Narrative

Dramatic structure is the structure of a dramatic work such as a play or film. Many scholars have analysed dramatic structure, beginning with Aristole in his name


In his poetics the Greek philosopher Aristole put forth the idea that (A whole is what has a beginning and middle and end)
   


Aristoles three part view of a plot structure (with a beginning, middle and end - technically, the protasis, epitasis and catastrophe) prevailed until the Roman drama critic Horace said it should be no longer than 5 parts.
 




According to Freytag, a drama is divided into five parts, or acts, which some refer to as a dramatic arc:, exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement.
Although Freytags analysing of dramatic structure is based on five act plays it can be applied (sometimes in a modified manner) to short stories and novels as well.
 




Exposition or intro
The exposition provides the background information needed to properly understand the story, such as the problem in the beginning of the story, characters and setting.
 




Rising action
During rising action, the basic internal conflict is complicated by the introduction of related secondary conflicts, including various obstacles that frustrate the protagonists attempt to reach his goal. Secondary conflicts can include adversaries of lesser importance than the story's antagonists, who may work with the antagonist of separately.
 




Climax
The third act that of the climax, or turning point, which marks a change for the better or the worse in the protagonists affair. If the story is a comedy, things will have gone badly for the protagonist up to this point; now, the tide will go well for him or her from now on. If its a tragedy it is the opposite of that.
 




Falling Action
During the falling action the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels with the protagonists winning or losing against the antagonist.
 




Denouement, resolution or catastrophe
The resolution comprises events between the falling action and the actual ending scene of the drama or narrative and thus serves as the conclusion of the story. Conflicts are resolved, creating normality for the characters and a release of tension for the reader.
Simply put, the resolution is the unravelling or untying of the complexities of a plot. More modern works may have no resolution because of a quick surprise ending




(My intro follows Freytag's theory of a drama being divided into 5 parts, exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement.)




Bordwell and Thompson


Narrative
In film art: an introduction, Bordwell and Thompson define narrative as a chain of events in a cause effect relationship occurring  in time (Bordwell and Thompson, Film Art 1980)


Diegesis
The internal world created by the story the characters themselves experience and encounter (hence non diegetic anything that is not part of the characters world experience)
 
Story and Plot
Story - all events referenced both explicitly in a narrative and inferred (including backstory
as well as those projected beyond the action)
 
Plot - the events directly incorporated into the action of the text and the order in which they are presented.
 
Unrestricted narration - A narrative which has no limits to the information that is presented
Restricted Narration - Only offers minimal information regarding narrative