Rising Action: How Each Event Raises the Stakes

Events in the rising action build tension step by step toward the climax.

The rising action is usually the longest part of a story. It's a chain of events where the problem gets bigger, harder, or more urgent. Each event raises the stakes, meaning there is more to lose. Look at this rising action. Event 1: Priya enters the science fair with a volcano model. Event 2: her model cracks two days before the fair. Event 3: she rebuilds it, but the new paint won't dry.

Event 4: on the morning of the fair, it starts to rain on her way to school. Each event makes success seem less likely, so readers feel more tension. When you retell a story, you don't need every small event from the rising action. Choose the ones that changed the situation or made the problem worse, because they lead directly to the climax.

• 1Rising action is a chain of events that builds tension.
• 2Each event raises the stakes.
• 3In a retelling, keep the events that make the problem bigger.