Rising action

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In the narrative of a work of fiction, rising action is what occurs leading up to the climax. The rising action's purpose is usually to build suspense all the way up the climactic finish. The rising action should not be confused with the middle of the story, but is the action right before the climax. For example: In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Harry must go through a set of tasks to reach where the sorcerer's stone is hidden where he will have the final battle. These are the actions leading up to the climax where Harry must face the thief who is trying to get the stone.
Another example is: In the novel, I, Robot, Susan Calvin falls in love with a man named Peter Bogert. The rising action in this circumstance is when she asks a mind-reading robot if he is in love with her, and it says yes. In Romeo and Juliet, the rising action are all the events that lead up to the death of Tybalt.

The material beyond the climax is known as the falling action.