irreversibly changed-if they make it back alive.

Examples of the quest include: The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Harry Potter Series.

2. Plot of a Story: Tragedy

A tragedy is a story of a well-meaning protagonist who, due to their flaws or shortcomings, fails to resolve the story's conflict. (The hero's tragic flaw is known as hamartia.) Tragedies often highlight the terrible circumstances that the protagonist finds themselves in, or the impossible moral quandaries that they must resolve (but don't). Readers come to love the tragic hero both despite and because of their flaws, and their inability to resolve the conflict often comes as a great moral or personal loss, even resulting in the protagonist's death.

Examples of the tragedy include: Romeo & Juliet by Shakespeare, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.

3. Plot of a Story: Rags to Riches

A rags to riches story involves a protagonist who goes from dire poverty to excessive wealth. In addition to navigating issues of class and identity, these stories often showcase the protagonist's inner world as they adjust to drastically new life circumstances. The plot of a rags to riches story will follow the protagonist's relationship to wealth, and the things that protagonist chases precisely because of that wealth.

Examples of the rags to riches include: Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The Count of Monte Cristo Alexandre Dumas, and Q & A by Vikas Swarup.

4. Plot of a Story: Story Within a Story

The story within a story, also known as an embedded narrative, one of the less-structured types of plot. Essentially, the author embeds a second story, complete with its own narrative and conflict, to bolster the progression of the main story. Embedded narratives often reflect the themes of the main narratives, but they can also complicate and challenge those themes, providing additional layers of meaning to the story. This is not to be confused with parallel plot, because the story within a story is an invention solely for the sake of advancing the main narrative, whereas a parallel plot has multiple, equally important narratives.

Examples of the story within a story include: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Hamlet by Shakespeare, Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld, and Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes.

5. Plot of a Story: Parallel Plot

A parallel plot is a story in which two or more concurrent plots are told side-by-side. Each plot influences the course of the other plot, even if those stories happen on opposite ends of the world. Every narrative that occurs in a parallel plot is equally vital to the story as a whole.

Examples of parallel plot include: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, Break the Bodies, Haunt the Bones by Micah Dean Hicks, The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, and In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.

6. Plot of a Story: Rebellion Against "The One"

A story of rebellion follows a hero who actively resists the oppressive force of an omnipotent antagonist. Despite working tirelessly to defeat that antagonist, the protagonist is ill-equipped to do so as a singular and powerless entity. So, the story often ends with the protagonist submitting to the antagonist, or else perishing altogether.

Examples of rebellion against "The One" include: 1984 by George Orwell, The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins, "Harrison Bergeron" by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

7. Plot of a Story: Anticlimax

The anticlimax is a story that details the falling action after a climax has already occurred. In other words, the anticlimax does not have a climax itself: the climax is merely provided as backstory, and the novel is dedicated to the events of the story's denouement. This not to be confused with the plot device anticlimax, which describes a story's resolution that is actually incredibly simple.

Examples of the anticlimax include: The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner, Encircling by Carl Frode Tiller, and Oryx & Crake by Margaret Atwood.

8. Plot of a Story: Voyage and Return

Stories of voyage and return involve protagonists who journey into strange worlds. Often, a story of "Quest" is also a story of voyage and return, but not always. For the protagonist to return home from their voyage, they must achieve some sort of daring act that resolves the story's conflict, such as finding treasure or vanquishing an antagonist. Both the voyage and the return teaches the protagonist life lessons and pushes them to make difficult decisions.

Examples of voyage and return include: The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, Candide by Voltaire, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Plot-Driven vs. Character-Driven Stories

A common distinction between different types of fiction is whether the story is "plot driven" or "character driven." This refers to whether the plot of a story defines the characters, or whether the characters define the plot of a story.

Specifically, this distinction is made to differentiate literary fiction vs. genre fiction. Generally, a piece of literary fiction will have the characters in control of the plot, as the story's plot points are built entirely off of the decisions that those characters make and the influences of those characters' personalities.

Genre fiction, by contract, tends to have predefined plot structures and archetypes, and the characters must fit into those structures in order to tell a complete story.

While this general distinction helps organize the qualities of fiction, don't treat them as absolutes. Literary fiction borrows plot devices from genre fiction all the time, and there are many examples of genre fiction that are character driven. Your story should build a working relationship between the characters and the plot, as both are essential elements of the storyteller's toolkit.

Your story should build a working relationship between the characters and the plot, as both are essential elements of the storyteller's toolkit.

Plot vs. Story

Finally, what is the difference between plot vs. story? The two terms are often used interchangeably, and indeed, something that affects the plot will usually affect the story. But, the two do not share the same precise definitions.

Plot definition: The story's series of events. Think of plot as the story's skeleton: it defines the What, When, and Where of the story, which allows for everything else (like characters and themes) to develop. What happens (and what is the cause-and-effect), when does it happen, and where is it happening?

Story definition: The entirety of the work, including its conflicts, themes, and messages. In addition to plot, the story answers questions of Who, Why, and How. Who is involved (and who are they psychologically), why does this conflict happen, and how do the characters resolve the conflict?

To learn more about writing a cogent story from a compelling plot, read our article on the topic.
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Plot vs. Story Venn Diagram

The differences between plot vs. story are summarized in the following Venn Diagram.

Explore the Plot of a Story at Writers.com

There are two types of storytellers: plotters and pantsers. A pantser "writes by the seat of their pants," making snap decisions about the story's events on the spot. Plotters map out everything in advance, setting up the plot of a story before setting down the first word.

Whether you're a plotter, a pantser, or anything in between, the courses at Writers.com can help! Plot your novel or simply write it in any of our upcoming writing classes.

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What is the Plot of a Story? Plot Structures & Devices | Writers.com

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What is the plot of a story? This mix of plot structures, devices, and tools help writers craft effective and meaningful stories.

