Plot and the Traditional Linear Plot Diagram
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(3)
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\___________ (6)
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(2)
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(2)
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(1) __________/
Plot: The main story line in a work of drama or fiction
Subplot: Any ancillary story line outside the main plot in a work of drama or fiction
1) Exposition (E) (-): Any dialogue, description, etc. that gives the reader/audience crucial
background information on the characters, setting, or situation.
2) Rising Action (RA) (/): A related series of incidents in a plot that build tension toward
conflict.
3) Conflict (Con) (^): Opposition between characters or forces in fiction or drama that
shapes the plot…can sometimes be grouped with rising action.
4) Climax (Max) (/\): The decisive moment in a dramatic or literary work that is of
maximum intensity or is the major turning point in the storyline.
5) Falling Action (FA) (\): The events of a literary plot following the climax that lead to the
unraveling of the conflict.
6) Denouement (Den) (-): (old French- “untying”) The unraveling or discovery of a plot
where any remaining tensions or complications are clarified or resolved.