Lesson 30 — Activity 1: Plot, Conflict, and Setting


In Lesson 26 — A1, you learned about plot, conflict, and setting and answered questions related to the introduction of your novel. Now you will take a closer look at some of the other aspects of plot.
In this activity, you will focus on rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. Then you will look at literary devices.





1. You know that the introduction is the beginning of the story. The setting and characters are introduced and you begin to learn what the story is about and what the conflict may be.

2. The rising action is when the events build up in an exciting or interesting way. The story and characters are developed.

This image depicts rising action.

3. One of the key parts of a story is the climax. In many stories, the climax is the high point of the action.


It may be a great battle that has been brewing, or the crash that you knew was going to occur, or the moment when a tornado hits.
  This could be the climax in a story.

However, not all stories are full of action and excitement, so the idea of climax needs to be broader. It is the point at which the conflict is most interesting, and the outcome is becoming more obvious to the reader or viewer.

It is when Mary decides to take a scholarship and move away from her boyfriend to go to college.
 This could also be the climax in a story.

It is when James decides to use his savings to help his neighbours through a rough time, rather than buying a new mountain bike.
Everything in the story to date (the rising action) has been leading up to the climax.


4. After the climax comes the falling action. You now know how the story is going to end and how the characters have been affected by the events. The conflict in which the protagonist has been involved is finally resolved.

 This image depicts falling action.




5. The conclusion or resolution is the end of the story. Problems are resolved and loose ends are tied up.

This is what the resolution to a story is.




The other thing to consider about plot is the use of literary devices. Two of these devices are flashbacks and foreshadowing. They are used to add interest, information, or suspense to a story.

Flashbacks:
  • They are parts of stories that occur out of chronological order to show an event from an earlier point in time.
  • They usually happen during the introduction and the rising action to give readers more information about characters and events. For example, a story may include a flashback to a character’s childhood so the reader can learn an important event in the character’s life that has caused him or her to act a certain way.
  • In a flashback, the character does not simply tell about a previous experience but relives it as if it is happening right now. Some novels will have no flashbacks, while some use many.
     

Foreshadowing:
  • They provides clues as to what is going to happen later in the story. Sometimes, the reader may not even recognize the clue until the event occurs.
  • This usually happens during the rising action.
 
           Examples of foreshadowing in novels.  


Remember to continue to consider the setting of Freak the Mighty. Reflect on your ideas about this now that you have completed the novel. Have you decided whether or not setting was important to this particular story or whether it was universal?
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