Commencement - development, climax - denouement: difficulties of interpretation and understanding. Prologue – plot – development of action – climax – denouement – ​​epilogue

part three

It is more difficult for a writer to describe the everyday
life than an exclusive situation.
Ilya Shevelev

According to the laws of literature, the plot of any work must be completed

In the classical version, a plot is considered such if it contains five components: exposition (and plot), development of action, climax, winding down of action And denouement. Subjects modern works often built according to a lightweight scheme: plot – development of action – climax – denouement or even more simplified plot – action – climax (aka denouement).

The classical scheme is more suitable for solid, slowly developing plots; it is used when writing thick books, scripts for plays, and thoughtful films. The lightweight scheme is better suited to our high-speed world; it is used to write scripts for cartoons and action films, as well as for all kinds of comics and other graphic works, where such quality of the plot as its rapid development is important.

Which scheme you prefer is up to you to decide. Below I will show you different variants development of the action and give you a couple of tips on how to build a plot depending on the genre of the work. But first, first things first.

1.Exposition.

First of all, we inform the reader about where and at what time the action takes place, introduce the characters, briefly tell their story, and introduce the reader to them. There is no conflict here yet, as such, but the prerequisites for it can be identified.
Lorraine moves to new apartment, meets neighbors, calls a friend– this is our exposition: we introduced the reader to the main character, indicated the time and place of action, indirectly told about the rest characters. The beginnings of the conflict here can be shown through the peculiar relationships of the girls, on the basis of which the shoots of misunderstanding and jealousy will soon arise.
How long the exposition will be depends entirely on the author and his intention. For works with a fast-paced plot, a couple of lines are enough to introduce the reader to the essence of the matter; for works with a drawn-out plot, the introduction is usually made larger. Try not to overdo it, not to stretch the tie and at the same time not to crumple it too much.

2. The beginning.

Not to be confused with exposure! Actually plot– this is the event from which it all begins. We can say this: if a conflict is the cause of a war, then the beginning is a reason for it, like a violation of a peace treaty.
And in our story, what will serve as a “trigger” for the development of the plot, what event? I think that the action will begin with the acquaintance of our heroines with the handsome Dave, because it is after this that everything will start spinning and spinning. This means that in our case, the beginning of the plot can be considered the dating scene.
Usually the plot is the moment when the hero is given an important task that he must complete, or he, the hero, must make his choice. The author usually uses this situation to define the conflict, show exactly what the differences between the hero and the villain are, describe exactly how each of them perceives the problem facing them, and subtly hint at what each of them intends to do next.

Now, a young man appeared in the girls’ field of vision, whom they both liked, but he liked Lorraine more, and Inga was infuriated by this. Lorraine is embarrassed that this happened, but she likes the guy and intends to continue their acquaintance. Inga is annoyed, but is not going to do anything yet; she chose to step aside and let her friend do whatever she sees fit.

At the same time, the writer, having ensured that the reader is clearly interested in his story, slowly begins to unwind his intrigue (who will win and who will be left with his nose? How will it end?) and at the same time, gradually presenting to us the main idea of ​​the work (“friendship and love will conquer all" or, conversely, "none, even the most strong friendship will not withstand betrayal").
There doesn't have to be just one premise; In serious works, authors usually put many plot lines at once - love line, family, detective, political and other, other. The authors of series usually limit themselves to one single line, but no one is stopping you from making several of them. So, as many storylines as there will be, there will be as many ties; they can be scattered throughout the text, but don’t forget: every situation must have a logical conclusion, which means that every tying will have a continuation and denouement. There should be no storylines started but not completed.

3. Development of action in an ascending manner.

This is where the unlimited flight of fantasy begins! The author invents the most incredible plot moves, places the characters in different difficult situations, describes their experiences on this matter and tells us how trials strengthen the characters’ characters, what lessons they learn for themselves.

Heroes must change, this is very important! If from first to last episode the hero has not changed at all if he is still the same and perceives the world the same way as before, if he has not endured any valuable lessons, then you have not fulfilled your task as a writer. Why did this story need to be told? What was her deep meaning? What did the author want to tell us? It turns out that there was no point in anything, I didn’t want to say anything, and, in general, there was nothing to talk about.

The action should not be incoherent: here our heroes were caught by a maniac, but they, incomprehensibly escaping from the tormentor, find themselves at an abandoned nuclear station for no reason. Plot moves should “cling” to each other, like loops in knitting, then you will get a solid sock, that is, excuse me, a story.
It would be best if, before describing any move, you slightly “reveal your cards” in advance and give a modest, imperceptible hint that, very possibly, such and such will happen soon. Just a hint, nothing more. For example, if you planned that in an episode or two your hero will threaten someone with a gun, it would be nice to announce now that this cute young man is the proud owner firearms or has the habit of going to the shooting range, where he was noticed as a good shooter. At least, when the reader sees that your Cool Walker is taking aim at his opponent and threatening to shoot off an important part of the poor fellow’s body, he will not have the feeling that he, the reader, was hit in the head with a log. On the contrary, he will be pleased with himself: wow, I already guessed in the last episode what to expect from this ranger!

Everything you hinted at in the opening should be developed and fleshed out. The conflict must grow steadily. Let the characters show themselves from different sides, let new participants be involved in the conflict, let those who initially remained silent speak out.

Take, for example, our conflict, which we have already outlined. Two friends quarreled over a guy and are trying to share him, and at the same time maintain friendly relations. And the guy? How does he feel in such a situation? What does he want? What are his intentions regarding each of the girls? Or maybe he doesn't care?

