Plot Sequence

Narratives usually follow the same plot structure:

• Exposition: the main character and setting are introduced. Life is normal (Bilbo the hobbit lives a peaceful but boring life in Bag End.) 

• Complication/inciting incident: an event occurs which turns the hero's life upside down, or a problem must be solved (Gandalf and the dwarves appear to drag Biblo on an adventure to steal from the dragon Smaug).

• Rising action: exciting events occur; new characters are introduced; obstacles must be overcome (trolls try to eat Bilbo). 

• Climax: the hero faces their final challenge or battle (the dragon is defeated and a battle is fought over its loot).

• Falling action: the results of the climax are experienced; characters say goodbye to one another or the journey home (the dwarf leader dies but peace is made).

• Resolution: life returns to normal, or characters return wiser (a richer and braver Bilbo returns home to Bag End to live a peaceful life).

Planning the basic plot structure is essential before writing begins. Using a storyboard to do this can help students visualise the story more easily:

Early

Activity Ideas: 

• Break down a simple picture book or popular fairy tale/film into three images to be rearranged for beginning, middle and end.

First

Activity Ideas: 

• Break down picture books  film into three/ four images to be rearranged for beginning, middle and end.

• Have students plot out the main events of popular fairy stories or films in groups onto a "Drama Llama" graph to analyse the structure. Compare the results to see how common the plot strucutre is.

Second

THIRD/FOURTH

Activity Ideas: 

• Cut up a short story and have students rearrange the text into the correct order.

• Have students plot out the main events of the class novel or popular films by themselves onto a "Drama Llama" graph to analyse the structure. 

• Experiment with more advanced structures by having students re-write popular fairy tales  in groups. Their tasks is to cut off the story before the end using a cliff-hanger, begin the story with a flash-backs or try to begin the story using a flash forwards to the climax (in medias res).