When reading a story, readers follow a well-constructed path that leads them from a compelling start all the way to a satisfying ending. This path is called a story arc—the sequence of events that make up a plot.
Story arcs can encompass an entire story or only make up a part of a longer narrative. In each type, their goal is to give the reader a sense of chronological movement within the story itself.
What Is a Story Arc?
A story arc (also called a narrative or dramatic arc) is simply the shape in which a story takes form. The “arc” is made up of the events of your plot. The cause and effects of these events determine the dips and rises of the narrative.
A good arc is essential to giving people a great reading experience from start to finish. Most importantly, it must effect change in the narrative, ultimately moving it forward.
To be clear, a story arc isn’t the same as your plot. While your plot is the collection of events that comprise your entire story, an arc is a sequence in which these events are arranged.
Most stories have a beginning, middle, and end, following the three-act structure. The beginning is calm, introducing characters, settings, and conflicts. In the middle, events build up tension until it peaks with a crisis. At this point, things slowly cool down as loose ends are tied and the main conflict is resolved.
When visualized, it looks like this:
See how it also fits Freytag’s Pyramid? It, and the three-act structure, are useful tools in identifying how a story will go. However, not every arc follows these structures. Literature is dotted with stories that defy trends, explore new paths, combine story arcs, and experiment with their storytelling.
Story Arc Examples
You’ve read and watched many stories that followed common story arcs. You just never realized it. Below are the six basic shapes that stories follow, as discovered by a group of researchers:
1. Rags to Riches (Rise)
The main character starts off in a bad place and suddenly finds their life much improved. This arc has a continuous upward climb, which always ends in a happily ever after.
A story that has used this is Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper. In it, one of the protagonists lives a poor life in London. By the end of the novel, he’s appointed a privileged position that he holds for the rest of his life.
2. Riches to Rags (Fall)
The opposite of rags to riches, the main character starts off in a high place but is slowly brought down until they are a shell of their former selves. This arc is a continuous fall and always ends in tragedy.
An example is J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Thorin Oakenshield is heir to Erebor when a dragon invades and takes over the kingdom and its treasures. Driven out, Thorin and the other dwarves are forced to do menial work to survive. He dies in battle without seeing his kingdom reclaimed.
3. Man in a Hole (Fall, Rise)
The story starts at a downward slope and then rises again. It’s one of the arcs that readers highly enjoy because of how it puts characters into danger, only to pull them out of it again.
Monsters Inc. follows this arc. Sully and Mike are the top employees in a company who find themselves in a bind when they accidentally bring a human child into their world of monsters. The movie ends with them becoming the company’s new CEO and top comedian, respectively.
4. Icarus (Rise, Fall)
Icarus follows the Freytag Pyramid’s movement. There is a continual rise until it peaks and continues on a downward slope.
Macbeth uses this kind of arc. The titular character, through different means, secures his place as king. But because of his actions, he inevitably loses his position and his life.
5. Cinderella (Rise, Fall, Rise)
Cinderella starts with an upward slope, goes downward, and then upwards again. One of the most common arcs, it’s mostly seen in stories that end in happy endings, such as romance.
If you’re a fan of Disney films, most of them follow this arc. Cinderella has a young woman being given the chance of a lifetime and catches a prince’s attention. Though she has to go back to her everyday life of abuse, the prince soon finds her and whisks her away.
6. Oedipus (Fall, Rise, Fall)
The opposite of Cinderella, this type of arc starts at a downward slope, rises, and then falls again. Because it begins and ends negatively, it’s harder to pull off compared to the others on this list.
The titular Oedipus is left for dead on a mountaintop due to a prophecy. He survives and grows into a fine man and eventually becomes king. But he isn’t able to escape fate, fulfills the prophecy, and falls from grace.
Arcs Within Arcs
Within larger stories, you can find story arcs of different types embedded within the main one—just like how the main plot can have subplots.
These smaller arcs likely flesh out the stories of other characters besides the protagonist. They intertwine on many levels, creating a complex narrative that is far more satisfying. For example, you’ll find that in many stories, the villain usually follows a pattern that is a direct reverse of the hero’s.
They have their own expositions, rising and falling actions, climax, and resolution. Some lesser arcs are resolved quickly, while others accompany the primary arc until the end.
By adding more tension and uncertainty, you prevent your story from becoming predictable. You might start with a typical rags to riches tale, but if you don’t add spice, it will inevitably become generic.
What narrative arcs do you enjoy? Share them in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- Story Structure: Building Your Narrative
- Using the Seven-Point Story Structure To Build Your Narratives
- Using the Dan Harmon Story Circle to Structure Your Narrative
- Freytag’s Pyramid and the Importance of a Dramatic Structure
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
