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Planning a Narrative: Story Arc, Conflict and Resolution — Answers

Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the 8th Grade narrative writing worksheet.

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Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheet8th Grade · English · Narrative Writing

Planning a Narrative: Story Arc, Conflict and Resolution — Answers

Part A: The story arc

Circle the stage of the story arc each event belongs to.

1.Jun moves to a new town where he knows nobody.
  1. Aorientation
  2. Bcomplication
  3. Crising action
  4. Dclimax
  5. Eresolution

Answer: orientation

The orientation introduces the character, setting and situation.

2.On his first day, Jun is chosen for the debating team, even though he is terrified of public speaking.
  1. Aorientation
  2. Bcomplication
  3. Crising action
  4. Dclimax
  5. Eresolution

Answer: complication

The complication is the problem that sets the story in motion.

3.Jun rehearses in secret, freezes at a trial debate and almost quits, but a teammate helps him prepare.
  1. Aorientation
  2. Bcomplication
  3. Crising action
  4. Dclimax
  5. Eresolution

Answer: rising action

The rising action is a series of events where the problem grows and tension builds.

4.In the final debate, Jun's mind goes blank, then he remembers his teammate's advice and delivers the winning speech.
  1. Aorientation
  2. Bcomplication
  3. Crising action
  4. Dclimax
  5. Eresolution

Answer: climax

The climax is the turning point and moment of greatest tension.

5.Jun walks home with his new friends, already planning for next year.
  1. Aorientation
  2. Bcomplication
  3. Crising action
  4. Dclimax
  5. Eresolution

Answer: resolution

The resolution shows how things have changed and ties up the story.

Part B: Conflict drives the story

Every story needs a conflict: something the main character wants and something standing in the way.

6.Match each type of conflict to an example.
  • character versus character
  • character versus self
  • character versus nature
  • character versus society
  • Sailors fight to survive a violent storm.
  • Two rivals compete for the last place on the team.
  • A boy speaks up against an unfair rule that everyone else accepts.
  • A girl must overcome her fear of water to save her brother.

Answer: character versus character → Two rivals compete for the last place on the team.; character versus self → A girl must overcome her fear of water to save her brother.; character versus nature → Sailors fight to survive a violent storm.; character versus society → A boy speaks up against an unfair rule that everyone else accepts.

7.Which type of conflict does Jun face in the story in Part A? Explain.

Answer: Mainly character versus self: Jun must overcome his own fear of public speaking. The debate opponents add some character versus character conflict, but the real struggle is inside him.

Part C: Satisfying endings

8.Which resolution to Jun's story is the least satisfying?
  1. AJun wins the debate because he overcomes his fear with help from his friend.
  2. BJun loses the debate but discovers he is proud he did not give up.
  3. CJun wakes up and discovers it was all a dream.
  4. DJun's team loses narrowly, but he is asked to lead the team next year.

Answer: Jun wakes up and discovers it was all a dream.

An it was all a dream ending cancels everything the character went through, so readers feel cheated. A good resolution grows out of the character's own actions and choices.

9.Why should the climax usually come close to the end of a story, not in the middle?

Answer: Once the main conflict is solved, the tension drops. If the climax comes too early, the rest of the story feels flat. Placing it near the end keeps readers engaged until the last moment.

10.Many short narratives fail because they try to include too many events. What advice would you give a writer with only 600 words?

Answer: Focus on one main conflict, a small number of characters and a short time span. Start close to the complication and spend most of the words on the rising action and climax.

Part D: Your story map

11.Your turn: complete a story map for an original narrative. Choose a prompt (a lost item, an unexpected visitor, a difficult choice) or your own idea. Write notes for each heading: Main character (name, one strength, one flaw); Goal (what they want); Conflict (what stands in the way and what type it is); Orientation; Complication; Rising action (three events that make things harder); Climax (the turning point); Resolution (how the character has changed).

Model answer: Main character: Rosa, 13, loyal but stubborn. Goal: to win the regional cooking competition her late grandmother once won. Conflict: character versus self (her stubbornness) and character versus character (a confident rival). Orientation: Rosa's kitchen, the night before the first round, surrounded by her grandmother's handwritten recipes. Complication: She discovers the competition requires an original dish, not a family recipe. Rising action: (1) Every new dish she invents fails. (2) She refuses help from her brother. (3) In the first round, her rival's dish draws gasps and Rosa panics. Climax: With ten minutes left, Rosa abandons her complicated plan and cooks a simple dish combining her grandmother's spices with her own idea. Resolution: She comes second, but the judge praises her dish as the most honest. Rosa understands that she does not have to copy her grandmother to pay tribute to her, and finally asks her brother to cook with her.

Success criteria:

  • Main character has a clear strength and flaw
  • Goal and conflict are clearly stated and the conflict type is named
  • Rising action has three events that increase the tension
  • Climax is a genuine turning point linked to the conflict
  • Resolution shows how the character has changed
  • Plan is realistic for a short narrative
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