Story Arc: Structure, Stages, and Application
Story Arc: Structure, Stages, and Application

Video: Story Arc: Structure, Stages, and Application

Video: Story Arc: Structure, Stages, and Application
Video: Who is the Highest Paid Actor in Hollywood!! #shorts 2024, November
Anonim

A story arc refers to the chronological construction of a plot in a novel or story. As a rule, it looks like a pyramid, consisting of the following components: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and denouement. It's not uncommon for writers to use one arc within another to keep viewers from getting bored waiting for the finale.

Structure and meaning

Most of the stories are either long or short. A story arc can flesh out characters, minor or major, by revealing them from the opposite side.

To keep viewers interested, a story must have five elements and stick to them. They should serve the overall theme and subject matter of the "arch" and not be redundant or seem overly simple.

Plot branches bring characters together
Plot branches bring characters together

Short stories are commonly used to keep a character interesting and poignant when the situation clashes with another character's worldview. Difficulties only increase the feeling of tension and uncertainty. Thanks to them it is difficultpredict what will happen in the denouement as the narrative veers away from the predictable.

Story Arc: Five Stages of a Good Story

Exposition - the beginning of the story, where the characters are introduced, acquaintance with them takes place, the situation is described in detail. In other words, the ground is being prepared for a full-fledged plot. Usually includes answers to the questions: who? where? and when? Sometimes there is a major conflict or problem between the characters at this point, which helps to move the story forward.

Rising Action - Adds a series of events that complicate the situation for the protagonist, as well as increasing the suspense or tension of the story. The stage can serve to develop the conflict between the characters or the social environment. Most importantly, it contains a number of surprises or difficulties that the main character must respond to.

The climax is the point of greatest tension or turning point in a story arc from ascending to descending phase. The characters are deeply involved in the conflict. Often the protagonist must find a way out of a critical situation that will guide his future actions at the climax.

Lots of story books
Lots of story books

Descending action - events unfold in the narrative immediately after the climax. There is tension leading to resolution. The stage can show how the characters have changed because of the conflict. They are capable of unexpected actions or complete inaction.

Decoupling - the end of the story arc, in which all problems are solved. The end doesn't have to bebe happy.

Classic Application

Narrative timeline applies to almost all works, including literature, movies, TV series or anime. An example of a story arc is H. H. Anderson's Little Red Riding Hood.

In the exposition, the reader learns that the girl lives in a village near the forest and goes to visit her grandmother with a basket of goodies. She promises not to leave the trail and not talk to strangers.

Nevertheless, in the rising action, the girl sits back and enters into a dialogue with the wolf, forgetting about the promise, telling where she is going. After listening to the details, the wolf takes a shortcut through the forest and eats the grandmother and then pretends to be her.

The climax pits Little Red Riding Hood against the wolf. In a hopeless situation, she calls for help.

Little Red Riding Hood and Wolf
Little Red Riding Hood and Wolf

At the descending stage, the villain is defeated, and the hunters save the grandmother.

In the denouement, the girl realizes that she did wrong. It helped her learn a life lesson.

Lines in the vast Bleach universe

Famous Japanese anime, released since 2004 and ended in 2012, has 16 seasons and many additional short stories within the plot. The peculiarity of this anime is that some of the arcs break into the most unexpected moments, completely tearing them away from the main narrative. The main character - Ichigo Kurosaki - discovers the ability to see ghosts and communicate with them and can resist evil spirits - Hollows.

Risingthe stage unfolds when the character meets an unexpected guest. The petite woman is no less surprised because she is a reaper. And so begins the cult story.

However, Bleach's additional story arcs are extensive. It is they who dilute the main line, not allowing you to get bored. For example, Ichigo gains his unique Soul Reaper abilities, details of other characters' past lives are revealed. The hero gains new skills, faces difficult decisions and finds himself in amazing stories. So, the scriptwriters involuntarily go off the path, discovering the familiar from other sides.

Adventure with One Piece

The overall plot of this anime, long recognized as one of the best in Japanese history, is easy to follow and understand the direction. In addition to being simple, following all stages of development, it contains many branches. Initially, "One Piece" begins rather slowly and is not attractive to fans of complex twists and intricate stories. However, the feature of the popular anime is the constant quality of the plot, in which it not only maintains a certain level, but also improves with each line.

Characters One Piece
Characters One Piece

It all starts with how Luffy, the main character of the universe, was able to convince his teammates to join him on a pirate adventure where they will meet not only other pirates, but also their own demons.

One Piece's sub-arcs are chosen to put the characters in trouble. For example, the Fish-Man Island branchtold the audience a tragic story about racism. The dynamic arc of Water 7 takes you on a roller coaster ride.

Recommended: