What is Plot Structure?

Learn how to structure your novel’s plotline.

The plot is the “story” of the story. It’s the action; it’s what happens. There are a couple of basic plot structures for novels: Aristotle’s Incline and Freytag’s Pyramid. Of course, not all narratives follow these plot structures, and not every story should. But they’re helpful to know and think about when planning your plotline.

Aristotle’s Incline

Aristotle’s Incline stems from Aristotle’s Poetics, where he theorized about the structure of plays. It looks like this:

Here’s a breakdown of Aristotle’s Incline with examples from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:

Starting Image: This is the opening scene. The starting image should give your reader a picture of the world and the main character. It sets the tone and reader expectations on genre and the main character for the rest of the story. Ex. We meet Harry Potter, an orphan with no friends living under the stairs.

Plot Point 1: This scene changes everything and moves the plot into Act 2. During this plot point, the main character passes the point of no return and is invested in the story’s central conflict. Ex. Harry finds out he’s a wizard and goes to Diagon Alley.

Midpoint: The middle of the plot and Act 2. The midpoint is when the main character switches from reaction to action. Ex. Harry learns about the sorcerer’s stone and decides to protect it from Voldemort.

Plot Point 2: In this scene, your main character is at their lowest point, and your reader is not sure things will work out. Plot point 2 kicks off Act 3. Ex. Harry loses Ron and Hermoine in the dungeon and must face Voldemort alone.

Closing Image: The closing image of the story is usually a mirror scene of the opening, but now things are different. Ex. Harry returns to the Dursleys, but now he has friends and is no longer alone in the world.

Freytag’s Pyramid

A 19th-century German playwright, Gustav Freytag, took Aristotle’s Incline and added more detail. He outlined dramatic structure into seven key plot points that fit into a pyramid. Freytag's Pyramid looks like this:

Keep in mind the pyramid looks a bit misleading since the climax would come way later in the story rather than in the middle.

Here’s a breakdown of Freytag’s Pyramid, again with examples from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone:

Exposition: Narrative exposition is background information on your main character and their life. Your readers learn who the main character is, what they want, and why they can’t have it. Ex. Harry Potter has a great desire to belong. However, he’s an orphan who lives isolated under the stairs of a family who doesn’t like him.

Inciting Incident: This scene sets the entire plot in motion. Ex. Hagrid breaks down the door and tells Harry he’s a wizard.

Rising Action: During the rising action, a series of conflicts lead to the climax. Ex. There’s a troll in the school; There’s a break-in at Gringott’s; the trio finds the trapdoor under the three-headed dog that leads to the dungeon, etc.

Climax: The moment of greatest tension in the plot. Ex. Harry battles Voldemort.

Falling Action: During the falling action, your main character can breathe and recover from the climax. This section helps bring your plot to a close. Ex. Harry wakes up in the hospital, where his friends have sent him candy and presents.

Resolution: This scene solves the plot’s central conflict and reveals the story’s who’s, what’s, and why’s. Ex. Dumbledore explains why Quirrell couldn’t touch Harry and why the Mirror of Erised gave him the sorcerer’s stone.

Dénouement: (Pronounced day-noo-ma. French for “untie.”) This is the plot's outcome. You can leave the reader thinking about the theme or future possibilities for the main character. Ex. Gryffindor wins the house cup, and Harry returns to the Dursleys.

Outer vs. Inner Plot

Regardless of which plot structure you choose, you need two plots–an outer plot, which is the action, and an inner plot, which (as its name suggests) is internal.

Again, the outer plot is all the outside action in a narrative arc. Ex. Harry goes to Hogwarts, finds the stone, etc. 

However, the outer plot can’t be all that makes up a story because that would be relatively boring and meaningless. Remember, what makes a story good is relating what it’s like to be human. To do this, writers use an inner plot. An inner plot is your main character’s internal arc and consists of something they need to learn or change. For example, if your main character needs courage, the inner plot is their journey to gaining courage.

Here’s a tip: the inner plot informs the outer plot. Suppose your main character needs to learn to be less stubborn. In that case, you don’t put that character in situations where everything always goes their way. You put that character in situations where the outside world challenges their inside world. You’re going to put that character in the face of “no” and never give them what they want and watch them have a fit.

If you have questions or comments, I’d love to hear them. Send me a message or find me on social media.