Learn about the plot of a story. Explore the definition and types of plot, understand the plot elements and structure, view the plot diagram, and find examples.
Updated: 11/21/2023
Plot of a Story | Types, Elements & Examples
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are some examples of plot?
Plot comes in many forms depending on the story and the writer's intention. Plots can be linear, parallel, flashback, or episodic.
What is a plot?
A plot is the way a story is presented. While a story is the sequence of events in a narrative, a plot is how the writer choses to present these events, either linear, as a series of episodes, or even out of order.
What are the types of plots?
A linear plot is one told from beginning to end in order. An episodic plot is one with various smaller stories all telling part of a larger narrative. A flashback plot is one where the main action is told via memories or retellings. A parallel plot is one where two or more storylines occur simultanously as part of the narrative.
Table of Contents
ShowPlot is how a story is presented. Plot and story are two different elements, though many people often use the terms interchangeably. The story is the events that occurred. The definition of the plot of a story refers to how those events are presented to the audience. The plot introduces the various elements of a story such as character, conflict, and resolution in a way the audience can understand and is much more than simply stating the sequence of events. Plot can compress a story, tell it out of order, or play with it to present the story in a specific way to create a specific experience in the audience.
Types of Plot
Plot can occur in various ways depending on the type of story a writer wishes to tell. Plot structure generally depends on the kind of story a writer wishes to tell.
- Linear Plot: A linear plot is one of the most common plots. It presents a story in chronological order and is one of the most straightforward examples of plot. The story is told in the order it occurred. The Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Avengers, for example, has a linear plot. Loki arrives on Earth, the Avengers gather and attempt to stop him, and finally end his invasion in New York.
- Episodic Plot: An episodic plot is one with multiple climaxes and resolutions all tied together with a common theme or an overarching storyline. The first season of the television show Supernatural is an example of an episodic plot. Individual episodes have their own conflicts and resolutions, but every episode builds on the larger narrative of the Winchester brothers and their quest to hunt monsters and find their missing father.
- Flashback Plot: A flashback plot is one where the main events are presented as having occurred before the plot begins. This type of plot allows for mystery and introspection since characters are usually portrayed as looking back on the events of the flashback. The Japanese film Rashomon employs various flashbacks to tell the story and explore the concept of perception as various individuals tell their version of the same event.
- Parallel Plot: A parallel plot has elements of a linear plot. However, it involves various stories occurring more or less simultaneously and moves between them. The Lord of the Rings books and movies, for example, follow the Fellowship of the Ring as they travel on their quest to destroy the One Ring, but at a certain point in the story, the group splinters into smaller groups, and the plot follows their stories separately.
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Exposition in the Plot
Exposition refers to how information is presented to the audience in order to inform them of the story, its background, or any other relevant information. Also known as the initiating event, exposition is typically the introduction to a story and sets up the major plot points in the narrative. For example, in Hamlet, the initial encounter between Horatio, Bernardo, and Marcellus sets up much of the story's background and sets up most of the play's conflict.
Rising Action
After the initial conflict is introduced in the exposition, the rising action shows how characters attempt to address or otherwise solve the conflict. This part of the plot may involve false starts, failed attempts, or simply an investigation into the story's complications to address them in the climax. For example, in the film John Wick, John spends most of the movie trying to find the gangsters who wronged him. These investigations and smaller conflicts are all leading to his eventual revenge.
Climax
The climax, also known as the turning point, is the most exciting part of the story, typically where the main conflict is resolved. This usually includes a dramatic scene of some sort, typically the highlight of the story where most major conflicts are resolved. For example, in Mad Max: Fury Road, the climax of the story is when Max, Furiosa, and the brides lure Immortan Joe and his army back into the canyon for a final confrontation before returning to the Citadel.
Falling Action
Falling action refers to the events following the climax. While the major complication may be resolved, the falling action shows how that resolution affects the characters in the story. For example, in The Return of the King, the climax of the movie, and indeed of the film trilogy, is the destruction of the One Ring and the defeat of Sauron's armies. However, the movie then spends several scenes exploring how the end of the war affects all the characters and how they've changed.
Resolution
The resolution, also sometimes called the denouement, is where any lingering plot threads are resolved and the final conclusion of the story takes place. The conflict is resolved and the story ends properly. In Mad Max: Fury Road, the resolution isn't the death of Immortan Joe, but rather Max returning Furiosa and the surviving brides back to the Citadel to free the people.
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A plot diagram, also known as a plotline, is a way to visualize a story's structure. Whether it's told in a non-linear fashion, in flashbacks, or through parallel plots, a plot diagram shows how the story will be presented and should show the exposition, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Every story needs to follow a plotline, regardless of its overall structure, in order to make sense to the audience and present a story.
For example, the movie Memento, despite being told in a highly unusual fashion, still follows the plot diagram. In the movie, Leonard is an investigator looking for his wife's killer. However, he suffers from memory loss and can only remember very recent events. The movie is told backward with the last scene chronologically being the first scene in the movie. Each subsequent scene is actually the event that occurred prior to the previous scene, so the very last scene in the movie is the first event that occurred. The story is told in this way to give the audience the same feeling of disorientation as Leonard. However, the movie still follows a plot diagram.
