The Parts of a Story

Every story, from a tiny picture book to a giant movie, is built from the same simple parts. Characters are the people or animals the story is about. The setting is where and when the story happens. The plot is what happens - the events, from first page to last.

Most plots follow a shape readers can feel. A story starts by introducing the characters and their world, then a problem appears - something the character wants or needs. The middle is the trying: plans, mistakes, surprises. The ending is the solution, where the problem gets resolved and we see how the character has changed.

Knowing the parts makes you a stronger reader and writer. When a story confuses you, ask which part is unclear: Who is this about? Where are we? What is the problem? And when you write your own stories, you can build them part by part instead of hoping they appear all at once.