Plot short story writing

1. Plotshort story writing

2. Review: Parts of a story PLOT -- The plot is the sequence of events in a story. It is a planned, logical series of events with a beginning, middle, and end.  The short story usually has one plot so it can be read in one sitting.  There are five essential parts of plot.

3. Introduction/Exposition The introduction is beginning of the story where the characters and the setting are revealed.

4. RisingAction This is where the events in the story become complicated and the conflict in the story is revealed (events between the introduction and climax).

5. Climax This is the highest point of interest and the turning point of the story. The reader wonders what will happen next.

6. FallingAction The events and complications begin to resolve themselves. The reader knows what has happened next and if the conflict was resolved or not (events between climax and denouement/resolution.)

7. Resolution/Denouement This is the final outcome or untangling of events in the story.

8. Click on the link below to review the elements of plot for Cinderella http://sb.westfordk12.us/pages/specialed/rich/post1/03BAC8D5-011F7A25

9. Assignment: • Read the Introduction and Rising Action of the story on the following slides • Get creative! Continue and finish the story by adding slides for the Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. • Finally, name your short story. Add images for bonus points!

10. (Under the Stars) It was the night before graduation and I couldn’t believe I had made it through my senior year. It had flown by. I walked back to the dorm with my friends and we talked about everything we would do that summer and how awesome college was going to be. No more study hall! I got back to my room and sat down among the boxes I had packed earlier that day. I couldn’t believe my time at CA was over. As much as I complained about the rules, I knew I was going to miss this place. I was excited to go back to Texas for the summer, but something told me I wouldn’t have as much fun with my friends there as I had with my friends at school this year. As I finished packing the last of my clothes and books, my roommate Jack came in. We talked about how much fun we had at the senior dinner and the senior reception that night. Jack had been a great roommate. We joked around a lot and got on each others nerves, but I knew I would miss him the most out of all of my friends. Jack said he was too excited to go to bed and he suggested that we watch Iron Man one more time. We had watched it about twenty times this year and it seemed like a fitting way to spend our last night in the dorm. Exposition

11. About half way through the movie, I heard Jack snoring. I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep my eyes open much longer, so I shut the movie off and lay down. I remember thinking about the next day and how weird it was going to be to say goodbye to my friends and teachers. My family would be there and I knew there would be lots of hugs and probably a few tears. I was drifting off to sleep when I heard a strange noise outside our window. I sat up nervously and saw a bright light shining straight in. Then I heard someone whisper, “Hey, come here. Over here.” I grabbed my cell phone, wondering if I should call the police, or run out of the room. My face was flush and my heart was racing when I looked over at Jack, he was still sleeping as I contemplated what I should do, not knowing who or what was outside our window. Rising action

12. I turned on my cell phone so I would be able to dial 911 if I needed to. I crouched low on my bed and waited for the bright light shining in the window to go away. I heard people talking outside my window, but they were talking so quietly that I couldn’t hear what they were saying or determine who the voices belonged to. Then I heard a voice that I thought I recognized...it was my friend Calle from down the hall. She was calling my name and saying, “Come on! Let’s go – hurry up! Come out here!” I didn’t want to go outside but what if she needed me? I grabbed Jack’s tennis racket and went towards the dorm door. I opened the door slowly, hoping to see who was outside before they saw me. I peeked carefully to the left, where the big trees stand at the edge of the quad. No one was there. As I was edging out to look to the right, someone grabbed my arm. I raised the tennis racket and spun around, my heart pounding. Climax

13. “Hey! It’s me! What are you doing?” It was my friend Duncan, laughing, and behind him was Calle and a few other kids from our dorm. “A tennis racket? Why are you swinging a tennis racket at me?” Duncan was grinning at me, and I felt ridiculous for being so scared. “Well,” I replied, “I wasn’t sure what we were going to do, so I brought…” I stopped because I realized that no matter what I said, they weren’t going to believe me. “What are you guys doing out here? Jack is asleep and I was almost asleep too.” Calle pointed up at the sky. “Look at all the stars. We are going to the pond and stare at the sky and not think about the fact that this is our last night together.” I hesitated, but looking at my friends standing together, some holding flashlights and a few blankets, I realized that we should spend the last night together. I told them to hold on while I put the tennis racket away and grabbed a sweatshirt. Falling action

14. I crept into the dorm room as quietly as I could and put Jack’s tennis racket next to his packed duffle bag. I found a sweatshirt and was almost out the door, and then turned around and looked at Jack asleep in his bed. How could I leave him sleeping in the room while the rest of us were together. I woke him up and we went out to join the others. Resolution