A Strategy to Develop a Narrative

Some of the world’s greatest accomplishments required immense planning: building a pyramid, flying to the moon, and exploring the oceans. But for success, life’s daily events also demand planning. Think about the planning that’s required for a trip, to gain employment, to graduate. The more details in executing the plan, typically the greater the success. The same is true in writing.

Freytag’s pyramid

A story requires a plot. Plot is the sequential series of events. It is the action of the story. Though with experience, a plot can weave and twist beyond traditional guidelines, the rule of thumb is to provide the reader with information that moves the narrative in a systematic manner. In the nineteenth century, Gustav Freytag, analyzed narratives and identified the components. These are presented in what is commonly known as Freytag’s pyramid.

Often writers desire to produce a story but once started stall because they lack the strategies to develop it beyond a few simple sentences. They sometimes continue without any attention to the necessary elements of effective story telling. Through application of Freytag’s pyramid structure, plot success is within reach.

Plot development strategies demand that writers address the different elements of a story. Prior to writing, an author should understand the essential components of a plot.

Plot components

Definitions

Exposition: establishment of setting and introduction of the protagonist (main character)

Complication: the main problem/conflict for the protagonist

Rising Action: other conflicts caused by trying to solve the complication

Climax: the turning point; the trigger for solving or not solving the complication — usually the point where a major change occurs

Falling Action: the clean-up of the conflict

Resolution: the conclusion

Example

A harlequin romance typically follows standard plot development. The basic plot of a traditional romance might read like this.

Exposition: Boy meets girl in the park. Boy and girl fall in love.

Complication: Parents forbid relationship.

Rising Action: Boy visits girl secretly; girl promises heart to boy; boy and girl plan to elope.

Climax: Boy and girl run away and get married.

Falling Action: Parents accept the marriage.

Resolution: They live happily ever after and raise a large family.

Obviously, this presents an extremely basic plot. Stories and real life offer several characters, details of events, numerous conflicts, and captivating description. Within a story, there can even exist multiple plots that might connect later in the tale. With practice and planning, an author can increase the complexity of the plot in multiple ways and even vary the order of event; however, this outlines how to begin.

Freytag’s pyramid

This illustration of a plot diagram offers a visual of the six parts of the model.

Example

Observe how a skeleton of The Three Little Pigs, a well-known children’s story, adheres to the plot diagram.

1. The exposition introduces the protagonists and the setting.

Three pigs are leaving their childhood home to begin adult lives of their own. They live in a forest with enough natural resources to build houses.

2. The complication describes the main problem for the protagonist.

The pigs are inexperienced in the ways of the world. As they begin their new lives, they must face and conquer the dangers of the environment.

3. The rising action develops events and conflicts in an attempt to solve the complication.

• First pig builds a house of sticks.
• Second pig builds a house of straw.
• Third pig builds a house of bricks.
• A hungry wolf blows down the houses of sticks and straw.
• The wolf cannot blow down the brick house.
• The wolf climbs down the chimney.

4. The climax is the point where an event occurs that significantly affects the conflict. A change happens to stop the rising action.

As the wolf climbs down the chimney and reaches the bottom, he falls into a pot of hot water.

5. The falling action includes the events that allow the story to taper to an end. Thus, it may also complete any remaining problems that have not been solved or addressed.

• The pigs sing and dance.
• They add vegetables to the pot and eat stew for dinner.
• The three decide to live in the house of bricks to help and support each other.

6. The resolution is the conclusion that provides the last message(s) of the writer.

The pigs live happily ever after. If characters work together with love and support, they can win against evil.

Every writer must start somewhere. Some may never outline a story and the process simply flows in a progressive direction naturally. Others allows their minds to hold information, never needing the outline on paper. However, many will find an outline provides the blueprints for the building of a text. A short story might use a simple form like displayed below. A novel might require multiple outlines to support multiple plots.

If you find yourself stuck in the muck of ideas needing a direction, this strategy might provide a life rope.

Practice opportunity

1. Exposition

Main Character ____________________________________________________

Other Characters ______________________ __________________

__________________________ __________________________

Setting: Time __________________________Place____________________

2. Complication

____________________________________________________

3. Rising Action

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

4. Climax

____________________________________________________

5. Falling Action(s)

____________________________________________________

6. Resolution

____________________________________________________