1. Creative Writing

2. Plot Line

3. Plot Review Exposition: beginning of a story. The main character, conflict and setting are introduced. Rising Action: important actions involving the main character and his or her problem that builds suspense in the story. Climax: the most exciting part, the moment of truth, when the character confronts his or her problem. Falling Action: what happens after the climax-how the main character deals with life after the moment of truth. Resolution (Denouement): end of the story. We find out what happens to the characters after the conflict is resolved.

4. Developing Believable Characters Characters are the people in your story. You make them come alive through their actions and through the adjectives you use to describe them. Round vs. Flat characters The more believable your characters are and the more dramatic your conflict, the better your story will be. Internal vs. External

5. Story Patterns The Quest The main character goes on a journey into the unknown, overcomes a number of obstacles, and returns either victorious or wiser. The Discovery Main character follows a trail of clues to discover an amazing secret. The Rite of Passage (Coming of Age, Bildungsroman) The Choice The main character must make a decision and tension builds as the decision approaches. The Union Two people fall in love, but they are held apart by a number of obstacles. As they struggle, their love only grows stronger. Sometimes they succeed, and sometimes they fail. The Reversal The main character follows one course of action until something causes him or her to think or act in a different way.