Most good stories start with a fundamental list of ingredients: the initial situation, conflict, complication, climax, suspense, denouement, and conclusion. Great writers sometimes shake up the recipe and add some spice.
Exposition
A Girl and Her Cow
We open on young Sylvia chilling with her cow—a quaint scene, right? It's getting late so they're heading back to the home she shares with her grandmother.
Rising Action
Cha-Ching
Out of nowhere, a hunter emerges with a big old gun. He's hunting birds and could use a place to stay for the night. Back at Sylvia's that evening, he offers ten dollars to anyone who can lead him to the elusive white heron.
Climax
Tree-Climbing for Fun and Profit
After spending a day with the hunter, Sylvia runs to the tallest tree in the woods to locate the heron. She reaches the absolute highest point in the woods, has a quasi-mystical experience, and—drumroll, please—locates that darn white heron.
Falling Action
Silent Sylvia
Sylvia climbs down the tree and runs home, eager to give the young man the exact coordinates of the heron. But—no matter how hard she tries—she is unable to speak.
Resolution
Objects in the Rearview Mirror
As she ages, Sylvia continues to question her decision and sometimes imagines hearing the young hunter approaching her in the woods.