4 Plot and Narrative Structure Free Online FlashCards

What makes events a plot rather than a list?

Plot is the meaningful arrangement of events, connected through characters’ choices and their consequences.

What is a useful test for plot causality?

Ask whether one event changes what a character can do, wants, knows, or risks next. Such cause-and-consequence links make events feel purposeful.

What is conflict in a narrative?

Conflict is the central problem, pressure, or opposing force that makes action necessary. It can occur within a character, between characters, or between a character and other forces.

What four elements make a conflict compelling?

Clarify what the character wants, what obstructs them, what may be gained or lost, and what choice they must make.

What does an inciting incident do?

The setup establishes enough character, situation, and setting for readers to follow events. An inciting incident disrupts that situation or makes the central problem unavoidable.

What should rising action accomplish?

The character responds to the problem; attempts bring consequences or new information, increasing pressure. Strong developments change the situation instead of repeating the same obstacle.

What defines a narrative climax?

The climax is a decisive turning point where the central conflict faces its sharpest test, often through a consequential choice or action. It need not be the loudest scene.

What is the purpose of falling action?

Falling action shows the immediate consequences of the climax, giving readers time to understand what has changed.

What should a resolution establish?

Resolution establishes the main conflict’s outcome and what the ending means for the character or situation. It need not answer every question, but should meaningfully address the central story question.

What is narrative structure?

Structure is how a narrative arranges and reveals events. Choices such as chronology, flashbacks, and withheld information shape suspense, surprise, and meaning.

When does a flashback serve the narrative?

A flashback is useful when past events change how readers understand the present, rather than merely delaying the story.

What does pacing control?

Pacing is the speed at which a narrative presents events to readers, not simply how quickly events happen in the story world.