Steadily develop the storyline from episode to episode. If there are several storylines, it is even more interesting, let them intersect, intertwine, “push” each other. The heroine is more likely to commit suicide if her friend betrayed her, she ran out of money, and she had problems at work than if any of these troubles occurred.
So, gradually building up the tension, we step by step bring the heroes to the very important stage throughout history. This climax.

“The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is one of the most ancient and controversial monuments ancient Russian literature. Researchers put forward about authorship, composition, literary kind, interpretation of the plot, the time of writing this work. All this happens because the “Word” was written almost ten centuries ago, during which time the manuscript underwent many tests (fires, floods, wars) and edits (each monk added something of his own when rewriting). We can only guess about the history of this legend and enjoy reading it. In order for the understanding of the text to be as complete as possible, we briefly described its compositional elements: what is what, and where is it located?

1. Lyrical introduction. “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” begins with a lyrical introduction, in which the author emphasizes the priority of the authenticity of his work. He turns to the ancient storyteller Boyan, showing him respect, but rejecting his literary method.
2. Exposition serves as a characteristic of Igor. There we will find the reasons that prompted the prince, together with his brother Vsevolod, to go on a campaign against the Polovtsians. Unknown author emphasizes that the ruler made this decision, guided by the desire for personal glory, and not by the interests of Rus'.
3. The beginning talks about the performance of Igor’s army. Bad sign - solar eclipse- did not embarrass the reckless prince, but this event tells readers what the outcome of the campaign will be. Despite the fact that the author declares the priority of reliability, historical information, numbers, details are not here, for the narrator it is more important to convey the idea and atmosphere.
4. Development of action shown in the description of the battles of the Russians and Polovtsians. The first battle was victorious, which intoxicated the warriors. The next day there was another sign of nature - bloody dawns and black clouds with blue lightning. And khans Gzak and Konchak rush to the battlefield.
5. Climax- This is the second battle with the Polovtsians, which ended in the defeat of the Russians. And how fatal this loss is, how important it would be for Igor to humble his pride and listen to Grand Duke Svyatoslav, a short excursion into history shows. Igor’s grandfather, Oleg Svyatoslavich, nicknamed Gorislavich, began strife, making the Russian land defenseless in the face of the enemy. Only under Svyatoslav did the situation return to normal, but the self-will of his sons Igor and Svyatoslav brought all efforts to naught.
6. The transition from climax to denouement is insert episodes : Svyatoslav’s dream and his “golden word”, as well as Yaroslavna’s cry. Through the dream, the prince’s experiences for native land, sons. It is filled with symbols: pearls, a mansion without a prince on the roof, the cawing of ravens. “The Golden Word” contains journalistic pathos, in it Svyatoslav once again emphasizes the recklessness of Igor’s act and calls for unity. Yaroslavna’s cry is the complete opposite, it is filled with sadness and love, she asks all the forces of nature for mercy for her beloved husband.
7. Denouement- Igor's escape from captivity. The faithful man Ovlur got the prince a horse; the captive, despite the chase, ends up in his native land. He overcomes everything to get home. The Russian land welcomes him, he realized his mistakes, which means everything can be corrected.
8. Epilogue- “Glory”, which the author sings to the Russian rulers. He praises the princes - past and present - for fighting against the enemy, although not always successfully. What is success? The answer to this question is obvious; this is the leitmotif of “The Lay”: strength in unity.

“The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” is an ancient Russian epic novel that reflected all the aspirations of the Russian people, their way of life, and feelings. The author glorifies the Motherland, cares for it with his soul, wants to make it stronger and better, so he shouts about main problem- civil strife, which after about a hundred years will lead the Russian land to the Tatar-Mongol yoke.

Who buttoned the first button incorrectly
It won't fasten properly anymore.
Goethe

START OF THE WORK. Prologue, exposition, plot

1. Prologue
2. Exposition
Exposure functions
Expanded and fast-paced exposition
Exhibition elements
Direct and indirect exposure
Introduction of the main character
3. Tie
Trigger
4. First paragraph

The beginning of a work is often likened to a small pebble, which, having rolled down a mountain, carries others along with it and leads to a rockfall.
The success of the work depends on how deftly the author launches the starting stone.
This will be discussed in this article.

In the classic version, the following parts are distinguished: work of art:
- prologue
- exposition
- string
- development
- climax
- epilogue

This list and order are not mandatory. The prologue and epilogue may not be present in the narrative, and the exposition can be located anywhere and not necessarily in its entirety.
The plots of modern works are often built according to a simplified scheme: plot - development of action - climax - denouement, or according to an even more simplified plot - action - climax (also known as denouement).

The classic scheme is more suitable for solid, slowly developing plots. A lightweight scheme is used where rapid development of the plot is necessary.

The beginning is more than half of everything.
Aristotle

PROLOGUE
- the introductory (initial) part of a literary-artistic, literary-critical, journalistic work, which anticipates the general meaning, plot-plot basis or main motives of the work, or briefly outlines the events that precede the main content.
IN narrative genres(novel, story, short story, etc.) the prologue always has artistic and aesthetic significance, becoming a kind of prehistory of the plot, and in literary criticism, journalism and other documentary genres can be perceived as a preface.

