Did you learn about Plot Mountain in school? I was visiting my son’s fifth grade class the other day I saw their Language Art assignments included creating a “Story Pizza,” where among many things, it included a slice about “Plot Mountain.”

While it might seem basic (many schools start teaching it around 2nd grade and keep building on it over the years) many children’s stories written by adults miss these essential elements. Despite its simplicity, Plot Mountain is a crucial foundation for crafting compelling stories that children will want to read repeatedly.

Here’s a quick refresher of the stages in Plot Mountain (and my personal spin on it). But first, a visual:

1. Beginning: Start with the beginning. This is where you introduce the character and their world.

1. Rising Action: As the story progresses, show how the character comes up against a problem. This is called the “Rising Action” where we see the character try to solve the problem, but they fail. No matter what they do, they can’t seem to solve the problem on their own. Maybe there’s a natural disaster, an argument, an evil villain, or if you’re writing an explicitly Christian book, some element of the fall, a sin issue, or a reality of living in a broken world.

1. Turning Point: Then we have the Climax, or what I like to call the “Turning Point.” This is where you want to put the max amount of tension. It’s intense, dramatic, suspenseful, and exciting. It’s at this point something new enters the picture and changes the character or their world. Perhaps the lead character’s sidekick enters the scene, the character finds tree to shelter them from the torrential rain, or the character meets an old friend who reminds them of who they truly want to be. Or, again, in an explicitly Christian book, this will probably be where Christ/the Holy Spirit/God the Father enters the scene or you put more focus on what God did in redemption here.

1. Falling Action: Next you have the “Falling Action.” There’s still action here, but it’s slowing down, you’re making moves to wrap things up.

1. Ending: Finally, the ending, where you as the author tie up the last loose ends and bring resolution and satisfaction to the reader.

No matter what kind of story I’m writing—fiction, nonfiction, Christian, or mass-market—I try to keep these essential elements in mind. While some books are a bit more subtle with Plot Mountain, you can usually spot each element if you start looking for it.

I find it’s always good to grab refreshers on this kind of content, because in all our attempts to be “serious and learned” in KidLit, sometimes it’s just good to be reminded of the basics.