The Elements of a Plot

As you've noticed I like acronyms when trying to remember things.  I came up with the acronym CHAOS to remember the elements of a plot:

C - Change
H - Hero
A - Aristotle
O - Opposition
S - Story Line


Change:

If nothing is changes, then you have a boring story. Your character needs to change (grow) or the environment needs to be changing (e.g., action adventure).


Hero:
I use the word “hero” to refer to the fact that very story needs to have a believable and likeable hero (protagonist). Along with the hero, other characters are needed for the plot (e.g., villain [or antagonist], hero’s helper, etc.).


Aristotle:
This refers to Aristotle’s Incline and is a way to format the story. Most stories, TV series, and movies are based on a 3 Act format. Next time you watch an hour long TV series, look at the clock when the plot twists and climax occur. A plot twist usually occurs at 15 and 45 minutes and the climax around 55 minutes. Think this is an accident?


Opposition:
They say that tension is what fuels a plot. And the best way to create tension is to have opposition. If your hero needs an item, then tension will be created if the hero cannot get the item.


Story Line:
The story line is the sequence of the scenes or story events.  It focuses on the larger action, primary character movitations, etc.