Prologue
I still have memories and one photograph from our class. Group portrait with class teacher in the center, girls around and boys on the edges. The photograph had faded, and since the photographer carefully pointed at the teacher, the edges, blurred during the shooting, were now completely blurred; sometimes it seems to me that they blurred because the boys in our class long ago faded into oblivion, never having had time to grow up, and their features were dissolved by time.
<…>
For some reason, even now I don’t want to remember how we ran away from classes, smoked in the boiler room and created a crush in the locker room, so that at least for a moment we could touch the one we loved so secretly that we did not admit it to ourselves. I spend hours looking at a faded photograph, at the already blurred faces of those who are not on this earth: I want to understand. After all, no one wanted to die, right?
And we didn’t even know that death was on duty outside the threshold of our class. We were young, and the ignorance of youth is made up for by faith in our own immortality. But of all the boys who look at me from the photograph, four remain alive.
How young we were. (B. Vasiliev. Tomorrow there was a war)

Through the prologue, the author introduces the reader to the world of his memories of his youth, introduces him to his former classmates and teachers, to school and parents. At the same time, the writer seems to be reflecting, pondering and reevaluating everything that happened to him forty years ago.

Another example of a prologue is the film “Pokrovsky Gates,” remember?
Director Mikhail Kazakov carefreely travels through Moscow in the 70s. He drives up to the old dilapidated house in which he spent his youth. The voiceover and the very fact that the house is being destroyed sets the viewer on a nostalgic note.

Thus, the FUNCTION of the PROLOGUE is to convey the events that prepare the main action.

However, the prologue is NOT the first episode of the narrative to be forcibly cut off from it.
The events of the prologue should not duplicate the events of the initial episode, but should generate intrigue precisely in combination with it.
The mistake is to create an intriguing prologue that is not connected to the beginning by time, place, characters, or idea. The connection between the prologue and the beginning of the story may be obvious, it may be hidden, but it must be there.

A PROLOGUE IS NEEDED IF:

1. The author wants to start the story slowly, and then make a sharp transition to dynamics and drama. In this case, several phrases are inserted into the prologue, hinting at the climax, but, of course, not revealing it.

An example is the same story by Vasiliev “And tomorrow there was war”

2. The author wants to describe in detail the preceding events - who did what in what year and what came of it. This type of prologue allows for a leisurely, sequential narrative with a detailed presentation of exposition.
In this case, a maximum time gap is allowed between the prologue and the main narrative, which serves as a pause, and the exposition becomes minimal and serves only those events that give impetus to the action, and not the entire novel.

An example is Volkov’s fairy tale “Yellow Fog”, in the prologue of which the author reproduces the continuous continuity of the narrative - history Fairyland and the dream of the sorceress Arachne, five thousand years long.

3. Set the reader to a certain emotional wave.
In this case, allusions and allegories are possible in the prologue.
An example is Andrei Bely’s novel “Petersburg”

PROLOGUE
Your Excellencies, Highnesses, Nobility, Citizens!
What is our Russian Empire?
Our Russian Empire is a geographical unity, which means: part
famous planet. And the Russian Empire concludes: firstly, Great, Small, White and Red Rus'; secondly - the Georgian, Polish, Kazan and Astrakhan kingdoms; thirdly, it concludes... But - so on, so on, so on.

(in this phrase Bely parodies the full official title of the Russian emperor, which included about 60 names of the lands subject to him ("Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia, Moscow, Kiev, Vladimir, Novgorod, Tsar of Kazan, Tsar of Astrakhan, Tsar of Poland, Tsar of Tauride Chersonis", etc.) etc.) and ending with the words: “and so on, and so on, and so on”)

<…>And we won’t dwell on it.
Let's talk more about St. Petersburg: there is St. Petersburg, or
St. Petersburg, or Peter (something the same). Based on the same judgments
Nevsky Prospect is St. Petersburg Prospect.
Nevsky Prospect has a striking property: it consists of
spaces for public circulation; numbered houses limit it; numbering goes in order of houses - and searches the right house are greatly relieved.
<…>
If you continue to assert the most absurd legend - the existence of a one and a half million Moscow population - then you will have to admit that the capital will be Moscow, because only in capitals can there be a population of one and a half million; but in the provincial cities there is no one and a half million population, there has never been, there never will be. And according to an absurd legend, it turns out that the capital is not St. Petersburg.
If St. Petersburg is not the capital, then there is no St. Petersburg. It only seems that he exists

(Asserting the motif of the “unreality” of St. Petersburg, Bely follows the poetic tradition of depicting the city in the works of Gogol (see the ending of the story “Nevsky Prospekt”) and Dostoevsky (“Teenager”, part I, chapter 8, I).

“The theme of “Petersburg” by Andrei Bely grew out of the two-hundred-year-old mythology of St. Petersburg, the creation of which dates back to the time of the founding of the city. In its most acute form, Bely's "Petersburg" confronts " To the Bronze Horseman"Pushkin and at the same time, as it were, continues and develops his ideas<…>Petersburg in Bely’s “Petersburg” is not between East and West, but East and West at the same time, that is, the whole world” (c) D. Likhachev

Find the beginning of everything, and you will understand a lot.
Kozma Prutkov

EXPOSITION
- depiction of the arrangement of characters and circumstances immediately preceding the unfolding of the plot action.

EXPOSURE FUNCTIONS:

Determine the place and time of the events described,
- introduce the characters,
- show the circumstances that will be the prerequisites for the conflict.

Diderot wrote: “The first act of a drama is perhaps its most difficult part: it must open the action, develop, sometimes expound and always connect.”

Let's look at an example - how to “state” and “connect” this?

