What Are Plot and Setting?
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Plot
Plot Structure
Suspense
Foreshadowing
Setting
Your Turn
Plot
Plot is what happens in a story.
“Then, the
alien sneaked
aboard the
space station.”
You and your friends probably
talk about the plots of movies,
books, and TV shows.
“What
happened
next?”
Plot: Plot Structure
Plot is the story’s skeleton, or structure. Most plots
have four parts, which are like building blocks.
Resolution
Climax
Jen goes home happy.
The team makes it to finals—and wins!
Series of Events Her team loses a game and then wins five games.
Basic Situation Jen wants her soccer team to win the state championship.
Plot: Plot Structure
Conflict is a struggle between opposing
characters, forces, or emotions.
The conflict is usually revealed during the first
building block of the plot—the basic situation.
Plot: Plot Structure
In an external conflict, characters struggle
against something or someone outside themselves.
Internal conflicts happen
inside a character’s mind.
Plot: Plot Structure
Look at the pictures below. Which represent(s) an
external conflict? Which represent(s) an
internal conflict?
external
internal
external
Plot: Plot Structure
A plot’s second building block involves a series of
events that makes it hard for the characters to
solve their problems or work out their conflicts.
Sometimes these events are called complications.
Plot: Plot Structure
The plot’s third building block is the climax—the
story’s most exciting or emotional moment.
The climax is the point at which the conflict
is decided one way or another.
Plot: Plot Structure
The resolution is the last part of the story. The
resolution ties up loose ends.
What happened to the characters
after their conflict was resolved?
The firefighters couldn’t
save the building, but . . .
they saved a life.
Plot: Plot Structure
You can use a simple plot diagram to show what
happens in a story.
Why is the basic situation at
the bottom of the diagram?
• It is the first thing you
read—it sets the stage
for the action.
• You meet the main
characters and discover
what they want.
Plot: Plot Structure
A series of events leads to the story’s climax
and ends with its resolution.
Why does the climax of the
story appear at the top of
the diagram?
• The series of events
leads up to it.
• It is the “high point”—
the most exciting
part—of the story.
Plot: Plot Structure
Quick Check
Pedro packed his last pair of jeans in
his duffel bag and carried it out to the
car. It was time to leave for college.
His mom and dad—and Marisol—were
waiting with sad smiles on their faces.
Pedro hugged Marisol and climbed into
the car after saying goodbye.
He was surprised to find a little box on
the seat next to him. Inside it, on a
cushion of cotton balls, was Marisol’s
lucky letter charm—M for miracles.
Where in the plot
would this scene
probably occur?
• basic situation
• series of events
• climax
• resolution
[End of Section]
Plot: Suspense
Suspense, or anxious curiosity, is what keeps you
reading to figure out what is going to happen next.
If a character solved his or her problem too quickly
or easily, there would be no suspense in the story.
Plot: Suspense
Ali and Coby are going for a hike in the forest.
What might
make their
story more
interesting,
exciting, or
suspenseful?
Plot: Foreshadowing
Another way that writers create suspense is to
foreshadow, or hint at, the story’s future events.
If someone throws a
brick through a
character’s window,
we have a hint that something dangerous
may happen in the character’s future.
Plot: Foreshadowing
A writer uses foreshadowing to plant interesting
clues for the reader.
These clues keep readers guessing
about what might happen next.
Plot: Suspense and Foreshadowing
Quick Check
Joe and Theresa had planned all month for
the whitewater rafting trip, and they were
packing for the weekend when the call came.
Grandma needed help. The spring rains had
flooded her living room.
The car was already loaded and had a full
tank of gas, so Joe and Theresa left
immediately. Unfortunately, they had
forgotten something important—to check the
weather forecast and road conditions.
Soon the rain was pounding on the
windshield. Theresa slowed the car just as
she came to a low-water crossing. The water
gushed across the bridge, blocking the road.
Is this an
example of
suspense, or is it
an example of
foreshadowing?
[End of Section]
Setting
Setting provides a background—a time and place
in which the action takes place.
The setting could be a place in the real world or
one that exists only in the writer’s imagination.
Setting
Settings may include
• location
• weather
• time of day
• time period
(past, present,
or future)
Setting
Quick Check
Yolanda looked across the sea of
people as she made her way
through the crowd.
The busy ski hill bustled with
families eager to enjoy a day on the
slopes. Colorful hats and
snowboards flashed against the
glistening snow.
Which words in
the passage help
you imagine
where the scene
takes place?
[End of Section]
Plot and Setting
Your Turn
Analyze Plot and Setting
1. What is the difference between an internal conflict and
an external conflict?
2. Look at the excerpts from “Three Skeleton Key” in your
book. How do the details in the passages build
suspense?
3. Think about a movie, television show, or story you know
well. Test your knowledge of plot by recording the main
events of the story. Note instances in which the story’s
plot is affected by the setting.
The End