Henry James

How to Write a Short Story

Plot

What is character but the determination of incident? What is incident but the illustration of character?
~ Henry James

Plot is the unified structure of incidents in a literary work. In its simplest sense, the plot guides the author in composing the work and helps the reader follow the work. Typically, plots exhibit causality and unity and have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Sometimes, however, a plot may consist of a series of disconnected events, in which case it is known as an "episodic plot." In his Aspects of the Novel, E. M. Forster distinguishes between a story, defined as a "narrative of events arranged in their time-sequence," and plot, which organizes the events to a "sense of causality." This definition closely mirrors Aristotle's discussion of plot in his Poetics.

The plot of a short story usually involves a conflict or struggle between opposing forces. This is a diagram of the elements of plot in a short story:

Exposition
This is first stage of a fictional or dramatic plot, in which necessary background information is provided. It introduces characters, scene, time, and situation.

Rising Action
This is a set of conflicts and crises that constitute the part of a story's plot leading up to the climax.

Climax
This is the turning point of the action in the plot of a story. The climax represents the point of greatest tension in the work. The climax of John Updike's "A&P," for example, occurs when Sammy quits his job as a cashier.

Falling Action
In the plot of a story, the action following the climax of the work that moves it towards its denouement or resolution.

Resolution
The ending of the story, the final stage or unraveling of the plot; usually very brief. Here the tension is over, and unanswered questions may be explained. The resolution is reached following a major crisis and climax.

Test your understanding of the elements of plot with the this activity.

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