Script for the film “Office Romance”. The voiceover is on behalf of the main character - comrade Anatoly Efremovich Novoseltsev.

“As everyone knows, work ennobles a person.
And that’s why people are happy to go to work.
Personally, I go to service only because it ennobles me.
If there were no statistics, we would not even suspect how well we are working” (c) - place and time of action + self-presentation of the hero = presentation of the characters.

“Lyudmila Prokofyevna Kalugina, director of our statistical institution.
She knows the business she runs. This also happens.
Lyudmila Prokofyevna comes to work before everyone else and leaves later than everyone else, from which it is clear that she, alas, is not married.
We call it "our mymra".
Of course, behind the scenes” (c) – representation of the characters, a hint of conflict.

“Every morning on the way to work I get rid of my skanks.
- Here's 40 kopecks, you can buy two cartons of milk. And don't forget!
- OK!
“And don’t forget to have breakfast, do you hear!” (c) – self-presentation of the hero = presentation of the characters

“My name is Anatoly Efremovich, my last name is Novoseltsev.
I live only on my salary, that is, from paycheck to paycheck.
In a word, I'm getting out...
In a word, I’m spinning” (c) - self-presentation of the hero = presentation of the characters + a hint of conflict.

And this is Olga Petrovna Ryzhova...
Olya.
Olya is my most faithful friend.
We became friends a long time ago, back in college.
What I love most about her is that she is an optimist - no matter what happens!
A Earth, as you know, it’s the optimists who turn” (c) – representation of the characters

Balance and precision in defining characters and circumstances should be the virtue of exposition.

EXHIBITION VOLUME

By classic scheme About 20% of the total volume of the work is allocated to exposition and plot. But in fact, the amount of exposure depends entirely on author's intention. For works with a fast-paced plot, a couple of lines are enough to introduce the reader to the essence of the matter; for works with a drawn-out plot, the introduction is usually made larger.

An example of an extensive exhibition is Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”

The action develops slowly and slowly, the viewer’s entry into the world of the “dark kingdom” occupies the entire 1st act and the beginning of the 2nd. The viewer has the opportunity to carefully examine the surroundings of the provincial merchant town of Kalinov, taking the time to get acquainted with the life and customs of its inhabitants.
IN in this case the playwright's task is to create detailed picture, which does not raise any doubts in the viewer about the authenticity of what is happening on stage.

An example of fast-paced exposition is Conan Doyle's story "The Redheads' Union."

“It was last fall. An elderly gentleman, very plump and fiery red-haired, was sitting with Sherlock Holmes. I wanted to go in, but I saw that both of them were engrossed in conversation, and I hurried away. However, Holmes dragged me into the room and closed the door behind me.
“You could not have come at a better time, my dear Watson,” he said affably” (c)
And then comes the beginning of the plot.

In addition to the author’s tastes, the volume of the exhibition is also dictated by fashion, as sad as it may be. The requirement of modern editors is that the exposition should begin with a dynamic and exciting scene in which the main character is involved.

EXHIBITION ELEMENTS

The beginning of something has long been designed to seduce.
Ernst Simon Bloch

“At the end of 1811, in an era memorable to us, the good Gavrila Gavrilovich R** lived on his estate Nenaradov” (Pushkin. Blizzard)

The reader should be introduced to the main characters - and in detail that will later be used in the conflict...

“He was famous throughout the district for his hospitality and cordiality; neighbors constantly went to him to eat, drink, play Boston for five kopecks with his wife, and some in order to look at their daughter, Marya Gavrilovna, a slender, pale and seventeen-year-old girl. She was considered a rich bride, and many expected her to marry them or their sons.
Marya Gavrilovna was raised in French novels, and, therefore, was in love. The subject she chose was a poor army ensign who was on leave in his village." (Pushkin. Blizzard)

...as well as the preconditions for the conflict

“It goes without saying that the young man was burning with equal passion and that the parents of his beloved, noticing their mutual inclination, forbade their daughter to think about him, and he was received worse than a retired assessor.
Our lovers corresponded and saw each other alone every day in a pine grove or near the old chapel. There they swore to each other eternal love, complained about fate and made various assumptions. Corresponding and talking in this way, they (which is very natural) came to the following reasoning: if we cannot breathe without each other, and the will of cruel parents interferes with our well-being, then will it be impossible for us to do without it? Of course, this happy thought first came to mind young man and that Marya Gavrilovna’s romantic imagination liked her very much.” (Pushkin. Snowstorm)

All elements of the exhibition are “guns” hung on the walls, which must fire at the moment desired by the author.

TYPES OF EXPOSITION

There are many different ways of exhibiting. However, ultimately, they can all be divided into two main, fundamentally various types- direct and indirect exposure.

In the case of DIRECT EXPOSITION, the reader is introduced to the course of the matter, as they say, head-on and with complete frankness.

First young man. Is it true that, having fallen in love, a person straightens up like a flower in the light?
D eushka (thoughtfully). That also happens...
The second young woman (takes her hand and looks at it). But couldn’t it happen that the power of my love will change you beyond recognition, and you will become so beautiful that even I myself won’t recognize you?
Young woman. Who knows...
H o r. This is the story that happened on the Angara River, not far from the city of Irkutsk. In the mid-twentieth century, a powerful hydroelectric power station was built in those places...
- And three people met there.
- The story we are going to talk about is...
V a l I. Story of my life.
Sergey. And my...
V i k t o r (rather rudely). Mine too.
V a l I. My name is Valya.
V i k t o r. My name is Victor.
SERGEY (thoughtfully). And my name was Sergei.
L a r i s a (puts his hands on Valya’s shoulders). I'm friends with her, but this story is not about me. My name is Larisa... It's a shame, but I'll pass by.
S e r d u k. Serdyuk is my last name. I'm already over fifty, that's what's bad. (After thinking.) There are others involved in this story, but you will learn about them later.
H o r. This is the end of this story. Spring rain. It's getting dark. Valya stands on a wooden bridge near the Angara itself and thinks about how she should live further. (Arbuzov. Irkutsk history)

A striking example of direct exposition is the monologue of the main character with which the work begins.

