Writing a Compelling Story Arc
By Mary Kole
Mary Kole is a former literary agent, freelance editor, writing teacher, author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit, and IP developer for major publishers, with over a decade in the publishing industry.
Writing a novel is not just about putting words on paper. You need to think about your narrative and sequence your plot points into a story arc that hooks the reader and, ideally, includes a relatable character. Writing a book is about creating an immersive experience that captivates your readers from start to finish. And to achieve this, one of the most crucial elements you need to master is the story arc, or novel outline. The story arc is the structured rhythm of a novel that takes the reader from the beginning, through the middle, to the end, ideally in a cause and effect fashion of both plot and character logic. In this article, I’ll discuss what a story arc is, the ingredients of a compelling story arc, how to execute a story arc for maximum emotional impact, the character and action beats expected in a story arc, and common mistakes writers make with their story arcs.
What Is a Story Arc?
Essentially, a story arc is the emotional and structural progression of a story. It's a roadmap for your plot outline and the underlying narrative that combines into the scene by scene execution of a story idea. The whole point of the story arc is to keep the reader engaged throughout the novel or memoir by gradually building the tension to specific points in the story, all the way to the story climax, and then releasing everything in a satisfying resolution. So whether your story is a romance novel, thriller, or fantasy novel, the story arc is a crucial element that ties everything together. This even applies to a memoir, where the story arc is crafted around the events of the writer’s life experience.
Ingredients of a Story Arc
To craft an appealing and engaging story arc, you need to understand the ingredients that make it up. A typical story arc will have several components: exposition and inciting incident (though you’ll want to watch out for a balance of action and information here), rising action, midpoint, climax, falling action, and resolution.
The exposition lays the foundation by introducing the characters and setting, and the inciting incident takes the protagonist from their normal to a new abnormal. The rising action is where you develop the conflict, build the tension, and introduce the major plot points. There is a big change around the midpoint as the character shifts from pursuing their objective to their character need. The climax is the point of maximum tension in the story—the highest internal conflict and external conflict, especially if you’re using a traditional antagonist.
The falling action is where the tension starts to abate, and a resolution takes place where the conflicts are settled and the loose ends are tied up. Your character will ideally have met their need and resolved their major pain points, giving readers a sense of emotional satisfaction, even if you are writing a book series. Understanding these ingredients is key to developing a solid story arc. It’s important to note that not all of your narrative or chronology needs to be linear, and you can also experiment with techniques like multiple POV, depending on your chosen genre expectations.
How to Execute a Story Arc for Maximum Emotional Impact
To execute your story arc effectively, you need to understand how to create emotional highs and lows in your story, sometimes within the same scene. Emotions pull readers from one plot point to the next, and they're key to creating a roller-coaster ride that leaves your audience craving more. You can achieve this effect in your story arc by varying the tension between scenes and chapters, and by making sure that each scene raises the stakes from the previous one, generally by introducing conflict with secondary characters. Make sure to create a balance in your story arc between high tension and low(er) tension scenes, and set up your climax as the inevitable tying together of the various threads in your story arc.
Character and Action Beats Expected in a Story Arc
Within your story arc, you need to pay attention to your character development and character arc, especially for the protagonist. Your characters need to grow, change, and overcome conflicts throughout your novel. By doing this, they should have a reason to act the way they do and provide a reason for readers to support them, even if they don’t always make the best decisions. You can achieve this by providing them with relatable objectives, motivations, and story obstacles. Also, consider the action beats in your story arc. Action is critical to any story as it demonstrates the stakes and urgency of what is happening, and it keeps your reader engaged.
Common Mistakes Writers Make With Story Arc
One of the most common mistakes in building out a story arc is failing to create a clear narrative or story outline. Even if you’re a pantser, you may want to take some time, play plotter, and create a novel outline to work from. A lot of storytelling mistakes are made during the planning phase. Without a clear arc, readers may become confused or worse, uninterested. It's essential to have a legible cause and effect logic structure that guides the reader from the beginning to the end. Other problems include rushing through your action scenes without taking time to give characters reactions in interiority, going on tangents (as a writer, you might be famously loath to kill your darlings), and ending the story abruptly, leaving the readers with a feeling of emptiness and angst. (You want to avoid a cliffhanger ending unless you’re self-publishing.) Make sure to take your time with your plot and give readers what they crave: twists, reveals, catharsis, conflict, and resolution.
Crafting an appealing story arc is vital to the success of your novel or memoir. It's your roadmap to capturing your reader's imagination and keeping them engaged throughout your story. Remember to include the different ingredients, including the exposition, inciting incident, rising action, midpoint, climax, falling action, and resolution. And don't forget to make sure that your character's emotional arc aligns with the story arc to guarantee maximum impact on reader investment. Take the time to develop your plot and storyline properly, and avoid common mistakes that will lead to confusion or, worse, disinterest. With these tips and insights, you'll be on your way to creating a compelling story arc that readers will delight in.
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