Introduction
Stories are one of the most powerful tools used to convey messages and share ideas. They keep us engaged and can often leave us with a lasting impression. While stories can come in many forms, one of the most important elements of storytelling is the story arc. This is a structure that helps to shape the narrative and drives the plot. In this article, we will look at the definitions and examples of the six common shapes of story arcs and how they can be used to create meaningful stories.
What is a Story Arc?
A story arc is a structure that helps to shape the narrative of a story. It is used to organize the plot and events of a story and helps to build tension and keep the audience engaged. It typically follows a pattern of rising action, climax, and resolution and can be used in all types of stories, from novels to movies to plays.
The Six Common Shapes of Story Arcs
The six common shapes of story arcs are:
- The Hero’s Journey: This is a classic story arc that follows a hero’s journey, from a starting point to an ultimate goal.
- The Three-Act Structure: This is a popular story arc structure, consisting of three acts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution.
- The Five-Act Structure: This is similar to the three-act structure, but with more emphasis on the exposition and the climax.
- The U-Shaped Story Arc: This story arc is characterized by a slow start, a rise in intensity, and then a resolution.
- The Anti-Hero Story Arc: This is a story arc that focuses on a protagonist who is flawed or morally ambiguous.
- The Circular Story Arc: This story arc brings the protagonist full circle, with a resolution that ties up loose ends and resolves the story.
The Hero’s Journey
The Hero’s Journey is a classic story arc structure that follows the journey of a hero from a starting point to an ultimate goal. It is a structure that has been used in many stories and has become iconic in storytelling. This story arc typically follows the following stages:
- The Ordinary World: The protagonist is in their ordinary world before the story begins.
- The Call to Adventure: The protagonist is called to action and embarks on an adventure.
- The Refusal of the Call: The protagonist initially refuses the call to adventure, but eventually accepts it.
- Meeting the Mentor: The protagonist meets a mentor who guides them.
- Crossing the Threshold: The protagonist crosses a threshold and embarks on their journey.
- The Tests and Challenges: The protagonist faces tests and challenges along the way.
- The Reward: The protagonist achieves their goal and is rewarded.
- The Return: The protagonist returns home, changed by their journey.
The Three-Act Structure
The Three-Act Structure is a popular story arc structure that follows a beginning, a middle, and an end. It is often used in films and consists of three acts: the setup, the confrontation, and the resolution.
- The Setup: This is the beginning of the story, where we are introduced to the characters and the setting.
- The Confrontation: This is the middle of the story, where the protagonist is faced with challenges and must confront their fears.
- The Resolution: This is the end of the story, where the protagonist is triumphant and the story’s conflicts are resolved.
The Five-Act Structure
The Five-Act Structure is similar to the Three-Act Structure, but with more emphasis on the exposition and the climax. This structure consists of five acts: the setup, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution.
- The Setup: This is the beginning of the story, where we are introduced to the characters and the setting.
- The Rising Action: This is the middle of the story, where the protagonist is faced with increasing challenges as the stakes become higher.
- The Climax: This is the turning point of the story, where the protagonist must make a difficult decision.
- The Falling Action: This is the aftermath of the climax, where the consequences of the protagonist’s decision are revealed.
- The Resolution: This is the end of the story, where the protagonist is triumphant and the story’s conflicts are resolved.
The U-Shaped Story Arc
The U-Shaped Story Arc is characterized by a slow start, a rise in intensity, and then a resolution. This story arc is often used in television dramas, where the audience is drawn in by the slow buildup of tension and then relieved by the resolution.
The Anti-Hero Story Arc
The Anti-Hero Story Arc is a story arc that focuses on a protagonist who is flawed or morally ambiguous. This type of story arc is often used to explore the complexities of human nature and show that life is not always black and white.
The Circular Story Arc
The Circular Story Arc brings the protagonist full circle, with a resolution that ties up loose ends and resolves the story. This type of story arc is often used to show that life is cyclical and that things come full circle eventually.
Conclusion
Story arcs are essential elements of storytelling. They are structures that help to shape the narrative and keep the audience engaged. The six common shapes of story arcs are the hero’s journey, the three-act structure, the five-act structure, the U-shaped story arc, the anti-hero story arc, and the circular story arc. By understanding these story arc shapes and how they can be used, storytellers can craft meaningful stories that will have a lasting impact on their audience. Story arcs are among the most important narrative building blocks in any work of fiction, long or short, film or television. They refer to the structure of a story, usually in terms of its beginning, middle, and end. Writers often focus on creating a compelling story arc to shape the narrative in their works of art.
A story arc usually refers to general shapes and elements like rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It forms a bridge between the events that comprise the story and its theme. In addition to these core elements, story arcs can also include inciting incidents, reversals and surprise finishes. The six commonly-accepted shapes of stories are arc, circle, twists, line, web, and fountain.
The arc is the most commonly-used type of story arc. It follows a linear structure across its three acts — beginning, middle, and end — culminating in a resolution. Examples of this type of story can be found in classic works such as Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
The circle, or cyclical, story arc follows a circular pattern of events that eventually bring the narrative back to its original point. This structure is often used when dealing with themes of redemption and mortality, such as Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer-winning novel The Road, or The Odyssey by Homer.
The twist story arc employs surprise and suspense to subvert expectations and keep the audience guessing. Agatha Christie famously used this type of storytelling in the classic mystery novel And Then There Were None, and Alfred Hitchcock made it a key element in his suspense film Rear Window.
The line story arc follows a straight path from beginning to middle to end, with no major plot twists or reversals. It’s usually a simplistic, straightforward structure with minimal complexity or subplots. Examples of this type of story arc can be found in children’s literature like The Cat in the Hat and Winnie-the-Pooh.
The web story arc intersects a series of plotlines to create a larger narrative with multiple branches, endings, and resolutions. Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian is one example of a work that employs a web-like story arc to weave together individual plotlines.
Finally, the fountain story arc intertwines a variety of narrative elements to create a kaleidoscope of themes, resolutions, and plot twists. J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion is a good example of a fountain-shaped story arc, as it is comprised of several distinct stories all converging and coexisting in the same universe.
No matter what type of story arc is chosen, it is important that it serves the plot, character arcs, and themes within the work. Different types of arcs can create a plethora of effects, and must be carefully constructed by the author. A good story arc can make all the difference between a work of art and a work of artistry.