I don't like to accept invitations long in advance. How can you guarantee that on such and such a day in three weeks or a month you will want to dine with such and such? Perhaps, in the meantime, an opportunity will arise to spend this evening more pleasantly, and when they invite so long ago, a large and ceremonious company will obviously gather. Well, what should we do? The day was set a long time ago, the invited guests could well have vacated it in advance, and you need a very compelling excuse for refusal, otherwise you will offend the hosts with discourtesy. You accept the invitation, and for a whole month this obligation weighs on you and darkens your mood. It disrupts the plans dear to your heart. It brings chaos into your life. In fact, there is only one way out - to dodge into the very last minute. But I either don’t have the courage to do this, or my conscience doesn’t allow it. (Maugham. Sense of Decency)

Another specific form of direct exposure is the self-recommendation of characters to the viewer - like what Anatoly Efremovich Novoseltsev did. Usually this technique is used to enhance the lyrical beginning.

INDIRECT EXPOSURE

It is formed gradually, consisting of a multitude of accumulating information. The viewer receives them in a veiled form; they are given as if by accident, unintentionally.

One day in the spring, at an hour of unprecedentedly hot sunset, two citizens appeared in Moscow, on the Patriarch's Ponds. The first of them, dressed in a gray summer pair, was vertically challenged, well-fed, bald, carried his decent hat like a pie in his hand, and on his well-shaven face were glasses of supernatural size in black horn frames. The second, a broad-shouldered, reddish, curly-haired young man in a checkered cap pulled back on his head, was wearing a cowboy shirt, chewy white trousers and black slippers.
The first was none other than Mikhail Aleksandrovich Berlioz, chairman of the board of one of the largest Moscow literary associations, called MASSOLIT for short, and editor of Tolstoy. art magazine, and his young companion is the poet Ivan Nikolaevich Ponyrev, writing under the pseudonym Bezdomny.
Finding themselves in the shade of slightly green linden trees, the writers first rushed to the colorfully painted booth with the inscription “Beer and water.” (Bulgakov. The Master and Margarita)

One of the tasks of the exposition is to prepare the appearance of the main character (or characters).
In the vast majority of cases, there is no main character in the first episode, and this is due to the following considerations.
The fact is that with the advent of the GG, the tension of the narrative intensifies, it becomes more intense and rapid. The possibilities for any detailed explanation, if not disappearing, are at least sharply decreasing. This is what forces the author to delay introducing the main character.

The novel “Fathers and Sons” begins with a scene in which Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov, worried, waits at the inn for his son Arkady, who has just graduated from university. First of all, Turgenev introduces information into the exhibition not about the main character - Bazarov, but about Kirsanov, a minor Persian.
The novel "War and Peace" begins with a description of Scherer's salon. It is not Pierre or Bolkonsky that Tolstoy shows us, but minor characters like Prince Vasily.
The list goes on. These works are united by the same desire of the authors - to prepare the ground for the appearance of the hero.

The hero must clearly attract the reader's attention. And here the most reliable way is to introduce the hero when the reader has already become interested in him from the stories of other characters and is now eager to get to know him better.

So, the exposition outlines - only in general outline! - the main character, whether he is good or bad. Under no circumstances should the author reveal his image to the end.
Firstly, talking a lot about the hero at the very beginning is boring and long. The reader will drown in multi-page descriptions of a completely uninteresting and unknown person.
Secondly, you can’t lose your main trump card in general plot construction– gradual development of the hero’s character. If the character is completely clear, then his actions will be easy to predict. The predictability of the plot is a big disadvantage for the work.

What one starts with must have the opportunity to grow.
Ernst Simon Bloch

The exposition effectively prepares the plot, the plot realizes the conflicting possibilities inherent and more or less tangibly developed in the exposition.
Exposition and plot are inextricably fused elements of a single initial stage works form the source of dramatic action.

TIE
- the moment from which the plot begins to move.

In Western literary criticism there is the concept of “trigger” = the triggering element of a novel. It marks the beginning of an action.
In most cases, it is triggered at the end of the exposition and after its activation, the course of the heroes’ previous lives becomes impossible.

For example, in “The Children of Captain Grant,” the trigger is that in the belly of a caught shark, the heroes of the novel find a bottle in which Captain Grant’s ship diaries are sealed. The need to search and possibly rescue the missing expedition forces the heroes to act, they set off on their journey.
In The Inspector General, the trigger is the story of the city gossips Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky about incognito from the capital.

There is an active trigger and a behind-the-scenes (trigger).

The voiceover is seemingly invisible to the reader, but certainly has an impact on the characters. For example, in “Hamlet” the trigger is the murder of Hamlet’s father, which was “offscreen”, but determined the entire course of events and the fate of the heroes of the tragedy.

In other words, the beginning is an important event, where the hero is given a certain task that he must/is forced to complete.
What kind of event this will be depends on the genre of the work. This could be the discovery of a corpse, the kidnapping of a hero, a message that the Earth is about to fly into the celestial axis, etc.

