Think of your favorite holiday movie. Something goes wrong, things get worse, and then it turns around. That’s not an accident — it’s a story structure, and once you see it you’ll spot it everywhere.
Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Good storytellers know exactly what goes in each part!
Three parts — every single story!
Let’s talk
Think of a story you love. What happens at the beginning?
Every story has a problem in the middle. What’s a problem you remember from a story?
Why do we like it when the problem gets solved at the end?
Reveal an exampleHide the example
Beginning: Three little pigs each build a house. Middle: Uh oh — a wolf blows two of them down! End: The brick house holds strong and everyone is safe.
Try it
Build a story together! I’ll start: “Once there was a Lion who lost his…” Now go around the circle — each person adds one sentence. Where does our story end up?
Writers use a story arc — a shape that rises to a peak and comes back down. Nearly every book, movie, and holiday special you’ve ever loved follows it.
The shape of almost every story ever told.
Let’s talk
Pick a holiday movie you know well. Where is its climax — the exact moment things turn?
Notice the rising action is the longest stretch and the resolution is short. Why do writers spend so much time on the build?
What happens to a story if the problem gets solved too easily?
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The rising action is longest because tension is what holds a reader — you keep reading to find out how it resolves. If the problem is solved too easily, the story feels flat, because nothing was at stake. Writers call this “earning” the ending: the character has to struggle first, or the resolution means nothing.
Try it
Map a story! With a partner, take any story you both know and place its five points on the arc. Where’s the climax? Do you agree on where it falls — and if not, why not?
Additional Notes/Activities
If additional activities are needed for the Morning Meeting, they will be added here.