Why am I writing a post on story arcs? Am I bored, looking for something to write about?
I wish. As much as I think I know novel writing, I find myself learning new things and relearning the importance of old lessons. As of late, I’ve been bombarded by movies and books with very little direction. They have all the right elements, yet lack an arc that takes you from uncertainty to triumph. Perhaps I’m simply making myself feel better that I know how to write properly, but hopefully this refresher helps you as much as me.
The Basic Story Arc
I wrote a post forever ago about novel basics. It’s a quick list of necessities, but they mean nothing without the traditional story/narrative arc. If you’ve never seen the hill-shaped graph, then here ya go. Books can be divided into three parts: exposition, climax, denouement.
Exposition introduces the reader to the story, and the hero to an inciting incident that opens the door to the primary problem. Sci-fi and fantasy novels have to find unique ways to concisely define the world in this area while romances and mysteries just need to setup the characters and their livelihoods. I learned to start chapter 1 in the middle of the action, which can be the inciting incident or some flashback that sets up the world.
Climax carries all the action. Ups and downs, successes and failures. Many articles say the climax is the highest point, where the hero faces the problem and solves it. They are correct; the highest point of your story, your ultimate climax, has to be the hero solving the problem set out in the exposition. However, as I’ll mention momentarily, there’s development and side plots that get readers to that high.
Denouement tones down the book. It’s very short, wrapping the climax with a nice bow. Mysteries explain the crime and clues, the heroes reconvene. For those wanting to creating a series with sequels, each book still needs a complete end. Perhaps you hint to the next problem or end with a fresh inciting incident. However you handle denouement depends on your book, but there must a definable victory and ending.
Plot vs. Subplot
Funny enough, this article is a good metaphor for plot vs. subplot. The plot is the overarching goal while subplots are incidents that lead the story closer to the big event. So the plot of this post is to tell you about story arcs while each subhead is a little storyline with its own problem to solve. And yet, the problem faced in the subplot leads back to the main climax and doesn’t overshadow the primary goal.
So what’s the point of this “misadventure”? To help you not have misadventures.
I had a semi-public rant about what authors should avoid in their writing, but I now realize some of the problems I pointed out stemmed from extraneous subplots. I’m sure y’all have seen the crazy tangents I’ll go on in my writing, but every element turns back to the primary focus. You can go on rabbit trails to develop characters and have fun scenes.
But every bunny path has to return to the primary problem in a knowledgeable way.
Another point I want to make here is understanding which problem is your plot. Some books present a thousand problems, making it difficult to pinpoint the grand climax. Winning a war can seem like the major plot, but it could also be a sub for the hero to forgive his father. Narrow down the primary purpose of your story, and there’s your plot. Come up with a few twists and subplots that’ll bring your character to a nice conclusion, and viola.
Character Development
Foof… I could write so many things about characters.
I love creating characters, reading characters, watching characters. I live off their adventures, experiences, mistakes, successes, tears, and laughter. I’m hyper-focused on characters, to the point where my own bland characters make me scream. If you can’t name them, then thank goodness; I need to spend some time with those peeps and figure out their motives and personalities.
And that’s why I’m bringing up character development. Because they make or break a book.
A lot of characters I see today are more shell than human. Readers use them as a tool, an avatar in a foreign world. They lack human development, which is more relatable than a strong female or male that does everything right or wrong.
I will admit that creating characters with real flaws that can be overcome is difficult. You’d think it’s easy since we’re all human and experience the ebb and flow of life, but it’s not. Along with writing a backstory and personality, you have to define the problems that get solved in the end. Then you have to make sure to bring it up enough times that it’s known, but not so much that it’s tedious and annoying. It takes practice and spending time with your characters, but it’s very important. Especially if the plot is directly related to the character.
Final Thoughts: Outline
I’m cringing with you. I don’t write off an outline because I rarely know the end. I might have a basic idea, but attempting to say where each element goes is impossible.
However, a broad outline is better than nothing. Define your start, your end, and your primary problem. If you have some other ideas, throw in some subplots. This bare minimum approach gives you something to work off of. It also defines your focus, so when your thoughts get scattered or you’re mentally blocked, you can go back and see where you need to go.