Most often, the premise is banal. It is very, very difficult to come up with something original - all the stories have already been invented before us. Each genre has its own cliches and hackneyed techniques. The author's task is not so much to show off in inventing a plot, but rather to make an original intrigue out of a standard situation.

There can be several plots - as many as the author has set up plot lines. These ties can be scattered throughout the text, but all of them must be developed and not hang in the air.

LAW - all presented ties must have a continuation and end with a denouement.

For example,
The bun lay there and lay there, and suddenly it rolled - from the window to the bench, from the bench to the floor, along the floor and to the doors, jumped over the threshold into the entryway, from the entryway to the porch, from the porch to the yard, from the yard beyond the gate, on and on. ..

FIRST PARAGRAPH

You should grab the reader by the throat in the first paragraph,
in the second - squeeze harder and hold it against the wall
until the last line.
Paul O'Neill. American writer

Read about the role of the first paragraph in a newspaper article by Randall D. Universal Journalist http://www.gumer.info/bibliotek_Buks/Gurn/Rendall/10.php

Works of fiction differ from journalistic works, but the role of the first paragraph remains.

“The first paragraph, sometimes called the introduction, should be a straight shot. It should give a clear idea of ​​the theme and mood of the entire book in which you have decided to write your deliberate and calculated story. If you come up with a beautiful stylistic phrase, it will be even better.
Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, for example, begins with a smooth, natural phrase:
“That night I dreamed that I was back in Manderley.”

This beginning corresponds so harmoniously to the book that it’s hard to believe that just a little more, the author would have chosen a different beginning. In her hesitation, however, there is a certain consolation for us - if the writer came up with the famous first line later, it means that we are not obliged to immediately bring the first sentence to perfection. We will still have a lot of time to achieve the desired effect.
<…>

Here is an example of the beginning of several stories, new and old, that fell into my hands. First Georges Simenon, and Les Fantomes du chapelier, a story first published in 1949, set in an unforgettable mood:

“It was the third of December and it was still raining. A black three-piece suit, with a slightly protruding belly, stood out against the whiteness of the calendar attached to the cash register, opposite the dark oak partition that separated the display case from the store itself. Exactly twenty days ago, because it happened on November 13 - another pot-bellied three on the calendar - the first old woman was killed near the Church of the Savior, a few steps from the canal.”

As is known, Simenon was a Belgian who wrote in French. He always tried to use ordinary language. Notice how simple and beautiful the language of this fragment is at the same time, what power it contains. There are no far-fetched phrases here that only distract the reader’s attention, but only consistent dark colors, expressive image an ordinary object, followed by a shocking message about a multiple murder. With these three sentences, Simenon conveyed the restless mood of the entire story.” (Leslie Grant-Adamson)

© Copyright: Copyright Competition -K2, 2013
Certificate of publication No. 213092602051
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Wow! (I rub my hands contentedly) - this is what I miss!
thank you, I say!
Eloise Hume 09.26.2013 22:56

Yes, yes, Eloise, stay tuned - Fifth School is coming
Copyright Competition -K2 09.26.2013 23:14

Much has been sorted into shelves. I understood this: I found inspiration, the need to speak out was ripe, and I did it. Then he took his opus in his hands and, if necessary, edited it according to the rules of literary science.
Alexandra Strizheva 09/27/2013 11:41

Let's sharpen the inspiration of the form!
Yuri Kamaletdinov 09/27/2013 12:35

But, by the way, I thought. What is more important? inspiration or form? (smile)
Eloise Hume 09.27.2013 17:50

I would venture to suggest that the “fire” without a “vessel” will quickly go out under water and wind. And a “vessel” without “fire” has no meaning.
Boa constrictor Yuzik 09.27.2013 19:09

What kind of fire is this that is in the vessel? stool?

Just finishing my planned essay,
we understand why we should
start it. (c) Blaise Pascal

In the classic version, the following parts of a work of art are distinguished:
- prologue
- exposition
- string
- development
- climax
- epilogue

This article will focus on the finale of a work of art.

1. Proportionality of parts of the text
2. Crisis
Decisive choice
3. Climax
4. Downward action
Denouement
Final conflict
5. Epilogue

PROPORTIONALITY

An experienced author is usually distinguished from a beginner by the proportionality of the parts of the work.
A beginner sits down to write, in love with his idea. He sketches out the beginning of the work quite quickly - intuitively feeling both the exposition and the plot, but then the difficulties begin.
The main reason is that the author did not think through the entire work to the end. And a novice author often doesn’t even know that this needs to be thought through. He has never heard of the elements of composition and believes that everyone writes like him - on a whim. Alas.

The most common flaws in the development of action:

The result is a cephalopod text, eighty percent consisting of an introduction, then a couple of paragraphs about the middle and a sacramental end - “in general, everyone died.”

Disproportionality – typical mistake novice authors.
What to do?
Double-check yourself and your creation using arithmetic. Break your item into meaningful parts and count the signs - the result will surprise you.

According to the classical scheme, 20% of the volume is allocated to the introduction, 50% to the main action, 10% to the climax and 20% to the denouement.
Experiments with structure are, of course, possible, but are they always justified?

- develop the planned plot threads. It is possible to add new, secondary ones, but not to the detriment of the main idea of ​​the work.

Develop images of the main characters. It is possible to introduce new characters, but again, taking into account the main idea.

Draw the reader into emotional experiences about what is happening.

