What is Action?

• Action is all the stuff that happens in a story

• It can be big things (like a volcano erupting) small things (like a girl winking at a boy)

•Plot is the structure of a story.

•It is all the actions of the story

and the order that they are told in.

What is Plot?

Action vs. Plot

How do we show our understanding of the action in a story so we can develop a plotline?

Story String

A really good way is to create a:

Story StringTo list the actions chronologically

Read the story, “A Day’s Wait” by Ernest Hemingway (in file folder)

Breaking down the storyBeginningBoy came into Dad’s room feeling sick and dad sent him tobed.

The doctor came And gave the dad Some medicine for his son.

MiddleDad goes into theboy’s bedroom to cheer him up.

Boy is not listening to the story, so dad goes outside to go hunting with the dog.

He shoots some quail.

EndDad goes to the boy’s bedroom.

Boy is worried he will die.

Boy is waiting to die.

Dad tells boy that hewill not die and that he is only confusedabout the temperaturetemperature scale!

Boy is relieved andvery quiet.

Remember to keep it simple! You are only looking for the actions in the story.

Seeing the plotlineThe next step-

Look at the story string and see how it fits onto a Freytag diagram- plotline-

Don’t be afraid!

Plot Components

Exposition: the start of the story, the situation before the action starts – we meet the characters and find out the setting

Rising Action: the series of conflicts and crises in the story that lead to the climax

Climax: the turning point, the most intense moment; this is the most exciting or stressful part of the story

Falling Action: all of the action which follows the climax

Resolution: the conclusion, the tying together of all of the threads

Turing a story string into a plotline

Can you figure out how our story string would fit onto the plotline?

Example: Plot of the Story “A Day’s

Wait” by Ernest Hemingway

Exposition: we meet the characters (Schatz and Dad) and find out the setting (a house where the boy is sick)

Rising Action: tension builds as the boy overhears the doctor and thinks he will die.

Climax: Dad tells boy that he will not die and that he is only confused about the temperature scale!

Falling Action: Boy is relieved and very quiet.

Resolution: We infer that the boy recovers and all is well.

Conflict Conflict is the dramatic struggle

between two forces in a story. Without conflict, there is no plot.

Types of Conflict

Character vs.. Nature

Character vs. Society

Character vs. SelfInternal Conflict

Character vs. CharacterExternal Conflict

Your next job… collecting information so we can create our own story

stringsIndentify a possible conflict that could enter your character's life- describe it, why it happens and why it is important.Answer this big question: How does it get fixed (resolved?) What would be the climax to this conflict.What events would lead to this climax? Come up with 3-4.Keep all of this information in your folder with your other story parts.