To begin, let's talk about plot: the sequence of events in the story. First we'll need to learn some important terms. These are basic to fiction, and we'll also come back to them later in the semester, when we get to drama.

Lecture 1 discusses these terms. Listen to it while you follow along in the text below.

Important terms:

exposition = the background of the story. Usually at the beginning in traditional stories, but sometimes not. (See in medias res, below.)

protagonist = the central character

antagonist = the thing or person in conflict with the protagonist

conflict = the nature of the struggle between protagonist and antagonist

complication = addition of another character or situation that changes or somehow affects the conflict

events = things that happen in the story

climax = the high point of the story; the point at which the conflict reaches a peak and must be resolved

denouement/resolution = conclusion; tying up of loose ends

flashback = an episode from an earlier time inserted into a narrative

in medias res = "in the middle of the thing," the beginning of a story right in on going action, with the exposition filled in later

foreshadowing = subtle hint of events to come

Who cares?
Why do we need to know all these terms? Because they're helpful in deciding whether a story is any good. If the plot is well structured, it helps create a good story.

Think about a really bad plot, in a book, story, or movie. Maybe the storyline drags and gets boring. Or maybe it's too confusing. Maybe something happens that's complete illogical. These are marks of a poorly-designed plot.