“People read books to empathize with the characters and worry about them. If someone asks you to look for hidden symbolism, vague hints, and consider the nuances of various philosophical views, guessing at the subtext, comprehending the meaning of the existential - don’t listen. This has ruined many writers and readers. People read books to experience what the characters feel. People want to laugh, cry, suffer with them. If you are a writer, your the main task- make the reader empathize” (c) James N. Frey. How to write a brilliant novel.

The middle of the work is actually the story itself that the author tells.
This may be a non-standard situation in the characters’ lives or, conversely, a standard one, but with an inadequate reaction of the characters.
The plot threads intertwine, complement and mutually decorate each other.
The intensity of passions is growing, the conflict indicated in the beginning has reached its boiling point, the problem that confronted the hero at the very beginning must be resolved, or it will destroy him.

A CRISIS is coming.

A crisis is a state of affairs in which a decisive change in one direction or another is inevitable.

Hercule Poirot gathers the passengers of the Orient Express to tell them who killed Ratchett.
Bazarov is preparing for a decisive explanation with Odintsova.
The “Water Society” in Kislovodsk relishes with pleasure the insidious slander against Princess Mary spread by Grushnitsky and his friend.

And here attention! The crisis described must correspond to the chosen genre. For example, in a fiction story the story always plays the role of background, and the point of greatest tension occurs when the characters stop believing in the possibility of happiness.

A crisis prompts the protagonist to take action - he tries to get rid of danger and/or get what he wants.

At the same time, the crisis is the flowering of the reader’s feelings towards the hero.
The protagonist faces serious problems. The reader tries them on himself and is horrified.
The reader identifies with the Protagonist and admires his behavior.
The reader understands the motives of the Antagonist, but at the same time does not share his beliefs and does not support his ideology.

Throughout the entire narrative, the hero constantly found himself at forks = plot twists, made decisions - what to do next?
And finally, the hero has reached the moment of the main decision, before him is the DECISIVE CHOICE.

The hero commits a certain action that leads the plot to its climax.
The decisive choice that the hero is forced to make manifests itself in the form of the CLIMAX POINT.

For example, a burglar breaks into a house. The decisive choice of the owner of the house is self-defense, and the climax is the moment when the owner hits the robber in the head.

Sometimes the choice and the climax are connected to each other, turning into one action, in other cases quite a lot of time can pass between them.

The climax is the peak of the plot, highest point conflict of the work, the point of its resolution, when the reader understands whether the thesis or antithesis wins.

According to James N. Frey:

The climax is the target, and the plot is the arrow flying towards it.
The climax is the opposite shore to which you build a bridge in your work.
The culmination is the finish of the marathon.
The climax is the final blow to the battle that unfolds in your work.
You can say it differently.
The plot is a question mark, the climax is an exclamation mark.
The plot is hunger, the climax is saturation.
The plot is a throw of the puck, a hand on the hilt, a finger on trigger, the climax is a bullet between the eyes.
Climax is the end for which the beginning was born.

At the climax, the coward gains courage, the loved one agrees to marry, the loser wins, the winner loses, the saint sins, the sinners atone for their sins. This is what is meant by the definition of climax as “revolutionary change.” The state of things is changing dramatically: everything is turned upside down.

The work lives from the beginning (conflict!) to the climax (conflict!) - until the moment when it becomes clear: who wins.

IN tragic work The climax most often becomes the death of the hero.
In dramatic life story heroes at the moment of highest tension are led through difficult situation, after which the tension subsides.
In a comedy, as a rule, the climax occurs at the moment when all the secrets are revealed and the characters find themselves in a funny and awkward situation.
In a detective story, the climax is the moment when the name of the killer (kidnapper, robber) is called.

In literary and artistic works of epic genres, significant in volume, such as “Anna Karenina” and “War and Peace” by L.N. Tolstoy, “The Idiot” and “The Brothers Karamazov” by F.M. Dostoevsky, “The Life of Klim Samgin” by M. Gorky, “ Quiet Don" and "Virgin Soil Upturned" by M.A. Sholokhov, “The Master and Margarita” by M.A. Bulgakov, where, as a rule, several plot lines are intertwined, not one, but several climaxes are possible, each of which can play a decisive role in the readers’ perception of the text.

DOWN-DOWN ACTION

However, the climax is not the end of the work.
The author needs to complete the story = wind down the action, show how the narrative environment has changed as a result of the resolution of the conflict.
It is desirable that the speed at which the plot unfolds matches the speed at which it unfolds. Although options are possible - see plot diagrams here
Usually the pace of the story slows down.

The denouement is coming.

As a rule, it is impossible to determine the boundaries of the climax or denouement. The climax is the specific moment when the reader realizes that a key conflict has been resolved. And the denouement is an event that exhausts the conflict, a period at the end of a sentence, an event that should finally clarify everything.
The unity of climax and denouement proves the main idea of ​​the work.

THE ENDING CONFLICT

Occurs after the climax.
Its model is exactly the opposite of the conflict from the beginning of the work - it does not grow, but rather fades away. Its function is to give the reader the impression that the plot has been presented to the end.

“Think of the final conflict as an operation to clear captured territory of the enemy after the decisive battle has been won in a long war.” (c) James N. Frey

In some works there is no final conflict at all. This is because all conflicts are resolved at the moment of climax.

The ending of the story can be tragic or happy - depending on the ideological goals of the work.

