1. Identify the sections in a plot diagram. One of the more traditional ways to structure a story is to use the triangle plot diagram, also known as Freytag's Pyramid. Freytag’s Pyramid is broken into six sections: the set up, the inciting incident, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution. The diagram appears like a triangle or a pyramid, with the set up at the bottom of the triangle, followed by the build up of the inciting incident and the rising action. The tip of the triangle is the climax of the story, which is then followed by downward slant of the falling action and flattening out of the triangle, or the resolution of the story.[1][2]

This type of plot diagram is often used in novels to help structure the action of the story. It can be a useful way to make sure you have all the necessary elements of a story in your novel and many readers will respond positively to a text that is structured based on a plot diagram that has a rise and fall.

You can draw your own plot diagram and write out each section or plot point directly on it. Sometimes it can be helpful to have a visual reference as a guide for your story.

2. Create a strong set up. Though many novels start by folding the set up into the inciting incident, it may help you to write down your set up during the planning stages of your story. Identifying the set up of your story could also help you identify your protagonist as well as the themes or main ideas in your story.[3]

Your set up should include the setting of the story, information about your protagonist, and introduce the protagonist’s conflict. It may be a few lines that address these elements or an actual scene where your protagonist is speaking to other characters and moving around in the setting.

For example, the set up for the first book in the wildly popular Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, focuses on introducing the reader to the protagonist of the series, Harry Potter. It also introduces the reader to the world of the Muggles and the world of wizards at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

3. Identify the inciting incident. The inciting incident in your story will be the event that changes the course of your main character’s life. It should take the protagonist by surprise and feel risky to the protagonist. Often, the inciting incident appears right after the set up is introduced in a novel.[4][5]

For example, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the inciting incident is when Harry is visited by Hagrid the Giant and told that he is a wizard and has been accepted into Hogwarts. This information changes Harry’s life and his trajectory as a character. He leaves his unhappy situation with the Dursleys in the Muggle world and journeys to Hogwarts with Hagrid. This incident then sets off a chain of events in Harry’s life.

4. Create rising action. The rising action, or the upward slope from the inciting incident to the climax, is often the longest section of a novel or a story. In the rising action section, you will develop your characters, explore their relationships to each other and pace out all the important events that will allow you to get to the climax. The rising action should get more suspenseful the closer you get to the climax.[6]

Because the rising action section is often made of a series of events, you can outline each event in your plot diagram. Make sure the events become more suspenseful and continue to up the stakes the closer you get to the climax.

For example, the series of events in the rising action of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone could be outlined as follows:

Harry goes shopping with Hagrid for his wizardry supplies on Diagon Alley, including his magic wand.

Harry leaves the Dursley home and takes the train to Hogwarts on the 9 ¾ platform. He then meets three main characters in the series: Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry’s nemesis, Draco Malfoy.

Harry is given the Invisibility Cloak.

Harry finds out about the Philosopher's stone and shares this information with Ron and Hermione.

5. Write out the climax of the story. The climax of your story is the high point and should feel like the most important moment for the protagonist. It could be a major setback or challenge that the protagonist has to deal with or a big decision the protagonist has to make. Often, the climax will be an external event that the protagonist has to survive to get to the falling action and the resolution of the story.[7]

For example, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the climax of the story appears when Harry realizes there is a plot afoot to steal the Philosopher’s stone. He then teams up with Ron and Hermione to try to protect it.

6. Identify the falling action. The falling action is usually the most action-packed part of the story, where your story is speeding down the tracks of the roller coaster to reach the resolution. The reader should be in suspense throughout the falling action and learn how the protagonist deals with the climax of the story.[8]

Your falling action may occur over several chapters, especially if the protagonist is dealing with a big climax. The falling action can feel like a journey, albeit a fast paced one, that gets the characters to the resolution of the story.

For example, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry has to make a series of life or death decision to save the Philosopher’s Stone from falling into the wrong hands. This quest is spread out over several chapters and is paced so that Harry has to defeat several obstacles to achieve his goal.

7. Create a resolution to the story. The resolution to a story is sometimes called a conclusion, as it occurs at the very end of the novel. It should let the reader know if your protagonist is successful and achieves what he wants, or if he fails. Often, the resolution also reveals how the protagonist has been changed over the course of the book. This could be a gradual change that is physical, mental, psychological, or all of the above. Your protagonist should view their world differently at the end of the novel than they did at the beginning of the novel.[9]

For example, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the resolution occurs when Harry confronts Professor Quirrell in the final room that contains the Philosopher’s Stone. Quirrell is soon revealed to be possessed by Lord Voldemort and Harry struggles with Voldemort for the Stone. Harry passes out during the struggle and wakes up in the school hospital, surrounded by his friends. Dumbledore tells Harry he survived because of the power of the love of his mother. The Stone is then destroyed, Voldemort goes back underground, and Harry returns to the Dursley’s for summer break.

8. Play with moving around the sections of your plot diagram. Though starting with the standard plot diagram can be useful in the drafting stages, you should also consider adjusting the sections and moving them around in subsequent drafts of your story. Consider starting with the inciting incident right away and then moving into the set up, or moving the climax so it appears at the very end of your story, rather than in the later half of the story. Playing around with the plot diagram can make your story feel more unique and dynamic.[10]

Keep in mind not all stories have happy endings. In fact, some of the best stories have very unhappy endings. Consider the resolution as a way to explore the changes in your protagonist, even if they are small, rather than giving the protagonist exactly what he or she wants. Sometimes, a resolution that ends with failure can be more interesting than one that ends with success.