The structure of a story, as well as other literary genres, is made up of the introduction (where the story begins), the middle (where the conflict develops) and the outcome (the part where the conflict is resolved).
The stories are structured in three distinct parts, but it is not necessary that the same order be always maintained. For example, the story of The Three Little Pigs begins by telling where each pig lives, continues with the events to each pig, and ends with the resolution between the wolf and the pigs.
Each writer can vary the story to his liking. The important thing is to keep the readers on edge so that they enjoy the story. But as a general rule, in children's stories if a standard structure of beginning, middle and end is maintained.
How is a story structured?
1. Introduction
It is at the beginning of the story. In the introduction the story begins, the setting and a short presentation of the characters are set.
In this the time of the narration is specified and at the same time reveals the position of the narrator with respect to the story told. The event can be subsequent, if the event has already happened; simultaneous, if it is being narrated at the same time the story happens, or earlier, if the event has not yet happened.
It must be clarified that the simultaneous time in a story is almost impossible and is used in a theoretical way, since to narrate it it is necessary to have seen it.
The introduction to the story also establishes the perspective from which the story is told.
In the setting of the story, the speed or time duration is also established. The story can be very short and detailed, or on the contrary happen over the years, and narrate it briefly.
The introduction contextualizes the story to be told in the story, the introduction lays the foundation for the knot to make sense. It raises a normal situation that will be altered for some reason, thus establishing the bases of the knot.
Here the characters and all their peculiarities are presented, since during the knot we will not have time to stop in character explanations, because the facts of the history that occurred will be raised.
Once the introduction is raised and the normal situation of the story reaches a point of tension, we move on to the knot of the story.
2- Knot
This is the central part of the story, where the entire conflict of the story that is told takes place. It arises from a bankruptcy of the introduction raised. When an element of tension breaks the introduction, that is when the knot of the story begins.
To complete the structure of the story, something alters the reality stated in the introduction. This point is of vital importance for a text to be considered a story. Otherwise it could be a literary narrative.
The facts that the story raises are facts intertwined in an action-consequence way, with a single plot line that develops in the knot.
Although there may be more than one protagonist, in stories there is usually only one, and his adventures are narrated along the knot. In the knot we mark the rhythm of the narration so that the reader is entertained and kept interested throughout the story
The story told in the knot is always directed towards the end or denouement. The tension that breaks the introduction raises a problem where our protagonist must get fully into the situation.
Although the presentation of the characters in the introduction of the story is important, here it will be shown what pasta they are made of, who they really are and how they act.
3- Outcome or end
It is in this part that the conflict that history has generated is resolved. The ending can be happy or sad, but it always has to be a closed ending.
It is an essential feature of the story that the story is closed when it comes to an end. You should always solve the doubts that the reader may have raised.
If we find an open ending in a story, it will not really be a story, since the problem that has been posed to us has not been solved. So the story doesn't work
One of the most important characteristics of the story is that the ending has to be surprising and unexpected.
The story has to be an initial situation, which is complicated and resolved. And if it's a good story, you have to try to have an unexpected twist to have a surprising ending.
In children's stories it is not always necessary that they have a surprising ending, but they do have a moral.
References
- ANDERSON, Nancy A. Elementary children's literature: The basics for teachers and parents. Allyn & Bacon, 2006.
- BAUMAN, Richard. Story, performance, and event: Contextual studies of oral narrative. Cambridge University Press, 1986.
- CURTIUS, Ernst Robert; ALATORRE, Margit Frenk; ALATORRE, Antonio. European literature and the Latin Middle Ages. 1955.
- WELLEK, RenéAlonso, et al. Literary theory. Gredos,, 1966.
- ALMODÓVAR, Antonio Rodríguez. Folk tales or the attempt at an infinite text. Editum, 1989.
- GOYANES, Mariano Baquero. The Spanish story in the 19th century. Higher Council for Scientific Research, Institute »Miguel de Cervantes,», 1949.
- ZAVALA, Lauro. The ultrashort tale: towards a new literary canon. INTERAMERICAN REVIEW OF BIBLIOGRAPHY, 1996, vol. 46, p. 67-78.