The ending may be open - like, the hero went through difficult trials, changed internally, but life goes on. This will allow the reader to reflect upon it after finishing reading. Even if NOTHING happens in the ending, there should be some meaning to it.

The ending must have a meaningful meaning. Let artistic justice be done. Artistic justice is a punishment commensurate with the gravity of the crime, or a reward commensurate with virtue.
The villains must get what they deserve, the sufferers must receive retribution. Those who have erred must pay for their mistakes and see the light, or continue to be ignorant. Each of the characters has changed, made some important conclusions for themselves, which the author wants to present as the main idea of ​​his work.

EPILOGUE
- final part, added to the finished work of art and not necessarily connected with it by the inextricable development of the action.

Just as the prologue introduces the characters before the action begins or reports what preceded it, so the epilogue introduces the reader to the fate of the characters who interested him in the work.

An epilogue differs from an afterword in that the first can be a reflection, while an epilogue is always a story.

Epilogues can be structured in different ways, again, it all depends on the author’s goals.

For example, let's look at the epilogues of Tolstoy and Turgenev

"War and Peace". In such a global novel, it is not easy to fix the ending. Therefore, Tolstoy structurally divides the epilogue into two parts, and gives it as many as three plans - historical, family and philosophical. Tolstoy's epilogue not so much ends the story about the fate of the heroes, but rather precedes their new, so to speak, adventures. Thus, Pierre’s participation in the Decembrist uprising is beyond doubt. Just like his insoluble dispute with Nikolai Rostov is evidence of their future discord. So the life of the heroes of the epilogue is far from over.

« Noble Nest" The epilogue is built on a completely different principle. Eight years later, Lavretsky visits the estate. He is sad, but a turning point has already taken place in him, the past is closed to him.

His heart felt sad, but not heavy and not regrettable: he had something to regret, nothing to be ashamed of. “Play, have fun, grow, young forces,” he thought, and there was no bitterness in his thoughts, “you have life ahead, and it will be easier for you to live: you won’t have to, like us, find your way, fight, fall and get up in the midst of darkness; we were trying to figure out how to survive - and how many of us didn’t survive! - but you need to do the work, work, and the blessing of our brother, the old man, will be with you. And for me, after today, after these feelings, all that remains is to give it to you last bow- and, although with sadness, but without envy, without any dark feelings, to say, in view of the end, in view of the waiting God: “Hello, lonely old age! Burn out, useless life!”
Lavretsky quietly stood up and quietly left; no one noticed him, no one stopped him; cheerful shouts were heard louder than ever in the garden behind the green solid wall of tall linden trees. He got into the tarantass and ordered the coachman to go home and not drive the horses. (Turgenev. The Noble Nest)

© Copyright: Copyright Competition -K2, 2013
Certificate of publication No. 213101300161
reviews

The plot is an element of the plot, the starting point in the development of the action. literary work; the event from which the main conflict of the work grows and moves towards its final resolution. In a literary work, the actions of the characters are logically interconnected. Each event arises as a result of the previous one. The sequence of events in a story that influence other events based on cause and effect constitutes a single action and constitutes the plot of a work of fiction.

The plot reveals the characters, their relationships, as well as the series of events described. Since the plot is based on the emergence, growth, and resolution of a conflict, that is, a collision of opposing forces, the structure of a literary work includes several stages of its development.

The plot structure

The plot structure of a literary work includes the following elements:

• exposition;
• string;
• action development;
• climax;
• denouement.

In the structure of the works there are also other plot elements, for example, or an epilogue. Each element performs its own function. For example, the exposition provides information about the main participants in future events, time and place even before the development of the action, and the prologue tells about what happened before the events described in the work.

There are three essential elements of a plot: plot, plot. Every story uses a plot to build a narrative, even if it has an unconventional plot structure.

The plot is usually found at the beginning of the work, although sometimes it appears in the middle or at the end. For example, the reader learns about the decision of the hero of N.V. Gogol’s novel “Dead Souls” Chichikov to acquire dead souls at the end of the work.

In large-scale works (for example, in L. N. Tolstoy’s novel “Anna Karenina”) there are often several beginnings that begin different storylines. Each separate part of a work of art (part, chapter, action, etc.) has a separate plot, subordinate to the general one. The plot of a work is the starting point for the development of action.

Types of ties

The set-up usually begins after exposure (introduction). In this case, the story becomes motivated and consistent. However, some works begin with a sudden, unmotivated beginning, which gives them poignancy and secrecy. This plot contains intrigue (Latin inticare - to confuse, confuse), i.e. a way of organizing actions in a work by increasing tension, hidden intentions, and acute confrontation of interests. The presence of intrigue is characteristic mainly of action-packed adventure and adventurous works (for example,). In detective novels, the plot, as a rule, is a description of a crime that will soon be solved by detectives; in adventure novels, it is a scene that motivates the characters to exploits. An example of an intriguing plot is the beginning of N. G. Chernyshevsky’s novel “What is to be done?”

The meaning of the plot in the work

The plot is the event from which the development of action in the work begins. In the beginning, as a rule, the main conflict begins, a clash of forces occurs, which leads to the development of subsequent events in the work.

The tie has great importance in revealing the characters' personalities. The plot usually shows the first clash of antipodes, the emergence of tension between the heroes, the appearance conflict situation, which will develop further and deepen towards its final resolution. The plot determines the main lines of plot development, orients the reader in the division of forces, and specifies the theme and problems of the work.

The plot is often considered the most significant part of the plot, since the climax and resolution depend on the events described at the beginning of the story.

Examples of plots in works