Understanding Narrative Writing: Conflict and Plot Structure Explained

Miacademy & MiaPrep Learning Channel

This engaging educational video provides a comprehensive introduction to narrative writing, designed specifically for high school students. It begins by defining narrative writing not just as fiction, but as any writing that tells a story, including legal arguments, journalism, and personal essays. The host creates an immersive atmosphere by starting in a movie theater, drawing a parallel between getting lost in a movie and effective writing. The core of the lesson focuses on two major pillars of storytelling: conflict and structure. It breaks down five distinct types of conflict—Person vs. Person, Self, Society, Nature, and Technology—providing clear, relatable examples for each. The video then transitions to the "Plot Mountain" diagram, visually explaining the standard narrative arc from exposition and inciting incidents through rising action, the climax, falling action, and finally, resolution. This resource is highly valuable for English Language Arts classrooms as a foundational lesson for a creative writing unit. It simplifies complex literary concepts into digestible definitions and visual models. Teachers can use this video to scaffold assignments where students analyze existing stories or begin drafting their own personal narratives, as suggested by the specific homework prompts outlined at the end of the video.