#Story Arcs

[dduane]

Kurt Vonnegut tells you most of what you need to know about story arcs in just over four minutes. 😀

ETA: A longer, slightly different version of this presentation—with subtitles in Spanish— is here.

#Kurt Vonnegut #story #story arcs #the Shape(s) of Story #Youtube

[helpful-writing-tips]

The Back Story haunts the central character.

The Catalyst gets the character moving. It's part of the story's setup.

The Big Event changes the character's life.

The Midpoint is the point of no return or a moment of deep motivation.

The Crisis is the low point, or an event that forces the key decision that leads to your story's end.

The Climax or Showdown is the final face-off between your central character and the opposition.

The Realization occurs when your character and/or the audience sees that the character has changed or have realized something.

#7 act structure #arcs #story arcs #story building #writing tips #advice

[em-dash-press]

Story Arcs: 5 Types to Consider

Stories take readers on a journey. The details along the way differ, but many stories share similar arcs. You can study them specifically to improve your plot creation and development skills. Check out the five story arcs to consider whenever you get inspired.

1. Protagonist In a Hole

Readers often pick up books specifically because they want to read about a character who reaches rock bottom and finds their way out. It’s a story arc full of hope and encouragement. You can recreate that type of plot with the Protagonist In a Hole arc.

The protagonist should start in a happy place in their life. Things start to slowly unravel after your inciting incident. Maybe they make a series of bad choices or struggle with a lack of control over their life. After reaching their personal rock bottom, they have a heroic arc where their choices and efforts start making their life better.

At the end of this story arc, your protagonist will be in a happy place again or in a better situation than where they started.

Longer stories can also repeat the up-and-down arc, depending on how much you want to put your protagonist through for the sake of your theme.

Example: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (things always get much worse on the quest for clues before Sherlock puts them together and overcomes the mystery/antagonist)

2. Riches to Rags

Some readers also love story arcs where the protagonist starts in a moderately happy place and ends the book at their rock bottom moment. It often leads into a sequel or serves as a warning for readers that aligns with the story’s theme.

Note, this doesn’t always have to be about rich people losing their wealth. The “riches” can be a metaphor for whatever your protagonist values and ultimately loses.

Example: Cinderella, but without Prince Charming. If her story ended at midnight striking and Cinderella barely getting home in time, she would have lost her one chance at rising from her station in life. 

3. Rags to Riches

Stories can also have a singular rising arc as well. It begins with the protagonist in a situation they don’t want to be in and focuses on what they do to reach their idea of happiness. Some conflicts will happen along the way, but ultimately they accomplish their goal.

Again, this doesn’t have to be about accumulating wealth. “Riches” is whatever your protagonist defines as happiness or their life goal.

Example: Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth and Darcy end up married, so she gets the true love she wanted and happens to also achieve financial security for her family. She didn’t have to marry without love to provide for her family, ultimately achieving her biggest life goal.

4. Hero Storyline

Much like Rags to Riches, the Hero storyline starts in a low place for the protagonist. They’re fighting a losing battle or stuck in a place they don’t enjoy. A plot device helps them out of that place, but their ultimate weakness or a big mistake makes them crash back down again.

By embracing their most heroic action (usually involving selflessness or sacrifice), the protagonist ends up happier and better off than at the start of the story.

Example: Aladdin. He meets Genie and wins Jasmine over while gaining wealth that lifts him out of poverty. However, she finds out he’s been lying about his identity, so Aladdin loses everything. By focusing on his friends’ needs instead of his own, he reaches his ultimate happiness again to complete his hero’s arc.

5. Tragedy Always Strikes

The fall-rise-fall arc can be a bigger cautionary tale than Riches to Rags. It starts with the protagonist in a place where they’re unhappy. Things continue to worsen until hope appears. Maybe a new character or plot point makes life better for them. The protagonist experiences personal growth and gets so close to the freedom, redemption, or happiness they desire. Then a plot twist makes it come crashing down. The protagonist ends in a worse place than they started.

Example: Gone Girl. Nick Dunne is in an unhappy marriage. His wife goes missing and he’s the primary suspect for it. That’s his low point, but when the narrative switches and Amy Dunne is revealed to be doing everything on purpose, Nick gets a rising arc with the reader. They’re on his side against her scheming, but the story ends in an even worse place for him. She comes back and gains complete manipulative control over the relationship. He’s trapped with someone he hates and fears instead of someone he just dislikes.

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Sometimes it’s easier to write a great story by picking a story arc before you start writing. Consider the various arcs listed here to match them with a character or storyline you feel inspired to write. You’ll have built-in plot directions that make planning much easier.