The first scene in the movie, despite being chronologically last, is the exposition. It establishes Leonard's mission and his condition. Soon after, Leonard explains, via a phone call, his mission and current situation. Every scene following this one establishes more about Leonard's mission and the actions he takes to solve the murder. This is the rising action. The climax occurs when Leonard, and the audience, find out the solution to the mystery. The falling action deals with Leonard's unwillingness to accept that he will never get satisfaction from his mission. The final resolution shows Leonard partially accepting defeat and maintaining hope he might make a difference one day.
Despite being told in a highly unusual way, even a film like Memento can still be graphed with a plot diagram.
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Examples of plot in various works show how writers start stories in specific places or otherwise decide to tell their stories in unusual ways in order to have the desired effect on the audience.
- Hamlet: The plot revolves around Hamlet trying to solve the mystery of his father's death. However, the plot does not begin with the murder, but rather several weeks later when Hamlet is just arriving back home. The plot is mostly parallel as it follows other characters dealing with Hamlet's actions and their own goals.
- Harry Potter Series: The Harry Potter books are linear and straightforward. Virtually every scene follows Harry, who also serves as an audience surrogate who is new to the wizarding world, and rarely strays from his story. This is an example of a linear plot.
- A Christmas Carol: Charles Dickens' novel follows Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by three ghosts who wish to teach him the true meaning of Christmas. A large section of the book is flashbacks to Scrooge's life as the ghosts show him how he became the man before them. The climax of the story is actually a flashforward as the final ghost shows Scrooge the future.
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Plot is a way for a story to be told. Stories are the events that make up the narrative, but plot is the way the events are actually presented. In broad terms, the plot is the description of events significant to the conflict and conflict resolution. Plots can be linear, episodic, flashback, or parallel, and each type tells a story in a different way. A plot begins with an exposition, an explanation of the world and the characters. Next, the plot presents the rising action, the sequence of events characters take in order to solve the plot's problem. This leads to the climax, the culmination of the efforts to resolve the major complication. What follows is the falling action, a time where the story shows the effects of the climax, usually the characters reflecting on the events of the story. Plot ends with the resolution, a final event where any remaining plot threads are solved (or not), and what this means for the characters and the story.
Every story can be visualized using a plot diagram, also known as a plotline.
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Video Transcript
Story Plot: Defined
Have you ever ridden a roller coaster? You get in your seat. You anxiously listen to the click, click, click, of the carts as you reach the top of the hill. There is a brief moment of panic at the very top before you quickly go speeding down and turn and flip until finally, the ride slows down, and you reach the end.
This is very similar to how the plot of a story works. The plot describes the events and their significance as the story unfolds. There are five different parts to the plot: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. These five different parts can also be plotted onto an image of a roller coaster.
Exposition and Rising Action
We'll start with the exposition. The roller coaster ride begins when you find your seat, get buckled, and the crew walks around to make sure everyone is safe. You're feeling pretty good at this moment, excited for the ride to start. There is a lot of unknown at this point, especially if you haven't been on this ride before. Just like the beginning of a roller coaster, the exposition is the beginning of the story. Here you're introduced to the characters, the setting, and the conflict.
Next comes the rising action. At this point, the ride has begun. You're starting to have some misgivings as you realize that you can't get off until the very end. The ride is still moving slowly at this point as you hear the click, click, click, of the cart as it moves ever closer to the top of the hill. Anxiety is building with each second. This is similar to the rising action of the story. The rising action includes the events leading to the climax. The conflict, or trigger, is starting to develop at this point of the plot.
Climax
Next, you've reached the top of the hill. This is the point where everything changes. The direction of the cart changes from up to down, and quickly! A lot is happening at once, emotions are running high, and there's a lot of noise from the other passengers. This is the climax of the story. The climax is the turning point. Nothing is the same after this point, and a lot of changes are happening in the story.
Falling Action and Resolution
After the climax, the coaster is completing its last few flips and turns, still moving quickly but close to the end. This is similar to the falling action in our story. The falling action includes the events that lead to the resolution of the conflict.
Finally, you've survived! The roller coaster has come back to the loading dock. Everyone is safe on solid ground again, and possibly a little light headed. This is similar to the resolution. The resolution of the story is the point that the conflict has been resolved, and the story has reached its end.
Another Example
Let's go over another example by taking a look at a plot in action. We'll start with a horror movie or story. In the exposition, we are introduced to all of the characters and their normal everyday lives. Everything is still fine.
As the rising action builds, we're given more information about the conflict. The car has broken down, and the cell phones aren't working. The characters have to stop at what looks like an abandoned gas station for help. One of the characters is seeing weird shadows and movements and trying to convince the others to leave.
Then we reach the climax and nothing will ever be the same again. The scary person with some sort of weapon is chasing the characters, and there's no way out. Some of the characters may even be turning on each other at this point.
In the falling action, the conflict is starting to resolve. One of the characters, possibly the lone survivor, has found a great hiding spot and maybe even a working telephone to call the police. It's possible that the person chasing them is injured or has lost all of their weapons at this point.
Then, finally, the conflict is over. The resolution has been reached. The lone survivor has returned home safely and is starting to rebuild his or her life.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson, you were introduced to the plot of a story. Each plot has five distinctive features: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The five features all play a role in unfolding the story and providing new and exciting details about each event for the reader. It's similar in structure to that of a roller coaster, as the conflict starts out small, reaches the peak, and then descends towards a resolution, or where the conflict is resolved.
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Plot of a Story | Types, Elements & Examples
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