plot

A component of narrative, plot refers to the arrangement of events in a story. Not to be confused with the story itself or the events themselves (which are always chronological), a plot can mix up the events, put them in order, reverse their order, layer them in parallel fashion, etc. A plot can begin and end with the same event, but a story cannot. The distinction is important because the plot of a short story or novel can reveal meaning that the events themselves do not expose.