What is a Story Arc?
A story arc is the main plot line of your story. It is what makes your story unique. The line that the story follows, from beginning to end, is called an “arc” because of the rising, peak, and falling action.
Further, In a movie, we usually find a story arc in a story. For example, the plot of Harry Potter series follows the rise and fall of the character, Harry Potter. This is called a story arc.
Moreover, The arc is where the action starts to increase, reach a peak, and then decline. When you are creating your story, you must create an arc. This means that you should follow the same path, or arc, for your character from the beginning to the end of the story. It gives a reader an idea of how the characters will change.
Why are story arcs important?
Story Arcs are important because they give a reader an idea of how the characters will change. This allows readers to know what type of actions the characters will perform in the story.
Further, these can help you to avoid common mistakes that most authors make when writing a book. Most authors make the same mistake when they write a story arc. In most cases, they have too much action in their story. This is the biggest mistake.
Importantly, A reader usually wants to see the main character make progress in life. If the main character doesn’t progress, the reader may lose interest in the story. To avoid this, you should keep the plot simple, but have enough action to capture your reader’s attention.
Moreover, You also need to include a climax and a denouement. These two parts of a story arc help to add suspense and tension to the story.
How To write a Story arc
To write a story arc, you first have to figure out the basic plot. There should be a beginning, middle and an end. This helps you to make sure that you have a complete story.
After you have determined what happens in the story, you should think about the theme and purpose of your story. You can then write a summary of what you plan to do in your book.
Importantly, You can then write an outline of the story. This is done to help you to write in a clear way. This can help you to write it in a way that is easy to understand. The next thing to do is to create a plot summary of your story.
Story Arc’s Basic Elements
A story arc has five basic elements or you may say that these five elements are the foundations of story. These elements are as follow.
Plot
Plot is the sequence of events in the story. It is the story of the characters and how they interact with each other.
Protagonist Or Character
The second element is character. He or she is the main character of the story. This person usually takes the center stage, and the story follows his or her actions. The protagonist is the lead character of the story. He or she is the person who is the main subject of the story. It is very important to know this character before you begin writing a story.
Setting
The third element is the setting. This is the place where the story takes place. It is important to know the location and the date before you begin writing. This is so you can make sure that everything is set.
Conflict
The fourth element is the conflict. It is an essential part of every story. You cannot write a story without conflict. Without conflict, there would be no story. It is the antagonist who creates conflict. The antagonist is the character that is against the protagonist.
Resolution
The fifth element is very important in every story. It is what gives the story a satisfying ending. Without resolution, there would be no story. Conflict usually has a resolution. This is the point in the story where the conflict is resolved. Conflict needs to have resolution. If there is no resolution, the conflict would go on and on. If you look at life, you will find that conflicts have resolutions too.
For example, when someone is angry with another person, he or she may give him or her a chance to talk about the issue. Sometimes the other person listens and agrees with the first one. Other times, the second person does not listen and decides to leave. These are examples of conflict resolution.
Types Of Story Arc
Rags to Riches
An arc that follows a character as they rise from poverty to riches. This story arc is popular in movies because it makes a good plot for a movie. One example of this type of arc is when the main character starts out in poverty, gets into a situation that forces him or her to become rich, and then finally learns to be content.
Examples are Lonely Hearts By Todd Robinson, The Quest By Wilbur Smith.
The Voyage
The Voyage is a journey that takes place in a very specific time and space. The main character must survive in a hostile environment, which is something that usually requires preparation and training.
Further, The main character must learn to adapt to his new surroundings and make adjustments to his lifestyle. The main character must face adversity, which is the worst kind of problem that can happen to him.
Additionally, He has to deal with the consequences of the problem he faces and the changes that he makes. The main character can use his past experiences to help him solve the problem.
Moreover, It is usually the main character’s past experiences that guide him or her through the obstacles. The character must make sacrifices to achieve his goals. Sometimes these sacrifices are painful.
Examples are Treasure Island By Robert Louis Stevenson, The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Comedy
A comedic story tells about the character who experiences a difficult situation and solves the problem. In these stories, the characters have to struggle to achieve their goals. They must also make some sacrifices in order to accomplish their goals. The characters in a comedy story usually have to sacrifice some things in order to succeed.
Some famous comedians are Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, Jay Leno, Bill Cosby and Chris Rock.
Tragedy
A tragedy is a dramatic story, usually involving some kind of conflict. It tells about the character who faces a problem and struggles to deal with it. It is generally sad, although it is not necessarily always depressing. Some famous tragedies are Romeo And Juliet, Frankenstein, Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Julius Caesar.
Short And Sweet
A story arc is the backbone of any story. It’s the spine that holds the story together. Without an arc, your story has no structure. It’s like a building without a foundation. In fact, the arc of your story is the foundation of your story. It’s the one thing that sets your story apart from all the other stories.