1. Writing with a plot and a conflict. Character: person, animal, object who has an active role in a story Plot: organized events that make a story Conflict: problem or struggle to be overcome internal: within yourself external: between characters Narrative

2. Character Analysis Characters are an essential part of every story or narrative. – hold a story together, without them, there are just random events with nothing connecting them together. – When writing a story authors create realistic figures, with personalities the reader can understand and relate to. Character Analysis is an important skill for a reader, because it is the ability to interpret how a character’s actions and words show what the character is like.

3. Character Description Character traits: words which describe a character’s personality – Usually adjectives evil patriotic adventurous

4. Characterization: the way a character is described by the author, both implicitly and explicitly. – Direct: when the author clearly explains what the character is like (evil, intelligent, wild) – Indirect: what is revealed about the character in other ways, such as: LOOKS: their appearance ACTS: Things they do SAYS: How they talk/what they say Characterization

5. Key characters in a narrative: Protagonist - the “good guy” or force in the story (the central character) Antagonist - the “bad guy” in the story who causes problems for the protagonist Character

6. TermsDefinition Plot Diagram Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution Graphic organizer used to outline the plot of a story the beginning, which establishes the key information (character, setting) major events that develop the plot and lead to the climax the turning point in a story; the event with the greatest effect on the outcome events after climax which lead toward the ending the outcome of the conflict; how the story ends

7. Plot Diagram 2 1 3 4 5 Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution

8. Three Little Pigs…. Three little pigs left their mother’s home to start their own lives. They each built their own house and were living happily, until a hungry wolf came along. Well, the first pig was lazy and built his house of straw. So the wolf huffed and puffed, and easily blew the house down and devoured the first pig. The second pig made his house of sticks. It was also too weak to keep out the wolf, and he blew it down and got the second pig too. Finally, the third, hard-working pig built his house of brick, and no amount of huffing and puffing would help the wolf get in. The wolf even tried to sneak in through the chimney and fell into a kettle of water and was never again a problem for the third little pig!

9. Three Little Pigs Pigs leave home and build their houses. One day, a wolf comes along. Wolf comes to the first house of straw and blows down it down; gets pig. Wolf destroys the second stick house, gets another pig. Wolf goes to the third brick house, huffs, puffs, but can’t tear it down. Wolf tries to get into brick house, but falls in hot water. Third pig is never bothered by the wolf again. Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Resolution