What is the DEVELOPMENT of a story

A story or a narrative It is made up of different parts; These are essential for the proper functioning of the story and for the reader to be able to engage in reading. The development of a story is also known as a knot and it is the part in which the main action of the plot appears and where the initial situation raised in the presentation is truncated. In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to discover you what is the development of a story with examples so that, in this way, you can learn to more easily detect this essential part of any narrative.

Index

1. The 3 parts of a story
2. Story development: definition
3. Examples of story development
4. More characteristics of the story

Within the different types of narrative texts we find the story, a short story that is characterized by presenting parts that are very well defined and stipulated: Start knot and outcome. In fact, the vast majority of narrative literary texts follow this structure to offer complete information to the reader; it is a structure whose order can be altered (you can start the story with the knot, for example) but which requires that all three elements always appear in the plot.

If you want to know what the development of a story is, you have to take into account that it is the part known as the knot and, therefore, the moment of the narrative in which the main action takes place, which will last until the end of the plot.

Here we are going to review the 3 parts of the narration and the story so that you remember them:

1. Introduction. It is the beginning of the story, the initial situation from which the characters start. Normally, this part is placed at the beginning of the story so that the reader knows which is the beginning of everything. During the beginning is when the presentation of the characters takes place, the reader is placed in the narrative space / time and, ultimately, we are presented with the "normality" that exists before the action.
2. Knot or development. It is the part of the story in which the conflict takes place, the action of the plot. The moment in which that normality that has been presented to us is broken and where the characters have to start acting in order to cope with what is happening. What development does is break the normal situation presented at the beginning and put the characters in an uncomfortable situation.
3. Outcome. It is the way in which the problem presented during development ends. In the denouement, the climax also takes place, that is, the peak of the action. And as a result of that moment of maximum instability, the characters begin to solve the problem that has arisen during the narrative. The outcome can be closed or it can be left open.

Once we have known all the parts of the story, we are going to focus on analyzing in a concrete way what the development of a story is with a definition that is easy to understand.

In the development of a narrative, the different events that happen to the characters are related. These events create a conflict and prevent the character from continuing her life normally. In development is when the action of history arises, when a situation forces the character to make a series of changes or make different decisions to solve it.

The development narrates the different problems that a character can have and, therefore, we are also shown the personality of the character, since he has to make the decisions. Therefore, a story, novel or any narrative text needs action to exist. It is the essential characteristic of this type of text, since without action, there is no plot.

When writing the development of a story, it is important that you avoid some situations that often occur among beginning writers:

• Unnecessary repetition
• Too much detail
• Lengthen in the descriptions

During the development is when a reader is "hooked" more to the story, therefore, you must maintain a good suspense, explain what is happening dynamically and create unexpected twists that surprise the reader. A good knot is one that makes you be on edge and aware of the plot.

We are going to show you some examples of story development so that you can better understand this essential part of any storytelling. To do this, we will take some classic and popular tales that we all know.

Example of the development of Little Red Riding Hood

In the story of Little Red Riding Hood we meet a girl who lives with her mother and whose grandmother lives in the forest. One day, she must go into the forest because her grandmother is ill and she wants to bring her food. This would be the approach. The development of the story appears when the Wolf begins to stalk Little Red Riding Hood. Without the appearance of the Wolf, there would be no story because Little Red Riding Hood would have arrived at her grandmother's house, she would have given him the food and she is done. However, the Wolf complicates the goal for the girl and generates dramatic conflict.

Hansel and Gretel development

We continue with some examples of story development to talk about this classic from the Brothers Grimm. Hansel and Gretel are two brothers who are walking through the woods with their parents. This is the approach. The story unfolds when the two brothers get lost in the forest and then they have to try to find their way out. In the forest they will find the witch's candy house and the action will continue with the witch's intention to eat them. All this is development: the initial situation of the siblings is broken because they have been lost and, from then on, they begin to encounter different obstacles or problems that hinder their return to home.

In addition to having a defined structure that includes development, there are other characteristics of the storiesthat are essential for the story to work. Here we discover them:

• Fiction. Stories tell a story that is part of fiction. It may contain real elements, but short stories and novels have fiction and dramatic licenses to generate greater interest in the story.
• Tells a story. The fact that in a story there is a development or knot is essential for the story to be considered as a narrative. If there is no action, we are not facing a narrative but rather another type of text such as a description.
• Characters. The stories are carried out by different characters who are the ones who receive the action. The character most affected by the knot of the story is the protagonist, but there may also be other main or secondary characters that intervene in the plot.
• Prose. In the vast majority of cases, narrative texts are written in prose, not verse. That is, there is no rhyme and no melodic style is pursued.
• Brief. One of the differences between short story and novel is that the story is short, instead the novel is more extensive. The brevity of the story also implies that there is greater brevity in elements such as characters or in the action itself.

Image: Google Sites

If you want to read more articles similar to What is the development of a story - with examples, we recommend that you enter our category of Literary concepts.

• Propp, V. (1998). Morphology of the tale (Vol. 31). Akal editions.
• Cortázar, J. (1971). Some aspects of the story.
• Gónzalez Gil, M. (1986). The story. The possibilities of him in didactics of Literature. Channel, 9, 195-208.