While all plots have a set structure, they can have many shapes or arcs. These arcs can be visualized in a plot diagram, like those below. Plot Diagram Definition A plot diagram is a visual representation of a story on an axis. Here are five of the most common story arcs, visualized i...
These arcs are linear — so as to say they always have a beginning and end. But they don’t have to coincide with story arcs. For example: a story arc may start at its linear end, but that doesn’t mean the character arc begins at its end too....
Has anyone ever told you that your narrative arc was too weak? Too complex? Find out what that means and how you can fix it in this guide to arcs and plots.
What are Narrative Structures? Narrative structures refer to the unique arrangement of elements in literature that are used to tell a story. These elements differ from one form of literature to another, such as novels, short stories, poems, plays, myths, legends, folktales, fairy tales, and ...
What is a Protagonist in a Story? • Star Wars: The Force Awakens Remember, for a protagonist to be a protagonist, the story must revolve around them. The sequel trilogy revolves around Rey, not Finn. There are “Finn-centric” arcs (especiallyThe Force Awakens) but themajor arcis cente...
The seventh and final episode ofThe Book of Boba Fettseason 1 tied up plenty of story arcs while establishing a new status quo for some characters, and to the surprise of no one, also teased a bit of what’s to come for season 3 ofThe Mandalorianand other Star Wars projects on the ...
An internal arc is only one mechanism by which a story conveys lessons. There are external arcs, too, like defeating the big bad, saving a school from shutting down, or surviving a year on Mars. While they are less likely to be as relatable as internal arcs, they still use character ka...
Nontraditional stories, by contrast, may follow unusual and non-chronological story arcs and may focus on details that are largely irrelevant to the progression of the narrative itself. In such works, the writer is often attempting to make a point and create an aesthetic affect that is not ...
hook. This process involves identifying the transformation your character undergoes, which is central to understanding and conveying the essence of your story. Hopefully, having a cleared understanding of the three main arcs and some examples of how they unfold, you’ll be better equipped to do ...
Life doesn’t work in story arcs — things are messy, beginnings aren’t really beginnings and ends aren’t really ends. Of course, you want your memoir to reflect that to a certain extent, but you also want it to be readable. So omitting facts and cleaning up narrative elements (even...