Disclaimer: I am not a certified writing teacher. I’m just a fellow writer sharing my background and experience with other writers

Introduction

Who are the characters, what do they need or want to happen, and how far are they willing to go to achieve it. Where and when do the events take place. Inciting incident. That is: the event or circumstances that disrupt the protagonists ordinary situation, causing him / her to take action, driving the story forward. I usually write the inciting incident during the introduction phase of the story.

Rising Action

Events that create tension and conflict, be it internal or external, or both. The rising action is like the rising slope of a roller coaster, building anticipation and tension, gradually rising toward the climax of the story. This can be achieved by action, dialogue, or events, or better yet, all of the above. The key is to complicate the situation for the protagonist, raising the stakes, which builds the tension.

Climax

The highest point of tension in the story. This is where everything reaches its peak, comes to a head, and the protagonist must face things head-on and seek to resolve the situation / problem. But it can’t be too easy. Giving the protagonist false hope can make the story that much more riveting. Have them learn from mistakes until they finally find the answer. This marks a turning point in the story.

Falling Action

The events that take place between the climax and resolution. release of story’s tension, the downward slope of the proverbial roller coaster. To me this is one of the most hardest parts of writing. Tying up loose ends, lessons learned by protagonist, character growth (they should have changed somewhat since story’s beginning) Degree of change is writer’s choice, but some change should take place, even is writing an episodic series. (more on that in another blog)

Resolution / Denouement

All loose ends tied up, problems solved, story has a fitting ending. Always make sure there are no untied loose ends. And whatever you do, check for plot holes and if there are any fix them. Readers / Audience don’t take kindly to untied loose ends and plot holes.

That’s all I have for today. As always, thank you for reading. And Happy Writing.

Ray