What is a beginning, middle, and end to a story?

Question

I'm trying to write a short story and I was told it should have a beginning, middle and end. What does this mean? Is it separate time frames in the story? Just separate paragraphs? How do I know if my story already has a beginning, a middle and and end?

Answer 1

The beginning, middle and end aren't segmented or separated in any way.

Basically, what is meant is your story should have 1) a beginning which includes introduction(s) to your character(s) and their conflict. Ideally your beginning will have a hook (exciting theme within a sentence identifying the character's conflict to draw the reader).

The middle 2) is the meat of the story, showing the character dealing with his conflict and trying to overcome obstacles to achieve a goal(s).

The end 3) is resolution - tying up all loose ends, solving the character's problems, resolving the conflict and the character usually achieves his goals.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

The three main sections of a story are character, setting and plot. Those are developed in this fashion:

1) Exposition: a fancy word for the beginning of the story- where the author "sets the stage" for what is to follow.

2) Rising Action: the series of action, or complications, that sets up the conflict for the main character of the story.

3) Climax: the high point in the story - the turning point where the conflict comes to a head and is decided for one side or the other- usually the most exciting point in the story.

4) Falling Action: events that happen after the climax - usually wrap up the story and lead to the conclusion.

5) Resolution: the point of closure- also called the conclusion or denoument (that's pronounced day-noo-MAWN) - when the conflict is worked out- the end

The time frames can vary. Sometimes authors will start in the middle of a story, using 'flashbacks' or 'foreshadowing' in order to build suspense.

You will know if your story has the basic format in place if you can identify specific instances in your story that fit the five categories above.

Be sure to develop a 'theme' for your story or your writing will be willy-nilly...all over the place.

Keep your story's 'perspective' in order .. that means paying attention to the angle the story is being told from; i.e.

First Person .. where the story is told by someone who identifies himself as "I;"

Third Person .. where the story is told by someone who identifies the characters as "he," "she" or "them;"

Omniscient ... where the story is told by someone who is not a character in the story but can know everything about every character in the story-

Check out this link, for tips on writing your own story; they provided the information I presented here :
http://library.thinkquest.org/27864/data/cyoc/cyoc.html

Answer 3

the beginning of a sory should be an introduction, like a building up of the situation and the characters, the setting, and other such details. the middle should be the meat of the story where the action happens. this is where u should have your twists and turns and other such things to confuse the reader. also this is where the climax should occur, where the "final battle" or some such thing should happen. the end is where u should resolve the story and bring it to a close. you should resolve the unnswered questions u developed in the rest of your story. however, if u want to leave people hooked and wondering, leave a few things unanswered. thats basically what it means. i had to write a short story recently for school and i did really well ^-^ however, i dont really like writing. 10th grade sucks ><

Answer 4

Read ARISTOTLE'S POETICS :

The Greek philosopher Aristotle described in his 'Poetics' a set of rules to describe an 'ideal narrative'. These broadly consist of the following:

A story needs a plot which is constituted as a beginning, followed by a middle and closed off with an ending. These points of entry, middle and exit should be clearly defined, and should not be meddled with.
The highest level of tension in the narrative should coincide with the actual middle of the narrative.
The story should be about a hero/protagonist, who should be a representation of someone 'important' in the polis, because these characters are crucial for the existence of the entire polis.
The tension in the narative comes from a conflict, which is condensed in the character of the antagonist. The plot should be aimed at working through this conflict.
The narrative should arouse feelings of pity and fear in the spectator, who will identify with the hero and who will, from working together with the hero through the conflict, eventually get a feeling of 'katharsis' (a mental/psychic kind of 'cleansing' or an obtaining of a 'new understanding'). The whole narrative's aim is the bringing about of katharsis in the spectator.
To be worthy of the name 'tragedy' or 'epic', the narrative should be of a 'definite magnitude'. It remains unclear what Aristotle exactly means by this.
**
Good luck

Answer 5

Most stories have a beginning, middle and end. A beginning introduces the main characters, and sets the situation. The middle introduces some sort of conflict, while the end resolves it.

Eg:

INTRODUCTION:
Jack and Jill
Went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.

MIDDLE:
Jack fell down
And broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.

Up Jack got
And home did trot
As fast as he could caper

END:
Went to bed
And plastered his head
With vinegar and brown paper.

Answer 6

well i think that the beginning should set the scene like introduce the characters etc. The middle should be the plot and the end is the outcome of the book, the middle should be the longest part and the end the shortest, it depends on what you are writing about, good luck!

Answer 7

Beginning: "Once upon a time...."

Middle: "...and when they thought everything was O.K. suddenly..."

Ending: "..and everybody was happy forever and ever". END.

Answer 8

Introduction
body
climax
conclusion

Answer 9

Tell them what your gonna tell them: Beginning
Tell them............................................. . .........Middle
Tell them what you told them............ End