by Shirley Jackson

PlotPlot is the sequence of related events in a story. There are five parts:

• Exposition:

• Introduction to the SETTING (time and place)

• Introduction to the main CHARACTERS

• Introduction to the PROBLEM/CONFLICT

– Conflict: a struggle between two opposing forces in the story

• Rising Action:

• events that increase the tension (this is the “meat” of the story)

• Climax:

• The TURNING POINT of the story or the high point of the story (usually the point at which the eventual outcome of the conflict is revealed)

• Falling Action:

• Begins with the scene that immediately follows the conflict

• It continues with all the events that follow the climax

• Resolution:

• the final outcome, during which any remaining conflicts are resolved or left open

Point of ViewPoint of view is the perspective from which a story is told. Most stories are told from a first-person or from a third-person point of view.

First person: The narrator participates in the action of the story and can tell only what he or she sees, knows, thinks, or feels. This kind of narrator uses the pronouns “I”, “we”, “me”, or “my” when speaking about himself or herself.

• The first-person point of view is used primarily for autobiographical writing, such as a personal essay or a memoir. 

Third-Person Objective: the facts of a narrative are reported by a seemingly neutral, impersonal observer or recorder.

Third-Person Omniscient: an all-knowing narrator not only reports the facts but may also interpret events and relate the thoughts and feelings of any or all character/s.

Third-Person Limited: a narrator reports the facts and interprets events from the perspective of a single character.

–third-person pronouns: he, she, they, and it

Detail Possible Inference

An actor at an audition complimentsthe director’s past work.

The actor thinks flattery might get him a part.

A waitress is careless and rude. She does not take pride in her job.

A toddler is drooling and crying. He is teething.

Make InferencesWhen you make inferences, you look at the information the author provides to make logical assumptions about what the author leaves unstated. To make inferences, use details that the author provides as clues and add your own background knowledge and experience. Notice details like these:

• what the characters say about one another

• what the characters do and how they behave

• how the characters respond to others and to their surroundings

Using the Strategy: Inference Chart

Use an inference chart like this one to write down story details and make inferences.