Plot is the sequence of events that make up a narrative in a novel, film, or other narrative work, in which each event affects the next one through the principle of cause-and-effect. It is the story, and more specifically, how the story develops, unfolds, and moves in time. The causal events of a plot can be thought of as a series of events linked by the principle of cause-and-effect. The term plot can also serve as a verb, referring to either the writers crafting of a plot (devising and ordering story events), or else to a character's planning of future actions in the story. The plot is the sequence of connected events that shape a broader narrative, with every event causing or affecting each other. Plot is an incredibly complex thing, and it is a key element of establishing a book in the literary community and into the hearts of readers. The elements of plot include exposition, inciting incident, rising action or progressive complications, dilemma, climax, and denouement.