#story arcs #plot development #writing plot #writing characters #character development #rags to riches #heroes journey #writeblr #writing tips #writing advice #writing inspiration #writers of tumblr

[loveandlucky]

#fairy tail #story arcs

[windwhisperer-windy]

Aquarian – Chapter 2

Silence arrives as those blue eyes observe an almost lifeless Avian. “ Enough, enough I need his help.” Flow through clenched teeth in knowing that the winged male deserves the punishment for deeds. She shoots a gaze up to the skies as the salvation words are spoken. “ Lower celestial, you are beckoned to collect him. Carry him to the coastal Fae. Be his breath into wellness.” The lower celestial…

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#Aeros Solar System #Aquarian #Story Arc #Avian Species #Cardinalis #Cardinalis Species #Dwarf Species #Fae Species #Merfolk Species #Mortals #Neos #Story Arcs

[babystepsofficial]

#baby steps #casual affection au #story arcs #bb fic #poll #mod pom

[hereandthere-if-archived]

How long will this IF be? Just curious!!

Oh I have No Idea LMAO

I'm trying to make at least 3 arcs, one focused on the Dream Realm, another on Faerie and another on the Human world, just so we can explore all of those places. So probably around uuuhhh 20~30 chapters?

How long the chapters will be will vary on how much stuff is happening in each of them. But in general, I'm just going with the natural flow of the story, not worrying too much about the format. And I'm 99% sure it is only going to be "one book", in the sense that I won't have Between Here And There 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Thanks for asking!

#answered #chapters #story arcs

[theplottingapp]

If you want to give characters redemption arcs first you must make them pathetic or there is no point.

#writeblr #writing #am writing #this might be about vegas theerapanyakul #redemption arcs #evil character #writing evil characters #character building #character arcs #story arcs

[taiwantalk]

ok, i confess. i've been binge watching black mirror. and the writers are AMAZING. i pray that they're not written by ai. lol

the productions are great of course but the scripts and story lines have not disappointed me once.

i've actually intentionally averted watching any of black mirror episodes until now and in a weird way, i think i was right to age them.

should i have waited more like a couple more years? not sure. i'll revisit this blog in the future. for now, i'll just assume no and now is the right time to watch them.

#taiwantalk #black mirror #writers #great scripts #story arcs #ai #digital apocalypse

[ponyluvesonic09]

Pac-Man nooo

For some reason or another, Skeebo was able to turn himself into a giant, and now he’s trying to kill Pac-Man after a long chase to Sir C’s lab, Skeebo just caught him in his clutches, Pacster can’t fight cause he’s squeezing him to tight, someone has to stop him, and save Pactser

#pacman and the ghostly adventures #pmatga #story arcs #skeebo #pac man and the ghostly adventures

[nightxmare99]

DRAGON BALL

Explore the world of Dragon Ball - the iconic manga and anime created by Akira Toriyama. We delve into its epic story arcs, beloved characters, thrill Read More....

#Dragon Ball #Akira Toriyama #manga #anime #films #video games #story arcs #Goku #Frieza #Cell #Bardock #Dragon Ball Z #Dragon Ball GT #Dragon Ball Super #canon #non-canon #Resurrection 'F' #Broly #The History of Trunks #characters #battles #adventure

[johan-the-unknown]

Anyone ever heard of ERMA? Would anyone be interested to learn, to found out? Well, it’s here, in case you are.

#ERMA #Webcomic #Tapas #Webtoon #Comic #Horror #Comedy #Horror Comedy #Slice of Life (sort of) #Yokai #Ghost #Monsters #Family #Story Arcs #Supernatural #Spread The Word #Outcast Studios

[coopergriggs]

Thank you T!

#kurt vonnegut #writing #story arcs

[mysticdragon3md3]

Why Are Old TV Shows STILL More Popular Than New TV Shows? by JesterBell

#food for thought #tv series #writing #contrasts #video essays #episodic #long form content #streaming services #meta #industry #satisfaction #cliffhangers #story arcs #Youtube

[windwhisperer-windy]

Aquarian - Chapter 7

The remainder of the morning fills with Aquarian answering any questions. That includes detailed statements about the two already mentioned beliefs in concern to the Divinis. Augusta then queries about what exactly had been the conversation with Astro. Aquarian told it as best as he could. It mostly included half-truths about Augusta and the creation of the new Cian.  “ Is it not correct?”…

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#Aeros Solar System #Aquarian #Story Arc #Avian Species #Cardinalis #Cardinalis Species #Dwarf Species #Fae Species #Merfolk Species #Mortals #Neos #Story Arcs

[swervinonalatenight]

Unearthed Fanfic Ideas Part 2: The Arcs

Shadow Demon Arc: The first arc of the story. In it, Saunders McClellan is sent to Hogwarts undercover as a student, where he is to act as a squib student taking courses to become apart of the Ministry of Magic. But is instead exploiting the escape of Sirius Black to help create chaos and keep the Order of the Phoenix occupied at Hogwarts so as to prevent them from finding out the mobilization of the Magic Eaters, so by night he causes terror around Hogwarts.

