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 (Initial Situation)
Oak's Horrible Luck
We start the novel by meeting Gabriel Oak, a hardworking young man who seems to deserve the best in life. One day, Oak falls in love with a beautiful young woman named Bathsheba. But Bathsheba thinks she's too good for him and rejects him. And if that weren't enough, a freak accident sends Oak to the poorhouse when all of his sheep fall off a cliff. Now, with his pockets empty, Oak has to start looking around for a new job.
Rising Action (Conflict, Complication)
All Hail Bathsheba
Gabriel Oak's job search eventually leads him to the small town of Weatherbury, where he gets work as a shepherd for Bathsheba Everdene, the same woman who rejected his marriage proposal back in the beginning of the book. It turns out, though, that Oak isn't the only man who's interested in Bathsheba. An older, wealthy farmer named Boldwood wants to marry her too. But before he can woo her, she runs off and marries a cocky young army Sergeant named Frank Troy.
The action doesn't stop rising after Bathsheba's marriage. Troy turns out to be a really crummy husband, and Bathsheba almost loses her mind when she finds out that Troy had a child with a former fiancé before marrying her (Bathsheba). Worse yet, Troy admits that he still loves his ex way more than Bathsheba, even though his ex and child are both dead. When he realizes how much he's messed up his life and Bathsheba's, Troy decides to fake his death and disappear from Weatherbury.
Climax (Crisis, Turning Point)
Shotgun Non-Wedding
After Sergeant Troy disappears, Farmer Boldwood tries to move in on his territory and marry Bathsheba. Just when she might agree, though, Troy reappears because he's gotten tired of living without Bathsheba's money. This time, Boldwood can't handle the news, so he grabs a shotgun and shoots Troy point-blank in the chest, killing him. So now Troy's dead, and it looks like Boldwood is going to be executed.
Falling Action
Hooray for Insanity
Not so fast, Mr. Executioner. A last-minute pardon ends up saving Boldwood from being executed for murder. The reason? Because everyone thinks Boldwood is totally insane. Folks are relieved to hear the news, even though Sergeant Troy is still dead and Boldwood will probably rot in jail for the rest of his life.
Resolution (Denouement)
A Good Marriage (Finally)
When Gabriel Oak tells Bathsheba that he plans on moving to America, she begs him to stay, since he's always been such a good friend to her. He agrees to stay if they get married, and that's exactly what they do. It took four hundred pages and a couple of destroyed lives, but Oak and Bathsheba finally found one another. Ain't that sweet?