Plot diagram maker
Write each stage of your story into the plot mountain. The diagram fills in as you type, and it's saved in your browser so you can come back to it.
How to read a plot diagram
The horizontal axis is story time; the vertical axis is tension. Tension climbs through the rising action because each complication makes the problem harder to solve. It peaks at the climax, where the main character makes the decisive choice or faces the decisive event, and then falls as the consequences play out.
The classroom plot diagram descends from Freytag's Pyramid, and younger students often meet it as the story mountain. Not every story fits the mountain: some start at a peak (the Fichtean Curve) and some turn on a twist without conflict (kishōtenketsu). Compare them all on the story structures page.
Questions writers ask
What is a plot diagram?
A graph of a story's rising and falling tension, usually drawn as a mountain with five parts: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. It is based on Freytag's Pyramid.
What are the 5 parts of a plot diagram?
Exposition (setup), rising action (complications), climax (turning point), falling action (consequences) and resolution (the new normal). The inciting incident is often marked at the start of the rising action.
How do I fill in a plot diagram?
Start with the climax, the moment everything turns. Then ask what had to happen to get there (rising action) and what changes afterwards (falling action and resolution). Exposition comes last: only what the reader needs.
Can I print or save my plot diagram?
Your diagram is saved automatically in this browser. Use your browser's print option to print it or save it as a PDF.