The rise-fall plot, also known as the Icarus plot, looks like this:
This is probably the type of plot you learnt early on in your education: the classic rise and fall. What can make this particular plot so satisfying is that the resolution can be allowed to end higher than the exposition - meaning that your character might be better off than when they started.
Other structures are more complicated than this, but if you're looking to get started writing, or just looking for a prompt, this is a great structure to start with. It may feel a little formulaic, but it works!
Can you think of any stories that match this plot?
The plot structure is named after the Greek Myth of Icarus who flew too close to the sun - it's definitely worth a read if you don't know it! A lot of mythology follows this structure as it aims to provide cautionary tales and this plot is particularly good at warning us that good things don't last forever.
Try writing a short fiction using this plot. Of course, feel free to play around with the structure, such as how high or low they go on the scale, whether they end up higher or lower than they began, etc., but try to keep to the basic plot structure the same.
Happy writing!
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