Plot Central!

An Exploration into Plot Development!
by Consuella E. Jackson

Introduction
Plot  is the element of stories that we are often most aware of. We stay up until 2 a.m. to finish a novel because we can’t wait to see what happens to characters we have come to care about. Who will live and who will die?  Which secrets will be revealed, and how? Will the characters overcome their personal limitations to triumph in their quests, or fail  as a result of  own  choices? Even if a story doesn’t have the most exciting characters or setting, if the plot is strong, most people won't be able to put the book down.

Plot is dependent on all of the other elements — setting, character, details — but it is also a distinct element which we can study separately. Plot can be described as a three-step process, composed of set-up, build-up, and pay-off 

Complete Your Journey

After reading your story, complete a Plot Map, create a presentation for your employer and take the posttest. Use the Scoring Guide to evaluate your work. 

Charles by Shirley Jackson
The Lottery  by Shirley Jackson
Thank You, Ma'am 
     by Langston Hughes
Raymond's Run 
     by Toni Cade Bambara
The Tell-Tale Heart 
     by Edgar Allan Poe
To Build a Fire by Jack London

To Build a Fire (First Version)
Bargain, by   A. B. Guthrie, Jr.

The Landlady by Roald Dahl

The Necklace

      by  Guy de Maupassant

The Pedestrian by Ray Bradbury

A Self-Made Man 
      by Stephen Crane