The Plot Skeleton as a Teaching Tool for Introducing Plot in Fiction: A Reflective Inquiry

Abstract

Undergraduate creative writing courses are tasked with laying a foundation for students’ future writing. Plotting is a complex fiction-writing concept, complicated by writers’ and scholars’ conflicting views on the subject. For years, I have used author Angela Hunt’s (2013) Plot Skeleton to teach plotting. Though the activity is popular and enables students to implement plotting concepts in their stories, reflecting on the module revealed why the Plot Skeleton succeeds. It requires high expectations of students, addresses multiple ways of learning, gives ample opportunities for participation, is considered “fun” by students, facilitates group interaction, and employs a gradual release of responsibility teaching format.