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Please refer to the notes for your discussion.

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Step 1: Create a short story. Draw a mind map of the story by considering the following elements:

1. Plot

2. Theme

3. Character

4. Point of view

5. Setting

6. Symbolism

Step 2: Upload your mind map in your group's column.

Step 3: Give verbal or written feedback on the assigned group's work by analysing the use of the above 6 elements. Please include explanations for your comments.

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You will describe each of Erik Erikson’s eight stages of psychosocial development. For each stage, write 2-3 sentences for descriptions. Feel free to add your own insights and personal experiences where applicable.

Stage 1: Infancy

e.g. 1. During the first stage, infants learn to trust…….

2.

3.

Stage 2: Early Childhood

Stage 3: Preschool Age

Stage 4: School Age

Stage 5: Adolescence

Stage 6: Young Adulthood

Stage 7: Middle Adulthood

Stage 8: Late Adulthood

After completing your work, leave a comment on your assigned partner group's work.

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Step 1: Discuss the following questions and post some key points in your group’s column.

1. How does the use of multiple points of view enhance the story? Choose specific chapters and characters to illustrate your points.

2. In what ways does Auggie’s perspective differ from those of other characters, such as Via, Summer, or Julian? How does this affect the reader's understanding of the plot?

3. How do the different perspectives help convey the book's themes of acceptance and empathy?

Step 2: After understanding the character's various points of view, what would you say to August if you were his classmate? Make a short recording (40 seconds to 1 minute) and post it in your group’s column.

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1.      Each team should choose a character from the book, such as Charlie, Sam, or Patrick. Select a character you find intriguing or relatable.

2.      Reread key passages that showcase the chosen character's personality, struggles, and relationships.

3.      Take notes on important quotes, events, and emotional moments that define the character. Focus on their thoughts, feelings, and reactions throughout the story.

·         Write a 2-3 minute script, using the structure outlined below.

·         Aim for a conversational tone, as if the character is speaking directly to a close friend.

·         Incorporate quotes or references from the book to support the character's voice and experiences.

4.      Each group presents their script, followed by a brief Q&A where classmates can ask about the character’s motivations and experiences.

Script Structure:

- Organize the script into key sections:

-Introduction:

- Introduce the character, including their name and a brief description.

- Share their current emotional state and context (e.g., "Today has been tough...").

- Personal Reflection:

- Reflect on recent events that have impacted the character.

- Include thoughts on significant relationships (friends, family, love interests).

- Discuss any personal challenges or conflicts.

- Conclusion:

- Summarize their feelings and hopes or fears for the future.

- Pose a reflective question or a statement that invites further thought.

Reflection:

Discuss:

- What you learned about their character;

- How writing the script changed your perspective on the story; and

- Your thoughts on the script-writing process compared to traditional literary analysis.

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1. Plot: A young girl finds an old lantern in her grandmother's attic. The lantern reveals the visions of her family's past when it is lit. She must decide whether to keep it or let go of it to move on with her life.

2. Theme: The theme is about letting go the past memories and move on to embrace the future.

3. Point of view: The story will be focusing on Elara's thoughts and feelings so this story will be using third-person writing.

4. Character: Main character will be Elara, a curious 12 year-old girl. Supporting character is Elara's grandmother, a wise and protective person. Symbolic figure is the lantern itself which represents memory.

5. Setting: Main setting will be grandmother's attic. Secondary setting will be the flashbacks of family's history.

6. Symbolism: The lantern will be representing family heritage. The attic will be representing the forgotten past.

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1. ﻿﻿﻿Plot: The plot of the story is May and Chan are caught in a heavy rain on the way home. Paul shows empathy to shave big umbrella to them, so they all safe to place.

2. ﻿﻿﻿Theme: The theme is good people show good heart to be helpful.

3. ﻿﻿﻿Character: There are three main characters: May, Chan and Paul.

4. ﻿﻿﻿Point of view: first person: Chan

5. ﻿﻿﻿Setting: The setting is on the way home after school, with heavy rain suddenly.

6. ﻿﻿﻿Symbolism: The symbolism is to be helpful.

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Plot: Paul cheating on the exam, caught by Amy. James wants to help Peter, and Ada ignore it.

Theme: Exam, Cheating

Character: Paul, Amy, James, Ada

Point of view: First person

Setting: School, Classrom

Symbolism: Clock > Pressure

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1. Plot: Jelly and her firend(Fish) seeing someone throwing garbage. Then, they found that the night-luminescent Pearl inside castel were getting darker and darker. They thought that they should do something to save the Earth's environment.

2. Theme: Calling on the public protect the environment.

3. Character: Jelly(Jellyfish princess)& her friend(Fish).

4. Setting: Sea & Jellyfish castle in the sea.

5. Point of view: Third person

6. Symbolism: The light or dark of the night-luminescent Pearl representing the good or bad of the Earth's environment.

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"The Lost Puppy"

1. Plot

A young boy named Max finds a lost puppy in his neighborhood. He decides to take care of the puppy and search for its owner. After a series of adventures, Max learns about responsibility and friendship.

2. Theme

The importance of kindness and empathy. The bond between humans and animals. Responsibility in caring for others.

3. Character

Max: A caring and adventurous boy who loves animals. The Puppy: A playful and friendly dog that brings joy to Max’s life. Mrs. Thompson: An elderly neighbor who helps Max in his search.

4. Point of View

Third-person limited, focusing on Max’s thoughts and feelings.

5. Setting

A friendly suburban neighborhood with parks and homes. The story takes place over a weekend when Max has time to explore.

6. Symbolism

The puppy: symbolizes innocence, joy, and the spirit of adventure. Max’s journey: represents personal growth and learning to care for others.