Thinking About Narrative: The Basics

In the bowels of what used to be Robinson A at George Mason—for as I type this the building is either a) in the process of being demolished or b) has been demolished - in a cubicle of a classroom - that should have been somebody's office - I, along with twenty-one other aspiring fiction writers, watched our professor draw the following diagram onto the whiteboard:

He then pointed to each segment of the diagram. Defining the terms. Explaining how this is the basic model for all storytelling. This model has been around for quite some time - and for good reason. It gives you a simple, yet sound structure to keep in mind when building your narrative. Whether you are writing a short story or a novel, if you can clearly identify each of these elements in the work, odds are you have the makings of a solid story.

So if you are new to writing, in the early phases of editing, or just trying to get back to basics, I would recommend working off this model. The definition of each part is as follows:

Exposition. This is the beginning of your story. It is where your characters are introduced, your setting is established, and your conflict(s) start to take shape.

Rising Action. This is, usually, the longest part of your narrative. In this section, characters become more complex, the conflict(s) develop and/or multiply, and a sense of suspense is created.

Climax. This is probably the term you are most familiar with. The climax is when the main character comes face-to-face with the central conflict. It is where he or she is in the most danger and/or emotionally vulnerable, and in turn, the encounter will change them in some way. While many envision the climax as a single moment, it can take place over the course of several scenes or chapters. A

Falling Action. Every journey has its price and the falling action is where readers learn what it has cost the main character. This is your chance to give your readers the space to come to terms with what has happened.

Resolution. This is the end of your narrative. Somewhere along the way resolution became synonymous with resolved. And while it certainly is nice to tie up all of the narrative’s loose ends you don't have to. Instead, focus on the feeling you want readers to walk away with and work on building a scene or image that is going to resonate.