Plot 102

It is important to understand cause and effect because, simply put, all plot is essentially a combination of many different interwoven causes and effects. A lot of the simpler ones make up the cliches we see all the time in movies. For example, Cause: The families start fighting, plus Cause: Romeo and Juliet fall in love, results in Effect: Romeo and Juliet have a tumultuous relationship.

Exercise 2 goes into this a little further by letting you decide on what effect the given causes will have. Sometimes the effect will be obvious and you may choose to be literal. Other times you may want to be more creative with it. You may introduce a character in your effect. Standard length is about a paragraph again.

Causes:
1. A leaf turns yellow.
2. The mud flows down a hillside.
What would this cause?

Causes:
1. China wins an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics.
2. There’s a full moon out.
3. Mike has a heart attack.
What would this cause?

Causes:
1. The farm has a bumper crop this year.
2. A doctor has come to town to see his relatives.
3. Julie is pregnant.
4. It’s the year 1851.
What would this cause?