Nigel Watts’ very useful “Eight-Point Story Arc” – a fool-proof, fail-safe and time-honoured way to structure a story.
The eight points which Watts lists are, in order:
- Stasis
- Trigger
- The quest
- Surprise
- Critical choice
- Climax
- Reversal
- Resolution
– http://www.dailywritingtips.com/how-to-structure-a-story-the-eight-point-arc/