Daemonology Arc: As a reward for the highest scoring students of Hogwarts, they are taken on a filed trip with Dr. Vincent Alighieri, the Wizarding World’s foremost expert of Daemonology. Ferried to remote Greece for a month long stay on pure Daemonology studies, the group is stuck fighting for their lives when a Death Eater daemonologist arrives and attempts to open a portal to Hell. It’s up to Hermione, Dr. Alighieri, an original Slytherin student, and Magic Eater Reverend Hopkins to shut the Gates of Hell itself.

Shame of Rhine Arc: Dementor activity have been on the rise to an unprecedented degree, and the Wider Wizarding World has no clue why, except for House Von Rhine. Long ago, one of the patriarchs of the Von Rhine had fallen into depravity, seeking only to kill and destroy for the sake of death and destruction. So far had he fallen, dementors had begun to follow in his wake. So far had he fallen, that he waged war against his own House. He had been banished from the House after his defeat, but he was cursed to wander, his form twisted and amortal, a dementor in human flesh. Leonine takes it upon himself to bring an end to this shame of the Von Rhine's once and for all.

The introduction to the arc will consist of Voldemort attempting to recruit the Dementor of Flesh into the Death Eaters, only for DoF and his 'pack' of dementors to kill everyone of the Death Eaters present, and DoF body the shit out of Voldemort and try to eat his soul, but cant because of his soul being in the horcruxes.

Brotherhood Arc: After Voldemort's return, he gathers together a league of anti-muggle groups to join his ranks of Death Eaters, all of which join, seeing Voldemort as the chance to enact their goals. All except the Brotherhood of the Magi, the only ones to refuse his call, and denounce Voldemort and his plans, refusing to rule over muggles, instead, believing that the very existence of muggles is a threat to all wizard kind, and as such, must be eradicated, leaving the earth for wizards only. To do so, the Brotherhood breaks the greatest of all wizarding laws, the Statute of Secrecy. The Magic Eaters deploy in full force, Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix stuck in the middle as all out war breaks loose.

Divine Homecoming Arc: The Statute of Secrecy is broken, Muggle society is fully aware of the existence of magic, the Magic Eaters are no longer hidden, and the world is in chaos over the revelation. What's more, magical anomalies are occurring at unprecedented levels, magical creatures are encroaching more and more into muggle lands and society, and muggle-born wizards are appearing at unheard of levels, and the cause can only be described as biblical. The gods of old are returning. Cast out from worship by the Birth of Christ, now that humanity at large knows they exist, they return to their homelands once again to claim their places among the heavens.

Deathseekers Arc: Unconvinced that Harry Potter is the sole solution to the problem that is Voldemort, members of the Order of the Pheonix, Aurors, and Magic Eaters team up to find an alternative solution than a teenage boy with a scar. This leads them to searching ancient legends for anything that could kill an immortal being. They find three potential solutions. Pure Hydra Venom, the immortal slaying Harpe of Perseus, and the Lance of Longinus. The only problem is, Hydra's are extinct, the Harpe is lost to time and the Lance of Longinus is under the control of the Church, and they HATE wizards of all kinds, viewing magic as an abomination in the eyes of God. However, there are records of a Hydra and the Harpe existing with known locations. The Ancient Learnean Swamp, and just after Perseus slayed the gorgon Medusa, both of which are in the Greek Age of Heroes. In order to get these items, two teams go to Time Wounds to travel back to Ancient Greece, get the venom and Harpe, and return to kill Voldemort.

Dark Lords Return Arc: Turns out, one of the past Dark Lords neve died, and had been resurrected through a phylactery, possession, and regrowing his old body. He then brought back the rest of the Dark Lords sans Vortigern and Cromwell, to take over the entire world, convincing them they'll have plenty of time to kill each other once their personal fiefs are conquered. The Death Eaters, Pheonix, Magic Eaters, and even the Ones Beyond have to work together in order to stop these ancient menaces from total conquest.

#harry potter #fanfic #fanfiction #story arcs #part 2