Dramatic Structure in Stories: 5 Elements of Dramatic Structure

Dramatic structure is the framework that allows a story’s plot to unfold. Aristotle’s ancient Greek text on dramatic theory, Poetics, was the first written work to examine story structure. Since then, writers and readers have used various approaches to dramatic structure to organize and analyze the plots of plays, poems, short stories, and novels. Dramatic structure is typically broken up into acts, scenes, and plot points. Examples of popular dramatic structures include the three-act structure and five-act structure.

During the nineteenth century, German playwright Gustav Freytag presented a plot diagram, commonly known as Freytag’s pyramid or Freytag’s triangle. Freytag's analysis of structure—which centers around a rising action, climax, and falling action—is now one of the most common tools for storytellers.

To learn more about dramatic structure, explore the five key elements of a typical story.

1. 1. Introduction: This early part of the story includes exposition—backstory information about the setting and the protagonist, or main character. After introducing the key elements of your story, present an inciting incident—also known as an exciting force—that disrupts the status quo of the story and sets the plot into motion.
2. 2. Rising action: Following the inciting incident, the main character enters a new world and moves toward a clear goal. The action rises along with the stakes as the protagonist faces obstacles and trials.
   
3. 3. Climax: The rising action culminates in a climax, or the turning point of the story arc. At this stage, the protagonist faces their main conflict head-on, opposing the antagonistic force of the story—typically a villain.
4. 4. Falling action: Immediately following the climax, the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels, creating suspense about the final outcome. The falling action is often out of the protagonist’s control.
5. 5. Resolution: Sometimes called the denouement, the resolution of a story concludes the plot, tying up loose ends and answering final questions.

Although there is a vast variety of methods for structuring stories, consider these general tips for how to best structure your story.

1. 1. Identify your theme. Before locking in a plot structure, find the central theme of your story. Integrate the central philosophical question of your theme throughout the dramatic arc of your story.
2. 2. Develop your characters. Identify the goals, desires, needs, and weaknesses of your main character. The more you develop your protagonist, the clearer your story structure will become. Alongside the main plot of your story, create subplots that develop your secondary characters, including allies, mentors, and antagonists.
3. 3. Experiment with genre. Different genres include different tropes when it comes to story structure. Depending on the genre of your story, choose a story structure that either confirms or subverts the expectations of that genre.
4. 4. Choose a plot structure for your story. Dramatic structures can be linear, cyclical, or non-linear with flashbacks. The most common plot structure in films and television is a three-act structure with a clear first, second, and third act. Two-act stories often include a climactic midpoint where the stakes rise or the protagonist’s goal changes.
5. 5. Adapt your structure when necessary. The possibilities for potential dramatic structures are nearly endless. Be prepared to change your dramatic structure based on how your story unfolds on the page. Stay open-minded during the writing process to determine whether your dramatic structure is organic and authentic to the story you’re telling.

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