What Is the Structure of a Story?

The structure of a story depends on what kind of story it is as well as the audience and purpose, but all narratives fall into a broad three-part structure that includes exposition, rising action and resolution. The exposition is also referred to as the setup, and the rising action can also be called the conflict.

In the exposition phase, the author provides any of the necessary background information to the story and also begins the build up to the narrative’s center point. The rising action is the turning point of the story where the reader often suddenly realizes something about the characters or plot. The resolution is the conclusion and is where the loose ends are tied up and the narrative brought to an end.