Question

In what order does the plot of a fictional story typically progress?

Answer 1

1. exposition

Exposition is the introduction to the story. This is the part where the writer talks about the characters, gives us their descriptions, backgrounds, etc. At this point, we are introduced with the general plot of the story, and we are told what is going on and what the story will be about.

2. rising action

This is the part of a story where things start to get steamy. Usually, a conflict between some characters is created in order to get the story going. This conflict will start becoming more and more prominent until it completely escalates into the following stage - climax.

3. climax

Climax is the highest point of a story - this is the point where the conflict cannot be any more prominent. The characters are on edge and they are starting to lose their minds. This is also the point of no return - what happens during climax will mark the characters for the entirety of the text.

4. falling action

Things are starting to cool off after the climax. The characters start to realize certain things and that they don't want to fight anymore. The story slowly starts unraveling and nearing its ending. This is the point where the conflict is almost gone, but not completely.

5. denouement

Denouement is a French word for resolution. This is the ending of a story - at this point, the conflict has been resolved completely, and the characters are either moving toward a happy, or a sad ending. However, there are no loose ends anymore - every problem is solved by now.

Answer 2

Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement.