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When we talk about stories, we tend to use the word "plot." But what is plot exactly? How does it differ from a story, and what are the primary features that make up a well-written plot? We answer these questions here and show you real plot examples from literature . But first, let’s take a look at the basic plot definition.

What Is Plot? Definition and Overview

What is the plot of a story? The answer is pretty simple, actually.

Plot is the way an author creates and organizes a chain of events in a narrative. In short, plot is the foundation of a story. Some describe it as the "what" of a text (whereas the characters are the "who" and the theme is the "why").

This is the basic plot definition. But what does plot do ?

The plot must follow a logical, enticing format that draws the reader in. Plot differs from "story" in that it highlights a specific and purposeful cause-and-effect relationship between a sequence of major events in the narrative.

In Aspects of the Novel , famed British novelist E. M. Forster argues that instead of merely revealing random events that occur within a text (as "story" does), plot emphasizes causality between these events:

"We have defined a story as a narrative of events arranged in their time-sequence. A plot is also a narrative of events, the emphasis falling on causality. 'The king died and then the queen died,' is a story. 'The king died, and then the queen died of grief' is a plot. The time-sequence is preserved, but the sense of causality overshadows it."

Authors typically develop their plots in ways that are most likely to pique the reader’s interest and keep them invested in the story. This is why many plots follow the same basic structure. So what is this structure exactly?

What Is Plot Structure?

All plots follow a logical organization with a beginning, middle, and end—but there’s a lot more to the basic plot structure than just this. Generally speaking, every plot has these five elements in this order :

• Exposition/introduction
• Rising action
• Climax/turning point
• Falling action
• Resolution/denouement

#1: Exposition/Introduction

The first part of the plot establishes the main characters/protagonists and setting. We get to know who’s who, as well as when and where the story takes place. At this point, the reader is just getting to know the world of the story and what it’s going to be all about.

Here, we’re shown what normal looks like for the characters .

The primary conflict or tension around which the plot revolves is also usually introduced here in order to set up the course of events for the rest of the narrative. This tension could be the first meeting between two main characters (think Pride and Prejudice ) or the start of a murder mystery, for example.

#2: Rising Action

In this part of the plot, the primary conflict is introduced (if it hasn’t been already) and is built upon to create tension both within the story and the reader , who should ideally be feeling more and more drawn to the text. The conflict may affect one character or multiple characters.

The author should have clearly communicated to the reader the stakes of this central conflict. In other words, what are the possible consequences? The benefits?

This is the part of the plot that sets the rest of the plot in motion. Excitement grows as tensions get higher and higher, ultimately leading to the climax of the story (see below).

For example, in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone , the rising action would be when we learn who Voldemort is and lots of bad things start happening, which the characters eventually realize are all connected to Voldemort.

#3: Climax/Turning Point

Arguably the most important part of a story, the climax is the biggest plot point , which puts our characters in a situation wherein a choice must be made that will affect the rest of the story.

This is the critical moment that all the rising action has been building up to, and the point at which the overarching conflict is finally addressed. What will the character(s) do, and what will happen as a result? Tensions are highest here, instilling in the reader a sense of excitement, dread, and urgency.

In classic tales of heroes, the climax would be when the hero finally faces the big monster, and the reader is left to wonder who will win and what this outcome could mean for the other characters and the world as a whole within the story.

#4: Falling Action

This is when the tension has been released and the story begins to wind down. We start to see the results of the climax and the main characters’ actions and get a sense of what this means for them and the world they inhabit. How did their choices affect themselves and those around them?

At this point, the author also ties up loose ends in the main plot and any subplots .

In To Kill a Mockingbird , we see the consequences of the trial and Atticus Finch’s involvement in it: Tom goes to jail and is shot and killed, and Scout and Jem are attacked by accuser Bob Ewell who blames their father for making a fool out of him during the trial.

#5: Resolution/Denouement

This final plot point is when everything has been wrapped up and the new world—and the new sense of normalcy for the characters—has been established . The conflict from the climax has been resolved, and all loose ends have been neatly tied up (unless the author is purposely setting up the story for a sequel!).

There is a sense of finality and closure here , making the reader feel that there is nothing more they can learn or gain from the narrative.

The resolution can be pretty short—sometimes just a paragraph or so—and might even take the form of an epilogue , which generally takes place a while after the main action and plot of the story.

Be careful not to conflate "resolution" with "happy ending"—resolutions can be tragic and entirely unexpected, too!

In Romeo and Juliet , the resolution is the point at which the family feud between the Capulets and Montagues is at last put to an end following the deaths of the titular lovers.

What Is a Plot Diagram?

Many people use a plot diagram to help them visualize the plot definition and structure . Here’s what a basic plot diagram looks like:

The triangular part of the diagram indicates changing tensions in the plot. The diagram begins with a flat, horizontal line for the exposition , showing a lack of tension as well as what is normal for the characters in the story.

This elevation changes, however, with the rising action , or immediately after the conflict has been introduced. The rising action is an increasing line (indicating the building of tension), all the way up until it reaches the climax —the peak or turning point of the story, and when everything changes.

The falling action is a decreasing line, indicating a decline in tension and the wrapping up of the plot and any subplots. After, the line flatlines once more into a resolution —a new sense of normal for the characters in the story.

You can use the plot diagram as a reference when writing a story and to ensure you have all major plot points.

4 Plot Examples From Literature

While most plots follow the same basic structure, the details of stories can vary quite a bit! Here are four plot examples from literature to give you an idea of how you can use the fundamental plot structure while still making your story entirely your own.

#1: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Exposition: The ghost of Hamlet’s father—the former king—appears one night instructing his son to avenge his death by killing Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle and the current king.

Rising Action: Hamlet struggles to commit to avenging his father’s death. He pretends to go crazy (and possibly becomes truly mad) to confuse Claudius. Later, he passes up the opportunity to kill his uncle while he prays.

Climax: Hamlet stabs and kills Polonius, believing it to be his uncle. This is an important turning point at which Hamlet has committed himself to both violence and revenge. (Another climax can be said to be when Hamlet duels Laertes.)

Falling Action: Hamlet is sent to England but manages to avoid execution and instead returns to Denmark. Ophelia goes mad and dies. Hamlet duels Laertes, ultimately resulting in the deaths of the entire royal family.

Resolution: As he lay dying, Hamlet tells Horatio to make Fortinbras the king of Denmark and to share his story. Fortinbras arrives and speaks hopefully about the future of Denmark.

#2: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Exposition: Lockwood arrives at Wuthering Heights to meet with Heathcliff, a wealthy landlord, about renting Thrushcross Grange, another manor just a few miles away. While staying overnight, he sees the ghost of a woman named Catherine. After settling in at the Grange, Lockwood asks the housekeeper, Nelly Dean, to relay to him the story of Heathcliff and the Heights.

Rising Action: Most of the rising action takes place in the past when Catherine and Heathcliff were young. We learn that the two children were very close. One day, a dog bite forces Catherine to stay for several weeks at the Grange where the Lintons live, leading her to become infatuated with the young Edgar Linton. Feeling hurt and betrayed, Heathcliff runs away for three years, and Catherine and Edgar get married. Heathcliff then inherits the Heights and marries Edgar’s sister, Isabella, in the hopes of inheriting the Grange as well.

Climax: Catherine becomes sick, gives birth to a daughter named Cathy, and dies. Heathcliff begs Catherine to never leave him, to haunt him—even if it drives him mad.

Falling Action: Many years pass in Nelly's story. A chain of events allows Heathcliff to gain control of both the Heights and the Grange. He then forces the young Cathy to live with him at the Heights and act as a servant. Lockwood leaves the Grange to return to London.

Resolution: Six months later, Lockwood goes back to see Nelly and learns that Heathcliff, still heartbroken and now tired of seeking revenge, has died. Cathy and Hareton fall in love and plan to get married; they inherit the Grange and the Heights. Lockwood visits the graves of Catherine and Heathcliff, noting that both are finally at peace.

#3: Carrie by Stephen King

Exposition: Teenager Carrie is an outcast and lives with her controlling, fiercely religious mother. One day, she starts her period in the showers at school after P.E. Not knowing what menstruation is, Carrie becomes frantic; this causes other students to make fun of her and pelt her with sanitary products. Around this time, Carrie discovers that she has telekinetic powers.

Rising Action: Carrie practices her telekinesis, which grows stronger. The students who previously tormented Carrie in the locker room are punished by their teacher. One girl, Sue, feels remorseful and asks her boyfriend, Tommy, to take Carrie to the prom. But another girl, Chris, wants revenge against Carrie and plans to rig the prom queen election so that Carrie wins. Carrie attends the prom with Tommy and things go well—at first.

Climax: After being named prom queen, Carrie gets onstage in front of the entire school only to be immediately drenched with a bucket of pig’s blood, a plot carried out by Chris and her boyfriend, Billy. Everybody laughs at Carrie, who goes mad and begins using her telekinesis to start fires and kill everyone in sight.

Falling Action: Carrie returns home and is attacked by her mother. She kills her mother and then goes outside again, this time killing Chris and Billy. As Carrie lay dying, Sue comes over to her and Carrie realizes that Sue never intended to hurt her. She dies.

Resolution: The survivors in the town must come to terms with the havoc Carrie wrought. Some feel guilty for not having helped Carrie sooner; Sue goes to a psychiatric hospital. It’s announced that there are no others like Carrie, but we are then shown a letter from a mother discussing her young daughter’s telekinetic abilities.

#4: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Exposition: Bella Swan is a high school junior who moves to live with her father in a remote town in Washington State. She meets a strange boy named Edward, and after an initially awkward meeting, the two start to become friends. One day, Edward successfully uses his bare hands to stop a car from crushing Bella, making her realize that something is very different about this boy.

Rising Action: Bella discovers that Edward is a vampire after doing some research and asking him questions. The two develop strong romantic feelings and quickly fall in love. Bella meets Edward’s family of vampires, who happily accept her. When playing baseball together, however, they end up attracting a gang of non-vegetarian vampires. One of these vampires, James, notices that Bella is a human and decides to kill her. Edward and his family work hard to protect Bella, but James lures her to him by making her believe he has kidnapped her mother.

Climax: Tricked by James, Bella is attacked and fed on. At this moment, Edward and his family arrive and kill James. Bella nearly dies from the vampire venom in her blood, but Edward sucks it out, saving her life.

Falling Action: Bella wakes up in the hospital, heavily injured but alive. She still wants to be in a relationship with Edward, despite the risks involved, and the two agree to stay together.

Resolution: Months later, Edward takes Bella to the prom. The two have a good time. Bella tells Edward that she wants him to turn her into a vampire right then and there, but he refuses and pretends to bite her neck instead.

Conclusion: So What Is the Plot of a Story?

What is plot? Basically, it’s the chain of events in a story. These events must be purposeful and organized in a logical manner that entices the reader, builds tension, and provides a resolution.

All plots have a beginning, middle, and end, and usually contain the following five points in this order:

#1: Exposition/introduction #2: Rising action #3: Climax/turning point #4: Falling action #5: Resolution/denouement

Sketching out a plot diagram can help you visualize your story and get a clearer sense for where the climax is, what tensions you'll need to have in order to build up to this turning point, and how you can offer a tight conclusion to your story.

What’s Next?

What is plot? A key literary element as it turns out. Learn about other important elements of literature in our guide. We've also got a list of top literary devices you should know.

Working on a novel? Then you will definitely want to know what kinds of tone words you can use , how imagery works , what the big difference between a simile and a metaphor is , and how to write an epilogue .

Interested in writing poetry? Then check out our picks for the 20 most critical poetic devices .

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Blogs / For Writers / Plot Diagram: Definition and Examples

Plot Diagram: Definition and Examples

Ah, the plot diagram! Think of it as the GPS of storytelling. A road map for your story’s journey. It’s not just a squiggly line on a page; the plot diagram guides your narrative from “Once upon a time” to “And they lived happily ever after” (or not, depending on your genre).

What Is a Plot Diagram?

At its heart, a plot diagram is a simple (yet ingenious) tool that authors use to structure their stories. But don’t be fooled by its apparent simplicity. This little diagram is powerful enough to transform a jumble of ideas into a cohesive and compelling narrative.

Plot Diagram Example

Okay, the above heading says the Fictionary Story Arc is an example of a plot diagram… and it is. But it’s so much more than that! The Fictionary Story Arc is like the plot diagram’s cooler, tech-savvy cousin.

But why all these terms? What’s the difference? The story arc is the path your story travels. The plot diagram, on the other hand, is the graphic depiction of that path. If the story arc is the scenic route your story takes, the plot diagram is the ‘You Are Here’ mall map, showing you all the key stops along the way. So when we talk about the plot diagram, we’re talking about the actual visual representation of your story arc.

We show the story arc through a plot diagram. The plot diagram is the graph of your story arc.

Fictionary tracks thirty-eight story elements . It’s a lot! But each of these are grouped into three overarching categories, or supergroups: character, setting, and …. Wait for it…. PLOT.

Plot comprises the story itself, and anything having to do with its progression. The plot diagram typically follows a classic three-act structure. It’s basically the beginning, middle, and end of your story. However, within these three acts, there are key components. The Fictionary Story Arc is based on that classic three-act structure. Within these three acts, you have five plot points.

And that is where Fictionary can help. It doesn’t just help you create your story arc. It doesn’t just help you ensure that your plot points are at the right place for the standard three-act structure. Oh, no. It does not stop there.

The Fictionary StoryTeller software actually creates a plot diagram of your story arc. You upload your manuscript, and Fictionary uses magic (I mean, algorithms) to map your story arc. Then you, the human, go in and check to see if it got things right. If not, you can manually adjust those plot points as needed.

So what are these mysterious five plot points of which we speak?

Inciting Incident

Before the inciting incident , the story should draw the reader in. Here, you’ll want to cozy up with your characters, peek into their everyday lives, and get a glimpse of their big dreams and the hurdles they might face. This helps the reader connect with the protagonist. To care about what happens to them.

And then— BAM ! The inciting incident knocks the protagonist out of their ordinary life. Their world changes in a dramatic way.

This is the “Hold my coffee” moment of your story. It’s the spark that lights the fire, the event that kicks your protagonist off their couch and into the adventure. Whether it’s finding a mysterious map or getting an unexpected invitation, this is where your story says, “Buckle up, we’re going on a journey!”

The inciting incident can be positive or negative, but it must be. Without one, life for your protagonist just goes on as usual—not so interesting, from a story perspective.

The Rising Action Chart

This plot point is the death of Act 1, and there is no other option for the protagonist but to go into Act 2. It’s the moment when your protagonist’s world shifts from ‘maybe’ to ‘must.’ It’s where the story’s rubber burns hot on the road of adventure.

By Plot Point 1, which is about 25% into your novel, your story starts to sizzle with conflict and tension. Your characters are up against challenges, making choices that will shape their journey. By this point, the story has shown what’s at stake for the protagonist, and given them no choice but to go forward anyway. The greater the stakes, the greater the tension.

Welcome to the heart of your story, where the plot thickens like a delicious stew. Here, characters evolve, secrets unfold, and the stakes get higher. It’s the meat in the sandwich, the core of your narrative apple. This part keeps your readers glued to the pages, hungry for more.

As your protagonist ventures deeper into this heartland, they encounter this pivotal Middle Plot Point. This is where they learn the unwritten rules of their journey. Armed with this new understanding, the protagonist shifts from being a mere pawn of fate to the bold chess master of their destiny. In other words, the middle marks the turning point in which the protagonist shifts from reactive to proactive.

Plot Point 2

Plot Point 2 is the end of Act 2, and happens at about 75% into your novel.

Often referred to as the “all hope is lost” scene, or the Dark Night of the Soul, Plot Point 2 is the “Oh no, what now?” moment. Imagine your characters, chests puffed with confidence, marching towards what they think is the finish line—only to find it’s a mirage. This plot point is the narrative rug pull, the moment where the floor gives way, and your protagonist plummets into uncertainty. Just when your characters think they’ve got it all figured out, this plot point begs to differ.

Your protagonist hits rock bottom, their dreams shattered like a glass castle under a sledgehammer. This is the low point, where the light at the end of the tunnel flickers and fades, leaving your characters (and readers) in a gripping suspense.

This plot point is crucial because it’s not just about tearing down your protagonist’s world. It also sets the stage for the triumphant rise in the climax. It’s the darkness before the dawn, the deep breath before the final leap. And in this moment of despair, the seeds of resolution and growth are sown, preparing both character and reader for the story’s grand finale.

Story Climax Chart

The grand finale, the showstopper! All roads lead to this peak of excitement and emotion. The climax is where conflicts reach a boiling point, and your characters face their biggest challenge yet. Like the final showdown in an epic movie, it’s the part your readers have been waiting for with bated breath.

The climax is where your protagonist either achieves—or fails to achieve, depending on your genre—the story goal. So, if your protagonist has been on a journey to find their long lost sister, the climax is where that reunion happens. If the goal is to save the world from alien invasion, then that final battle happens in the climax.

This should be the scene with the most tension, the most conflict, the greatest emotional upheaval. It typically happens at about 90% into your story arc. Everything after that is falling action.

Falling Action

After the climax’s fireworks, the story begins to settle down. It’s the narrative exhale, where conflicts start resolving, and loose ends get tied up. It’s the gentle coast back to the dock after a thrilling boat ride—satisfying, necessary, and a chance for your characters (and readers) to catch their breath.

And it might just set your book up for a sequel.

A Plot Diagram Template

Now, this is where the rubber meets the road. The Fictionary Story Arc isn’t just a static image; it’s a dynamic, interactive tool that breathes life into your plot diagram. The beauty of this template lies in its interactivity. With Fictionary’s StoryTeller software, the Story Arc becomes a hands-on guide for your narrative journey.

Imagine being able to click on a plot point and be instantly transported to the corresponding scene in your manuscript. That’s the kind of wizardry we’re talking about here. The Story Arc with its two lines—one for the standard structure, another mirroring your story—not only shows you where you are but also where you need to go.

This interactive Story Arc is akin to a narrative EKG, tracing the heartbeat of your story. If the lines of your plot and the core structure are in sync, you’re in great narrative shape. If they diverge, you’ve got some editing to do. But fear not! This plot diagram template is designed to help you identify and remedy any structural arrhythmias before they become critical.

Examples of Plot Line Diagrams from Literature

The hunger games plot diagram / story arc.

The Hunger Games serves as a prime example of a well-crafted plot. Just look at this plot diagram! It’s a beautiful sight to behold. By seeing her story mapped out as a plot diagram in a Fictionary Story Arc, we can see clearly how masterfully Suzanne Collins’s story aligns with the classic three-act structure. Each plot point is a stepping stone that escalates the tension and stakes.

In the inciting incident, Katniss volunteers to save Prim, her sister. This act of self-sacrifice, perfectly poised at 10% into the narrative, definitely fits the bill of shaking our protagonist out of her ordinary life.

As we hit Plot Point 1, Katniss enters the arena (20%). By now, we’re fully invested in her survival. This action is our point-of-no-return. There’s no going back now.

The middle thickens with alliances and adversities. At the midpoint (50%), Katniss goes against her rugged individualism and becomes proactive in her story by allying with Rue.

Then comes the gut-wrenching Plot Point 2: Rue’s death (70%). It’s Katniss’s darkest hour. This moment not only heightens the emotional stakes but also cements Katniss’s resolve, pushing the story toward its climax.

The climax unfurls with Katniss and Peeta winning the games (90%). This high-tension moment delivers on the story’s promises. It’s the culmination of strategy, survival, and sacrifice, rewarding the reader’s emotional investment with a satisfying payoff.

Twilight Plot Diagram / Story Arc

The plot diagram of Twilight displays the clever way Stephanie Meyer builds up romance and danger. In the inciting incident, Edward saves Bella’s life (10%). This not only piques our curiosity about Edward but also stealthily draws Bella into a new world.

Plot Point 1 (26%) marks a significant turn in the story as Bella discovers Edward is—gasp—a vampire. It’s the point of no return for Bella, as her world irrevocably changes. This revelation propels her deeper into Edward’s world, effectively ending Act 1 and setting her on a collision course with forces beyond human understanding.

In the middle point (50%), Bella sees Edward’s true power. We’re at the core of the narrative apple. Bella’s love for Edward deepens, even as the true dangers of his world become more evident. She becomes proactive in her pursuit of this dangerous new world.

As we move towards Plot Point 2, the narrative tension escalates. It reaches a crucial turning point when the evil vampire sets sights on Bella (75%). The stakes are raised to life-and-death proportions, and the shadow of threat looms large.

The climax of Twilight is a face-off where Bella confronts the evil vampire (90%). The conflict reaches its peak and the fate of the characters hangs in the balance.

Conclusion: What Is a Plot Structure Diagram?

From the inciting incident to the climax, the plot diagram illuminates the path your characters have chosen to tread. In this article, we have covered the Fictionary Story Arc and how it works as an interactive plot diagram. We’ve shown how a plot diagram can revolutionize the way your story is structured.

Whether you’re planning a dystopian rebellion or a supernatural romance, the plot diagram can serve as your roadmap. It ensures that every twist, every character arc, and every plot point hits where it will have the most impact. By dissecting these two famous examples, we’ve seen how each plot point is a crucial step forward for the protagonist.

Now it’s your turn. Take the wheel of your own story with the confidence that comes from understanding the nuances of the plot diagram. Embrace the Fictionary Story Arc (or any plot diagram you prefer), and make it your own. Let it be the guide that keeps your story on its path.

Take your free trial of Fictionary StoryTeller today.

The Ultimate Narrative Essay Guide for Beginners

A narrative essay tells a story in chronological order, with an introduction that introduces the characters and sets the scene. Then a series of events leads to a climax or turning point, and finally a resolution or reflection on the experience.

Speaking of which, are you in sixes and sevens about narrative essays? Don’t worry this ultimate expert guide will wipe out all your doubts. So let’s get started.

Table of Contents

Everything You Need to Know About Narrative Essay

What is a narrative essay.

When you go through a narrative essay definition, you would know that a narrative essay purpose is to tell a story. It’s all about sharing an experience or event and is different from other types of essays because it’s more focused on how the event made you feel or what you learned from it, rather than just presenting facts or an argument. Let’s explore more details on this interesting write-up and get to know how to write a narrative essay.

Elements of a Narrative Essay

Here’s a breakdown of the key elements of a narrative essay:

A narrative essay has a beginning, middle, and end. It builds up tension and excitement and then wraps things up in a neat package.

Real people, including the writer, often feature in personal narratives. Details of the characters and their thoughts, feelings, and actions can help readers to relate to the tale.

It’s really important to know when and where something happened so we can get a good idea of the context. Going into detail about what it looks like helps the reader to really feel like they’re part of the story.

Conflict or Challenge 

A story in a narrative essay usually involves some kind of conflict or challenge that moves the plot along. It could be something inside the character, like a personal battle, or something from outside, like an issue they have to face in the world.

Theme or Message

A narrative essay isn’t just about recounting an event – it’s about showing the impact it had on you and what you took away from it. It’s an opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings about the experience, and how it changed your outlook.

Emotional Impact

The author is trying to make the story they’re telling relatable, engaging, and memorable by using language and storytelling to evoke feelings in whoever’s reading it.

Narrative essays let writers have a blast telling stories about their own lives. It’s an opportunity to share insights and impart wisdom, or just have some fun with the reader. Descriptive language, sensory details, dialogue, and a great narrative voice are all essentials for making the story come alive.

The Purpose of a Narrative Essay

A narrative essay is more than just a story – it’s a way to share a meaningful, engaging, and relatable experience with the reader. Includes:

Sharing Personal Experience

Narrative essays are a great way for writers to share their personal experiences, feelings, thoughts, and reflections. It’s an opportunity to connect with readers and make them feel something.

Entertainment and Engagement

The essay attempts to keep the reader interested by using descriptive language, storytelling elements, and a powerful voice. It attempts to pull them in and make them feel involved by creating suspense, mystery, or an emotional connection.

Conveying a Message or Insight

Narrative essays are more than just a story – they aim to teach you something. They usually have a moral lesson, a new understanding, or a realization about life that the author gained from the experience.

Building Empathy and Understanding

By telling their stories, people can give others insight into different perspectives, feelings, and situations. Sharing these tales can create compassion in the reader and help broaden their knowledge of different life experiences.

Inspiration and Motivation

Stories about personal struggles, successes, and transformations can be really encouraging to people who are going through similar situations. It can provide them with hope and guidance, and let them know that they’re not alone.

Reflecting on Life’s Significance

These essays usually make you think about the importance of certain moments in life or the impact of certain experiences. They make you look deep within yourself and ponder on the things you learned or how you changed because of those events.

Demonstrating Writing Skills

Coming up with a gripping narrative essay takes serious writing chops, like vivid descriptions, powerful language, timing, and organization. It’s an opportunity for writers to show off their story-telling abilities.

Preserving Personal History

Sometimes narrative essays are used to record experiences and special moments that have an emotional resonance. They can be used to preserve individual memories or for future generations to look back on.

Cultural and Societal Exploration

Personal stories can look at cultural or social aspects, giving us an insight into customs, opinions, or social interactions seen through someone’s own experience.

Format of a Narrative Essay

Narrative essays are quite flexible in terms of format, which allows the writer to tell a story in a creative and compelling way. Here’s a quick breakdown of the narrative essay format, along with some examples:

Introduction

Set the scene and introduce the story.

Engage the reader and establish the tone of the narrative.

Hook: Start with a captivating opening line to grab the reader’s attention. For instance:

Example:  “The scorching sun beat down on us as we trekked through the desert, our water supply dwindling.”

Background Information: Provide necessary context or background without giving away the entire story.

Example:  “It was the summer of 2015 when I embarked on a life-changing journey to…”

Thesis Statement or Narrative Purpose

Present the main idea or the central message of the essay.

Offer a glimpse of what the reader can expect from the narrative.

Thesis Statement: This isn’t as rigid as in other essays but can be a sentence summarizing the essence of the story.

Example:  “Little did I know, that seemingly ordinary hike would teach me invaluable lessons about resilience and friendship.”

Body Paragraphs

Present the sequence of events in chronological order.

Develop characters, setting, conflict, and resolution.

Story Progression: Describe events in the order they occurred, focusing on details that evoke emotions and create vivid imagery.

Example: Detail the trek through the desert, the challenges faced, interactions with fellow hikers, and the pivotal moments.

Character Development: Introduce characters and their roles in the story. Show their emotions, thoughts, and actions.

Example: Describe how each character reacted to the dwindling water supply and supported each other through adversity.

Dialogue and Interactions: Use dialogue to bring the story to life and reveal character personalities.

Example: “Sarah handed me her last bottle of water, saying, ‘We’re in this together.'”

Reach the peak of the story, the moment of highest tension or significance.

Turning Point: Highlight the most crucial moment or realization in the narrative.

Example:  “As the sun dipped below the horizon and hope seemed lost, a distant sound caught our attention—the rescue team’s helicopters.”

Provide closure to the story.

Reflect on the significance of the experience and its impact.

Reflection: Summarize the key lessons learned or insights gained from the experience.

Example: “That hike taught me the true meaning of resilience and the invaluable support of friendship in challenging times.”

Closing Thought: End with a memorable line that reinforces the narrative’s message or leaves a lasting impression.

Example: “As we boarded the helicopters, I knew this adventure would forever be etched in my heart.”

Example Summary:

Imagine a narrative about surviving a challenging hike through the desert, emphasizing the bonds formed and lessons learned. The narrative essay structure might look like starting with an engaging scene, narrating the hardships faced, showcasing the characters’ resilience, and culminating in a powerful realization about friendship and endurance.

Different Types of Narrative Essays

There are a bunch of different types of narrative essays – each one focuses on different elements of storytelling and has its own purpose. Here’s a breakdown of the narrative essay types and what they mean.

Personal Narrative

Description: Tells a personal story or experience from the writer’s life.

Purpose: Reflects on personal growth, lessons learned, or significant moments.

Example of Narrative Essay Types:

Topic: “The Day I Conquered My Fear of Public Speaking”

Focus: Details the experience, emotions, and eventual triumph over a fear of public speaking during a pivotal event.

Descriptive Narrative

Description: Emphasizes vivid details and sensory imagery.

Purpose: Creates a sensory experience, painting a vivid picture for the reader.

Topic: “A Walk Through the Enchanted Forest”

Focus: Paints a detailed picture of the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings experienced during a walk through a mystical forest.

Autobiographical Narrative

Description: Chronicles significant events or moments from the writer’s life.

Purpose: Provides insights into the writer’s life, experiences, and growth.

Topic: “Lessons from My Childhood: How My Grandmother Shaped Who I Am”

Focus: Explores pivotal moments and lessons learned from interactions with a significant family member.

Experiential Narrative

Description: Relays experiences beyond the writer’s personal life.

Purpose: Shares experiences, travels, or events from a broader perspective.

Topic: “Volunteering in a Remote Village: A Journey of Empathy”

Focus: Chronicles the writer’s volunteering experience, highlighting interactions with a community and personal growth.

Literary Narrative

Description: Incorporates literary elements like symbolism, allegory, or thematic explorations.

Purpose: Uses storytelling for deeper explorations of themes or concepts.

Topic: “The Symbolism of the Red Door: A Journey Through Change”

Focus: Uses a red door as a symbol, exploring its significance in the narrator’s life and the theme of transition.

Historical Narrative

Description: Recounts historical events or periods through a personal lens.

Purpose: Presents history through personal experiences or perspectives.

Topic: “A Grandfather’s Tales: Living Through the Great Depression”

Focus: Shares personal stories from a family member who lived through a historical era, offering insights into that period.

Digital or Multimedia Narrative

Description: Incorporates multimedia elements like images, videos, or audio to tell a story.

Purpose: Explores storytelling through various digital platforms or formats.

Topic: “A Travel Diary: Exploring Europe Through Vlogs”

Focus: Combines video clips, photos, and personal narration to document a travel experience.

How to Choose a Topic for Your Narrative Essay?

Selecting a compelling topic for your narrative essay is crucial as it sets the stage for your storytelling. Choosing a boring topic is one of the narrative essay mistakes to avoid . Here’s a detailed guide on how to choose the right topic:

Reflect on Personal Experiences

• Significant Moments:

Moments that had a profound impact on your life or shaped your perspective.

Example: A moment of triumph, overcoming a fear, a life-changing decision, or an unforgettable experience.

• Emotional Resonance:

Events that evoke strong emotions or feelings.

Example: Joy, fear, sadness, excitement, or moments of realization.

• Lessons Learned:

Experiences that taught you valuable lessons or brought about personal growth.

Example: Challenges that led to personal development, shifts in mindset, or newfound insights.

Explore Unique Perspectives

• Uncommon Experiences:

Unique or unconventional experiences that might captivate the reader’s interest.

Example: Unusual travels, interactions with different cultures, or uncommon hobbies.

• Different Points of View:

Stories from others’ perspectives that impacted you deeply.

Example: A family member’s story, a friend’s experience, or a historical event from a personal lens.

Focus on Specific Themes or Concepts

• Themes or Concepts of Interest:

Themes or ideas you want to explore through storytelling.

Example: Friendship, resilience, identity, cultural diversity, or personal transformation.

• Symbolism or Metaphor:

Using symbols or metaphors as the core of your narrative.

Example: Exploring the symbolism of an object or a place in relation to a broader theme.

Consider Your Audience and Purpose

• Relevance to Your Audience:

Topics that resonate with your audience’s interests or experiences.

Example: Choose a relatable theme or experience that your readers might connect with emotionally.

• Impact or Message:

What message or insight do you want to convey through your story?

Example: Choose a topic that aligns with the message or lesson you aim to impart to your readers.

Brainstorm and Evaluate Ideas

• Free Writing or Mind Mapping:

Process: Write down all potential ideas without filtering. Mind maps or free-writing exercises can help generate diverse ideas.

• Evaluate Feasibility:

The depth of the story, the availability of vivid details, and your personal connection to the topic.

Imagine you’re considering topics for a narrative essay. You reflect on your experiences and decide to explore the topic of “Overcoming Stage Fright: How a School Play Changed My Perspective.” This topic resonates because it involves a significant challenge you faced and the personal growth it brought about.

Narrative Essay Topics

50 easy narrative essay topics.

• Learning to Ride a Bike
• My First Day of School
• A Surprise Birthday Party
• The Day I Got Lost
• Visiting a Haunted House
• An Encounter with a Wild Animal
• My Favorite Childhood Toy
• The Best Vacation I Ever Had
• An Unforgettable Family Gathering
• Conquering a Fear of Heights
• A Special Gift I Received
• Moving to a New City
• The Most Memorable Meal
• Getting Caught in a Rainstorm
• An Act of Kindness I Witnessed
• The First Time I Cooked a Meal
• My Experience with a New Hobby
• The Day I Met My Best Friend
• A Hike in the Mountains
• Learning a New Language
• An Embarrassing Moment
• Dealing with a Bully
• My First Job Interview
• A Sporting Event I Attended
• The Scariest Dream I Had
• Helping a Stranger
• The Joy of Achieving a Goal
• A Road Trip Adventure
• Overcoming a Personal Challenge
• The Significance of a Family Tradition
• An Unusual Pet I Owned
• A Misunderstanding with a Friend
• Exploring an Abandoned Building
• My Favorite Book and Why
• The Impact of a Role Model
• A Cultural Celebration I Participated In
• A Valuable Lesson from a Teacher
• A Trip to the Zoo
• An Unplanned Adventure
• Volunteering Experience
• A Moment of Forgiveness
• A Decision I Regretted
• A Special Talent I Have
• The Importance of Family Traditions
• The Thrill of Performing on Stage
• A Moment of Sudden Inspiration
• The Meaning of Home
• Learning to Play a Musical Instrument
• A Childhood Memory at the Park
• Witnessing a Beautiful Sunset

Narrative Essay Topics for College Students

• Discovering a New Passion
• Overcoming Academic Challenges
• Navigating Cultural Differences
• Embracing Independence: Moving Away from Home
• Exploring Career Aspirations
• Coping with Stress in College
• The Impact of a Mentor in My Life
• Balancing Work and Studies
• Facing a Fear of Public Speaking
• Exploring a Semester Abroad
• The Evolution of My Study Habits
• Volunteering Experience That Changed My Perspective
• The Role of Technology in Education
• Finding Balance: Social Life vs. Academics
• Learning a New Skill Outside the Classroom
• Reflecting on Freshman Year Challenges
• The Joys and Struggles of Group Projects
• My Experience with Internship or Work Placement
• Challenges of Time Management in College
• Redefining Success Beyond Grades
• The Influence of Literature on My Thinking
• The Impact of Social Media on College Life
• Overcoming Procrastination
• Lessons from a Leadership Role
• Exploring Diversity on Campus
• Exploring Passion for Environmental Conservation
• An Eye-Opening Course That Changed My Perspective
• Living with Roommates: Challenges and Lessons
• The Significance of Extracurricular Activities
• The Influence of a Professor on My Academic Journey
• Discussing Mental Health in College
• The Evolution of My Career Goals
• Confronting Personal Biases Through Education
• The Experience of Attending a Conference or Symposium
• Challenges Faced by Non-Native English Speakers in College
• The Impact of Traveling During Breaks
• Exploring Identity: Cultural or Personal
• The Impact of Music or Art on My Life
• Addressing Diversity in the Classroom
• Exploring Entrepreneurial Ambitions
• My Experience with Research Projects
• Overcoming Impostor Syndrome in College
• The Importance of Networking in College
• Finding Resilience During Tough Times
• The Impact of Global Issues on Local Perspectives
• The Influence of Family Expectations on Education
• Lessons from a Part-Time Job
• Exploring the College Sports Culture
• The Role of Technology in Modern Education
• The Journey of Self-Discovery Through Education

Narrative Essay Comparison

Narrative essay vs. descriptive essay.

Here’s our first narrative essay comparison! While both narrative and descriptive essays focus on vividly portraying a subject or an event, they differ in their primary objectives and approaches. Now, let’s delve into the nuances of comparison on narrative essays.

Narrative Essay:

Storytelling: Focuses on narrating a personal experience or event.

Chronological Order: Follows a structured timeline of events to tell a story.

Message or Lesson: Often includes a central message, moral, or lesson learned from the experience.

Engagement: Aims to captivate the reader through a compelling storyline and character development.

First-Person Perspective: Typically narrated from the writer’s point of view, using “I” and expressing personal emotions and thoughts.

Plot Development: Emphasizes a plot with a beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.

Character Development: Focuses on describing characters, their interactions, emotions, and growth.

Conflict or Challenge: Usually involves a central conflict or challenge that drives the narrative forward.

Dialogue: Incorporates conversations to bring characters and their interactions to life.

Reflection: Concludes with reflection or insight gained from the experience.

Descriptive Essay:

Vivid Description: Aims to vividly depict a person, place, object, or event.

Imagery and Details: Focuses on sensory details to create a vivid image in the reader’s mind.

Emotion through Description: Uses descriptive language to evoke emotions and engage the reader’s senses.

Painting a Picture: Creates a sensory-rich description allowing the reader to visualize the subject.

Imagery and Sensory Details: Focuses on providing rich sensory descriptions, using vivid language and adjectives.

Point of Focus: Concentrates on describing a specific subject or scene in detail.

Spatial Organization: Often employs spatial organization to describe from one area or aspect to another.

Objective Observations: Typically avoids the use of personal opinions or emotions; instead, the focus remains on providing a detailed and objective description.

Comparison:

Focus: Narrative essays emphasize storytelling, while descriptive essays focus on vividly describing a subject or scene.

Perspective: Narrative essays are often written from a first-person perspective, while descriptive essays may use a more objective viewpoint.

Purpose: Narrative essays aim to convey a message or lesson through a story, while descriptive essays aim to paint a detailed picture for the reader without necessarily conveying a specific message.

Narrative Essay vs. Argumentative Essay

The narrative essay and the argumentative essay serve distinct purposes and employ different approaches:

Engagement and Emotion: Aims to captivate the reader through a compelling story.

Reflective: Often includes reflection on the significance of the experience or lessons learned.

First-Person Perspective: Typically narrated from the writer’s point of view, sharing personal emotions and thoughts.

Plot Development: Emphasizes a storyline with a beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.

Message or Lesson: Conveys a central message, moral, or insight derived from the experience.

Argumentative Essay:

Persuasion and Argumentation: Aims to persuade the reader to adopt the writer’s viewpoint on a specific topic.

Logical Reasoning: Presents evidence, facts, and reasoning to support a particular argument or stance.

Debate and Counterarguments: Acknowledge opposing views and counter them with evidence and reasoning.

Thesis Statement: Includes a clear thesis statement that outlines the writer’s position on the topic.

Thesis and Evidence: Starts with a strong thesis statement and supports it with factual evidence, statistics, expert opinions, or logical reasoning.

Counterarguments: Addresses opposing viewpoints and provides rebuttals with evidence.

Logical Structure: Follows a logical structure with an introduction, body paragraphs presenting arguments and evidence, and a conclusion reaffirming the thesis.

Formal Language: Uses formal language and avoids personal anecdotes or emotional appeals.

Objective: Argumentative essays focus on presenting a logical argument supported by evidence, while narrative essays prioritize storytelling and personal reflection.

Purpose: Argumentative essays aim to persuade and convince the reader of a particular viewpoint, while narrative essays aim to engage, entertain, and share personal experiences.

Structure: Narrative essays follow a storytelling structure with character development and plot, while argumentative essays follow a more formal, structured approach with logical arguments and evidence.

In essence, while both essays involve writing and presenting information, the narrative essay focuses on sharing a personal experience, whereas the argumentative essay aims to persuade the audience by presenting a well-supported argument.

Narrative Essay vs. Personal Essay

While there can be an overlap between narrative and personal essays, they have distinctive characteristics:

Storytelling: Emphasizes recounting a specific experience or event in a structured narrative form.

Engagement through Story: Aims to engage the reader through a compelling story with characters, plot, and a central theme or message.

Reflective: Often includes reflection on the significance of the experience and the lessons learned.

First-Person Perspective: Typically narrated from the writer’s viewpoint, expressing personal emotions and thoughts.

Plot Development: Focuses on developing a storyline with a clear beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.

Character Development: Includes descriptions of characters, their interactions, emotions, and growth.

Central Message: Conveys a central message, moral, or insight derived from the experience.

Personal Essay:

Exploration of Ideas or Themes: Explores personal ideas, opinions, or reflections on a particular topic or subject.

Expression of Thoughts and Opinions: Expresses the writer’s thoughts, feelings, and perspectives on a specific subject matter.

Reflection and Introspection: Often involves self-reflection and introspection on personal experiences, beliefs, or values.

Varied Structure and Content: Can encompass various forms, including memoirs, personal anecdotes, or reflections on life experiences.

Flexibility in Structure: Allows for diverse structures and forms based on the writer’s intent, which could be narrative-like or more reflective.

Theme-Centric Writing: Focuses on exploring a central theme or idea, with personal anecdotes or experiences supporting and illustrating the theme.

Expressive Language: Utilizes descriptive and expressive language to convey personal perspectives, emotions, and opinions.

Focus: Narrative essays primarily focus on storytelling through a structured narrative, while personal essays encompass a broader range of personal expression, which can include storytelling but isn’t limited to it.

Structure: Narrative essays have a more structured plot development with characters and a clear sequence of events, while personal essays might adopt various structures, focusing more on personal reflection, ideas, or themes.

Intent: While both involve personal experiences, narrative essays emphasize telling a story with a message or lesson learned, while personal essays aim to explore personal thoughts, feelings, or opinions on a broader range of topics or themes.

A narrative essay is more than just telling a story. It’s also meant to engage the reader, get them thinking, and leave a lasting impact. Whether it’s to amuse, motivate, teach, or reflect, these essays are a great way to communicate with your audience. This interesting narrative essay guide was all about letting you understand the narrative essay, its importance, and how can you write one.

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Plot Diagram

About this Interactive

Related resources.

The Plot Diagram is an organizational tool focusing on a pyramid or triangular shape, which is used to map the events in a story. This mapping of plot structure allows readers and writers to visualize the key features of stories. The basic triangle-shaped plot structure, representing the beginning, middle, and end of a story, was described by Aristotle. Gustav Freytag modified Aristotle's system by adding a rising action and a falling action to the structure. This interactive version of the graphic organizer supports both Aristotle's and Freytag's conceptualizations of plot structures.

• Lesson Plans
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In this lesson students evaluate published children's picture storybooks. Students then plan, write, illustrate, and publish their own children's picture books.

After exploring Orson Welles' 1938 broadcast of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds , students create their own audio dramatization of a text they have read.

Students learn that the plot structure described by Freytag's Pyramid is actually quite familiar as they diagram the plots of a familiar story, a television show, and a narrative poem.

Students read an example of allegory, review literary concepts, complete literary elements maps and plot diagrams, create a pictorial allegory, and write diamante poems related to the theme of change.

Students generate descriptive timelines and can include images in the description.

The Story Map interactive is designed to assist students in prewriting and postreading activities by focusing on the key elements of character, setting, conflict, and resolution.

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Posted on Jul 18, 2017

What is the Narrative Arc? A Guide to Storytelling Through Story Structure

Has anyone ever told you that your narrative arc was too weak? Too complex? Or not complex enough?

Universal to both fiction and nonfiction , the narrative arc (also called the “story arc”) refers to the structure and shape of a story. This arc is made up of the events in your story — the sequence of occurrences in the plot — and determines the peaks and plateaus that set the pace. A good arc is vital if you want to engage your readers from start to finish, and deliver a satisfying conclusion.

What is a narrative arc?

Narrative arc, also known as a "story arc" or "dramatic arc," is the framework that gives structure to a story, including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. It guides the flow of events, creates compelling conflict, and provides a clear and engaging path for a story.

You may already be familiar with one classic example of the story arc: boy meets girl, boy fails girl, boy gets girl again. This may sound oversimplified, and it is. Adding complexity to a basic story arc is part of what differentiates one story from another, even when they’re ostensibly dealing with the same ideas.

It’s sometimes useful to think about the story arc as though you’re setting up a simple dramatic play. Ultimately, you’ve got three acts to tell your story.

• In Act One , you set the scene and introduce your audience to the characters , the setting, and the seeds of conflict .
• In Act Two , your characters grow and change in response to conflicts and circumstances. They set about trying to resolve the Big Problem. Usually, the conflict will escalate to a climax.
• In Act Three , characters resolve the Big Problem and the story ends.

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What’s the difference between a narrative arc and a plot?

While the plot is comprised of the individual events that make up your story, your story arc is the sequence of those events. Imagine every scene of your novel summarized on notecards: the entire stack of cards is your plot, but the order in which you lay them out is your story arc.

Thinking about your arc is essential around this point. What if your Scene 1 notecard actually belongs in the denouement? What if you have too many scenes based on internal conflict in a row (leaving the external conflict to wither)? Carefully ordering your plot into a cohesive story arc helps readers navigate your story, and sets expectations that you can either satisfy or disrupt.

If the plot is the skeleton of your story, the narrative arc is the spine. It’s the central through-line marking the plot’s progress from beginning to end.

How about the character arc?

The narrative arc is to the story what the character arc is to a character. It involves the plot on a grand scale, and a character arc charts the inner journey of a character over the course of the plot.

Another straightforward distinction: while the story arc is external, the character arc is internal, and each main (and sometimes secondary) character will go through an individual arc.

Still, narrative and character arcs are part of a symbiotic relationship. Each plot point in the story arc should bring your characters closer to, or further from, their goals and desires. The circumstances and conflicts your characters face are part of the arc, but the way characters meet challenges and change as a result is “character arc” territory.

PRO TIP: Interested in writing a solid character arc? Learn about what defines a dynamic character in this piece.

How to structure a narrative arc

So, remember what we said about the three acts that make up a story arc? If you try to visualize the progression of action in your mind, you may see something that builds up and falls as so:

That’s right . . . a pyramid.  (One that's set upon a roller coaster, for your viewing pleasure.)

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Freytag’s Pyramid

In 1863, Gustav Freytag, a 19th-century German novelist, used a pyramid to study common patterns in stories’ plots. He put forward the idea that every arc goes through five dramatic stages: exposition, rising action , climax, falling action, and resolution.

Freytag’s Pyramid is a useful tool that reveals the structure of many stories, so it’s the framework we’ll be using in the next few sections. Feel free to use the diagram above as a reference as you follow along, or skip to your preferred stage below.

Exposition Rising Action Climax Falling Action Denouement

The de-facto introduction to your book, the exposition is Act One of the story arc. You’re setting the table in the exposition: starting the story , bringing out your characters, setting up the seeds of conflict, and imparting just enough background information to keep the reader clued in on what’s occurring in the story.

Here’s a brief overview of what else the reader should be able to extract from the exposition of your story (which, incidentally, ties neatly into the 5 Ws ):

• The characters. Who’s in the cast of characters ? How can you differentiate among them?
• The setting. Where does your story take place? Don’t forget that setting includes time — when does your story take place? What time period?
• The mood. How will you set the tone of the novel in the exposition? A romance that suddenly goes sideways due to an alien invasion is going to confuse readers and cloud your book's genre classification.

The size of the exposition depends on your book. The Count of Monte Cristo takes many thousands of words to set the stage, while P.G. Wodehouse wastes no time galloping past the exposition. Here's a post on chapter length if you'd like to learn more about pacing your work.

A word of caution: remember Show, Don't Tell — and don’t mistake “exposition” for “info dump.” Even while Tolkien is busy introducing the reader to an enormous cast of dwarves in The Hobbit , there’s a booming party going on and poor Bilbo’s scrambling to serve tea! Readers will be interested in background information only when it doesn’t distract or detract from the plot. You must balance action and information if you want them to continue flipping the pages.

Rising Action

What’s a good story without a few (or more) wrinkles?

Usually, the rising action is prompted by a key trigger (also known as the inciting incident), which is what says to the reader, “Here we go.” It’s the moment Romeo sees Juliet, or it’s the split second in which Katniss’s sister, Prim, is picked during the reaping. Whatever the circumstances, the key trigger is the event that rolls the dice and causes a series of events to escalate, setting the rest of the story in motion.

As your exposition already set up your characters and conflict, it’s now the job of the rising action to:

• Develop the characters while allowing relationships between characters to deepen.
• Escalate the conflict and amp up tension.

In Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express , everything that occurs after Hercule Poirot steps foot onto the train — up until the murder of R — constitutes the story’s rising action. In the book, this stage’s function becomes twofold: not only does it strengthen the suspense on the train, but the sequence of events also starts revealing the cast of suspects’ relationships and motives to the reader . How your characters respond to the changing situations in this stage will speak volumes about them.

A good climax will build upon everything earlier — the storylines, motives, character arcs — and package it all together. It’s both the moment of truth for the protagonist (the peak of the character arc) and the event to which the plot’s built up (the peak of the arc). When the outer and inner journeys come together and click, you know you’ve got the beginnings of a winning climax.

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On the flip side, a bad climax is the easiest way for a reader to feel cheated and chuck your book at the wall. They’ll use your book as tissue paper in the future, or — worse! — never pick a book of yours up again. So the climax is one of the most important parts of your story arc. While it’s the beginning that sells ‘this novel,’ it’s the climax that sells ‘the next’ novel.

Falling Action

Okay, so you’ve gone and banged out a climax that knocks the reader right out of the park. What next? Your job definitely isn’t over yet, because the story can’t just grind to a stop. (FYI, that would make it every reader’s Public Enemy #1: the cliffhanger.)

Instead, you can follow this old axiom: what goes up must come down.

Here are a few things to keep in mind during this stage of the story arc:

• Your characters shouldn’t stop moving just because you’ve checked off the climax. The word “action” does exists in “falling action”; make it count.
• Usually, this is the stage where authors start resolving any remaining subplots and mini-conflicts. In Shakespeare’s comedies, this is the stage where everyone merrily pairs off with the right partner. Use this space to tie up any and all dangling threads.

And after all that? Well, you’ve made it to the denouement . Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy are engaged. Bilbo returns to Bag End. Huck Finn settles down with Aunt Sally to be “sivilized.” Ishmael is rescued from the sea. Everywhere, readers breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Also called the resolution, the denouement is just a fancy way of saying that the book is now going to wrap up.

For an example of this stage’s function, take the old-fashioned detective novel. In the detective denouement, the detective gathers everyone in a room and reveals the whodunnit, explaining everything. All questions are resolved, all ends are wrapped up — and the reader can shut your book with peace of mind. Congratulations! That’s the whole arc business done and dusted. Isn’t it?

Well, sometimes. That begs the question of. . .

Does Freytag’s Pyramid work with every story?

History is dotted with novels that bucked the trend. On the Road possesses virtually no narrative arc while To Kill a Mockingbird arguably possesses two arcs (the arcs of Tom Robinson and Boo Radley). The Trial builds up to a complete anti-climax in the place of a climax; meanwhile, Catcher in the Rye casually drops a sentence in the denouement about (spoiler warning) Holden going to a mental institution before the book ends, abruptly.

All this is to say, there’s plenty of room within the arc to explore and experiment. Disrupting reader expectations isn’t always a bad thing, but successfully straying from the expected course requires comprehensive understanding of the traditional story arc. After all, you can’t break what you can’t build.

Another item of note: although the popular five-act structure of Freytag’s Pyramid does capture the chronology of many books’ plots, be aware that some authors use a three-act structure . One significant change that will result deals with the placement of your climax.

Putting it all together

Here’s a parting gift before you go: a video from Kurt Vonnegut, describing the shapes of stories.

In the end, that’s what a strong story arc does: it gives a story shape. For alternative story structures, check out the Hero's Journey ,  Dan Harmon's Story Circle , or these three story models . To add more dimensions to your story, you can experiment with subplots. Subplots function as mini-arcs, though they should always aim to contribute to the main arc in some way.

Sort out your story arc — experiment with it! — and your story won’t be a formless, blobby thing. It’ll gain a spine and new readers.

And, of course, if you’re struggling to create a compelling narrative arc, a professional developmental editor will be able to come to the rescue and spot deficiencies.

Any questions for us about the story arc? Leave them below — and if you want to share your own experiences with narrative arcs, please do so!

6 responses

Kristen Steele says:

10/09/2017 – 17:29

"While it’s the beginning that sells ‘this novel,’ it’s the climax that sells ‘the next’ novel." Couldn't agree with this more! Readers invest a lot of time in a book and a disappointing climax is a turn off.

Paul McGaughey says:

19/11/2017 – 20:29

"[Freytag] put forward the idea that every narrative arc goes through six dramatic stages: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution." I'm only seeing five here, is there a stage missing in this post?

↪️ Gerald replied:

11/02/2018 – 13:41

In one place, they miss "denouement" and in another, they miss "resolution".

↪️ Reedsy replied:

12/02/2018 – 04:50

Great eyes, Paul! There are indeed only five dramatic stages: the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. The "six" was a typo. Thanks for the catch — we've since amended the post.

Tomas Pueyo says:

10/03/2018 – 06:25

Great, thorough article on storytelling. One thing that always bothered me about traditional storytelling structure though is how different authors think there are different structures of storytelling. This TEDx covers that well, and proposes a solution to that conundrum. Hope you enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUT6GQveD0E

↪️ sharon harrison replied:

03/02/2020 – 09:49

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How to Summarize a Plot

5 Components of a Plot in Narrative Essays and Creative Nonfiction

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

Every story that you read follows a series of events that range from the introduction of a conflict to begin the story and a final resolution at the end; this is the plot of your story. Basically, it’s what happens throughout the narrative, and it appears in in both fiction and non-fiction work. When you write a plot summary, you’ll essentially condense a novel into a short essay, touching on the key points of the material. You’ll want to introduce the main characters, setting of the story, and the main conflict of the narrative, including the five basic components of the plot: introduction, rising action , climax, falling action , and finally, a resolution.

Some outlines will break down a plot into more segments (exposition, inciting incident, central conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) but the premise is the same - a pattern of rising and falling action that looks essentially like an arc or a bell curve when you consider the level of drama the characters experience.

Understanding and Introducing the Conflict

To properly summarize a plot, start by figuring out the main problem that the story will solve. This could come from understanding the main characters, who are crucial components of the plot. Who are they and what are they trying to achieve? Most characters have a mission to accomplish, often it is finding, saving, or creating something or someone. Understand what drives the main characters, and that will help you in the first step to summarize the plot.

The conflict that we discover at the start of the narrative will get kicked off by an inciting incident that triggers the rising action, which grows over time. In Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet” we are introduced to two characters from feuding families who ultimately fall in love. The conflict comes from their love for each other despite their families’ disapproval.

Rising Action and Climax

The rising action will introduce key components of a story that build upon the drama and conflict. This is where we see Romeo & Juliet marry in secret, and Romeo & Tybalt engage in a duel that ultimately leads to Tybalt’s death.

Eventually, the action and conflict hit what is called the climax, the point of no return. This is the peak of excitement, fear, drama, or whatever the emotion is that relayed through the narrative. You’ll want to tie together the rising action and the catalyst for conflict. The climax could lead us on a journey of positive resolution or even a journey of tragedy, but it will often change the characters in some way and is the reason why the problem can now start to be solved. In Shakespeare ’s story, there are essentially two points of climax: Romeo is banished and Juliet refuses to marry Paris.

Falling Action and Resolution

Finally, as you work your way back from the climax to the resolution, you’ll want to focus on how the main characters respond to the peak of action. Some aspect of the climax will trigger a response in the main characters which will drive them towards the final resolution. Sometimes, you’ll even find that the main characters learn a lesson and grow as individuals, but either way, the resulting actions shift the story and begin the falling action. Juliet drinks the potion which causes Romeo to believe she has died and kills himself. Upon awakening and discovering that her love has died, Juliet does the same.

Eventually, the story will return back to the original baseline resulting in a final resolution. In “Romeo & Juliet” the resolution isn’t that they both have died, but rather, the action their families take in response to their deaths, the end of the feud.

Creating the Summary

Remember that the plot is not the same as the theme of the narrative . If you’re not sure what the difference is between the plot of a story and the theme, you’re not alone. While the plot is what happens, the theme is the underlying idea or message within a story. The plot is concrete occurrences within the narrative, but the theme can be more subtle and even at times, implied. The theme can be harder to discern whereas the plot is more obvious. In Romeo & Juliet, we see themes of love and hate that appear throughout the plot.

Don’t forget, the key part of summarizing a plot is that you’re summarizing. You don’t need to include every detail that you encounter. When you read the text, it’s important to pay attention to what happens and where you see action coming into play, and write down key moments. Look for the basic information of who is involved, what are they doing, when are things happening, where is the action happening, and why?

Take notes and even write down things that you’re not sure if they are vital at that moment, but seem interesting or important. When you finish the story, you’ll be able to review your notes and better understand what aspects of the narrative were most important and start to eliminate the notes that don’t enhance the plot. That way, when it comes time to summarize the plot , you can easily pare down your notes and have an outline of what happens and the crucial moments that represent each of the five components of the plot.

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• How to Find the Theme of a Book or Short Story
• Definition and Examples of Narratives in Writing
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• Use a Concept Map for Your Literature Midterms and Finals
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• Rising Action in Literature
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• What Is Drama? Literary Definition and Examples

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6.2: The Structure of a Narrative Essay

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• Amber Kinonen, Jennifer McCann, Todd McCann, & Erica Mead
• Bay College Library

Major narrative events are most often conveyed in chronological order, the order in which events unfold from first to last. Stories typically have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and these events are typically organized by time. Certain transitional words and phrases aid in keeping the reader oriented in the sequencing of a story. Some of these phrases are listed in Table 6.1.

The following are the other basic components of a narrative:

• Plot. The events as they unfold in sequence.
• Characters. The people who inhabit the story and move it forward. Typically, there are minor characters and main characters. The minor characters generally play supporting roles to the main character, or the protagonist.
• Conflict. The primary problem or obstacle that unfolds in the plot that the protagonist must solve or overcome by the end of the narrative. The way in which the protagonist resolves the conflict of the plot results in the theme of the narrative.
• Theme. The ultimate message the narrative is trying to express; it can be either explicit or implicit

writing at work

When interviewing candidates for jobs, employers often ask about conflicts or problems a potential employee has had to overcome. They are asking for a compelling personal narrative. To prepare for this question in a job interview, write out a scenario using the narrative mode structure. This will allow you to troubleshoot rough spots, as well as better understand your own personal history. Both processes will make your story better and your self-presentation better, too.

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Narrative Essays

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What is a narrative essay?

When writing a narrative essay, one might think of it as telling a story. These essays are often anecdotal, experiential, and personal—allowing students to express themselves in a creative and, quite often, moving ways.

Here are some guidelines for writing a narrative essay.

• If written as a story, the essay should include all the parts of a story.

This means that you must include an introduction, plot, characters, setting, climax, and conclusion.

• When would a narrative essay not be written as a story?

A good example of this is when an instructor asks a student to write a book report. Obviously, this would not necessarily follow the pattern of a story and would focus on providing an informative narrative for the reader.

• The essay should have a purpose.

Make a point! Think of this as the thesis of your story. If there is no point to what you are narrating, why narrate it at all?

• The essay should be written from a clear point of view.

It is quite common for narrative essays to be written from the standpoint of the author; however, this is not the sole perspective to be considered. Creativity in narrative essays oftentimes manifests itself in the form of authorial perspective.

• Use clear and concise language throughout the essay.

Much like the descriptive essay, narrative essays are effective when the language is carefully, particularly, and artfully chosen. Use specific language to evoke specific emotions and senses in the reader.

• The use of the first person pronoun ‘I’ is welcomed.

Do not abuse this guideline! Though it is welcomed it is not necessary—nor should it be overused for lack of clearer diction.

• As always, be organized!

Have a clear introduction that sets the tone for the remainder of the essay. Do not leave the reader guessing about the purpose of your narrative. Remember, you are in control of the essay, so guide it where you desire (just make sure your audience can follow your lead).

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16 ways to plot a book: from circles and snowflakes to pyramids and point graphs, there are innumerable ways to structure a narrative here, we look at 16 of those plotting methods to help you plan your book..

Table of Contents

Narrative structure comprises the foundational elements of all storytelling. Understanding it can inform your plot structure and help you finish drafting your story, but there are so many models that choosing one can feel overwhelming.

In this article, we will explore:

• What narrative structure is and why it is important.
• Sixteen types of narrative structures.
• How to handle advanced plotting situations.

Now... Let's plot a book, shall we?!

What is Narrative Structure?

Narrative structure, sometimes also referred to as plot structure or story structure, is the organizational scaffolding of storytelling .

Though these terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between story, plot, and narrative structure.

• Story : All the elements of storytelling, including character, setting, plot, and theme.
• Plot : The sequence of events within a story.
• Narrative Structure : How we arrange the elements of a story.

According to James Scott Bell in his book Plot & Structure , “Structure is what assembles the parts of a story in a way that makes them accessible to readers.” Narrative structure thus combines the elements of a story with a plot (structured or otherwise) to shape and mold the story you're writing!

What are the Elements of Plot?

No matter the narrative structure, stories all share common elements that make up a plot. There are several models of this, but most agree there are five stages of a plot:

• Exposition : The starting point or status quo.
• Inciting Incident : The event that challenges the status quo.
• Rising Action : Events that drive the plot toward the climax.
• Climax : The finale where the main conflict is confronted.
• Denouement or Resolution : A new status quo created by the consequences of the climax.

We also often discuss story beats , which are points of a narrative that move a plot forward. This term originated in screenwriting, where writers would mark key scenes in a screenplay with the word “BEAT.” An outline focusing on beats is often referred to as a “beat sheet.”

Plotting Methods vs. Narrative Structures

What sets a plotting method apart is that it is a tool used to shape the structure of a story. In other words, it is the intentional use of a narrative structure during the writing process to create a framework for writing a book.

On the other hand, narrative, plot, or story structure are terms used both to describe this methodical part of the writing process and in analyzing a story.

A story, then, can make use of both a plotting method and a narrative structure. For example, the three-act structure can be both a method for shaping a story and a quality that a story possesses once complete.

Narrative Structure for Discovery Writers

Even if you don’t outline your stories, you'll need to consider plot structures. For those who practice discovery writing (aka pantsing) , where you make up the story as you go, structure is still foundational to storytelling .

While plotters write an outline to map out their story in advance, pantsers consider plot structures when revising their story and mold the draft into the desired result. No matter how you get there, narrative structure is something you must contend with.

Here, you'll find several methods that could be just the spark you need to ignite your story-planning process!

Sixteen Ways to Structure a Narrative

The well-known narrative structures we'll discuss in this article include (but are not limited to):

• Dan Wells' 7-Point Story Structure: A seven-step story-planning method to hit the most important story beats.
• Kat O'Keefe's 27-Chapter Method: 27 chapters are divided into three acts, each with nine blocks, for a clearly defined framework.
• Aristotle's Poetics: A simple template to drive the drama of a story by focusing on a character's objectives and their relative success.
• John Gardner's Fichtean Curve: A series of increasingly difficult crises culminate in a climax and lead to a resolution.
• Gustav Freytag's Dramatic Pyramid: A five-act arc for dramatic storytelling.
• Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey: The classic heroic quest as outlined by Campbell through years of work studying world mythologies.
• Maureen Murdock's Heroine's Journey: A response to Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey emphasizing the female experience.
• Kishōtenketsu Story Structure: A four-act story structure that originated in Eastern Asian classical poetry and literature.
• Gwen Hayes' Romancing the Beat: A four-phase, twenty-beat story outline to write a romance.
• Jessica Brody's Save the Cat! For Novels: Fifteen beats to help outline a compelling story in one of the more popular novel plotting methods.
• Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method: A plot structure designed to start small and build your way outward for an intricately detailed story.
• Dan Harmon's Story Circle: The hero's journey but simplified into an 8-step journey that focuses on character development.
• Lisa Cron's Story Genius : A character-first approach to crafting a story.
• Shawn Coyne's Story Grid: An easy approach to devising a plot using The Five Commandments of storytelling as outlined by the Story Grid method.
• Robert McKee's Thematic Square: A method to compose elements in such a way as to ensure you clearly express your story's dominant theme.
• The Three-Act Structure: The classic three-pronged approach to covering all your bases for your story's plot.

These story structures vary significantly in the manners in which they are presented, but when you strip away the specific method, you'll find a set of common components found in all stories.

With this understanding of narrative, story, and plot in mind, let’s take a brief look at some different types of story structures that you can use as plotting methods.

1. 7-Point Story Structure

Created by Dan Wells, the 7-Point story structure is all about pushing the protagonist from one event to the next.

This makes it great for fast-paced, plot-driven stories, and it is my favorite structure for plotting novellas.

• Hook : Establish the status quo.
• Plot Turn 1 : The inciting incident.
• Pinch 1 : The situation escalates.
• Midpoint : The protagonist changes from being reactive to proactive.
• Pinch 2 : A major setback occurs.
• Plot Turn 2 : The key to victory is discovered.
• Resolution : The conflict is resolved.

This method’s simplicity makes it great to work with , but it can also be a drawback. If you only plot out the seven points, you will likely have gaps to fill. Make this your own and add more story beats between the major plot points . When I use this method, I add rising action and reflection points.

There are several variants of this method, including an alternate version for romance, plus options for adding an “Ice Monster Prologue” or a try-fail cycle.

2. 27-Chapter Method

The 27-chapter method from Kat O’Keefe is sometimes referred to as the 3-Act 9-Block Method .

This method divides the story into three acts, then each act into nine blocks, each serving a specific role in the plot.

• Act I sets the stage for all events in the story to come. We get a glimpse of your character in their ordinary life, but something occurs to shake things up. There is some tension in which your character refuses to acknowledge that the status quo has changed.
• Act II is when your character must contend with the fact that change really has arrived and they must own up to it. They get to have a little fun in this "new world" as they explore it and gain the skills or knowledge needed for the third act.
• Act III sees everything finally coming to a head for your character. The trials they have been facing, the skills they have been gaining... They'll need everything they have learned thus far in the story to face the final showdown.

It's a rather brilliant technique, being that it offers a straightforward framework to work with and one that also works on multiple levels. While the overall method follows a clear three-act structure, each act itself also follows its own three-act structure.

Despite the name, the resulting story need not have strictly twenty-seven chapters . Rather, think of these as plot points! Add, condense, or take away as needed for your own unique variation on the method.

The 27-chapter plotting method can create a story structure that is extremely well-defined, with clear arcs from beginning to end, from the outset. It's a great option for those who like to plan out exactly what is going to happen, when it will happen, and why it will happen.

3. Aristotle’s Poetics

From one of the earliest works studying the nature and formation of a story, Aristotle's Poetics takes a character-first approach to crafting a narrative.

In it, the ancient philosopher analyzed Greek dramas and presented key elements that place a story firmly in the goals and objectives of a character.

• Dramatic Action : The character(s) and what they are doing.
• Inciting Incident : The event that initiates the story.
• Super Objective : What the main character most desires.
• Objective : Goals the character(s) are pursuing in each scene.
• Recognition : The moment the main character learns something that changes either them or the situation.
• Reversal : The choice made resulting from the recognition, the consequences of which mark the end of the story.

Although Poetics is not a structured plotting method, putting its theory to practice can help you ensure your story covers some of the more important concepts!

For those who don't like other standard plotting methods that place a heavy emphasis on action, you'll find that Poetics puts your core story elements into a whole new context.

4. Fichtean Curve

One of the simplest plotting methods, the Fichtean Curve story structure focuses on rising action —consisting of a series of increasingly tense crises —which leads to a climax followed by falling action and a resolution .

This plotting method, laid out by John Gardner in The Art of Fiction , is an episodic plot structure where everything that happens is linked but the focus is on each crisis instead of the big picture. The protagonist may have an overall goal, but each scene involves achieving a smaller goal that adds progress toward the finale.

This is a great method for those wanting to focus on the action, such as any author trying their hand at a pulp-fiction style of writing.

5. Freytag’s Pyramid

There are a few theories regarding when the five-act structure was actually created, but it was the German playwright and author, Gustav Freytag, who devised a clearly outlined method to follow in the 1800s.

Introduced in Technique of the Drama , Freytag’s Pyramid uses five acts to create a tragic plot structure that hinges on a central conflict ending in disaster.

• Introduction : Establishes the status quo.
• Rising Action : Events push the characters out of their comfort zone, gradually increasing in scope and scale.
• Climax : The situation drastically changes for the worse.
• Falling Action : The consequences of the climax impact the protagonist.
• Catastrophe : An ultimate failure or loss.

This five-act structure places the climax in the middle instead of the end where it might traditionally be found in other plot structures, but it need not be in the very middle of your story. The falling action, also, is often much shorter than the rising action.

6. The Hero’s Journey

One of the most popular plot structures, especially in the fantasy genre, The Hero’s Journey takes inspiration directly from world mythology.

The base of the structure is three acts, as defined by Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces :

• Departure : The hero leaves the Known World.
• Initiation : The hero faces the Unknown World and overcomes challenges.
• Return : The hero triumphantly returns to the Known World, changed by their ordeals.

This was further developed by Christopher Vogler in The Writer’s Journey , where he broke down the structure into the twelve stages of the Hero’s Journey we know today.

• The Ordinary World : The journey begins with the status quo—business as usual.
• The Call to Adventure : The inciting incident takes place and the hero is called to act upon it.
• Refusal of the Call : The hero hesitates and instead refuses their call to action.
• Meeting the Mentor : The protagonist receives knowledge or motivation from a powerful or influential figure.
• Crossing the First Threshold : The hero leaves the Known World to face the Unknown World.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies : The hero explores the Unknown World.
• Approach the Inmost Cave : The hero nears the goal of their quest.
• The Ordeal : The hero faces a dire situation that changes how they view the world.
• Reward : The hero discovers what they require to achieve their goal.
• The Road Back : The hero returns to the Known World, facing unexpected challenges.
• Resurrection : The hero faces their ultimate challenge and emerges victorious, but forever changed.
• Return With the Elixir : The hero returns home as a new version of themself.

Following a circular plot structure, the story ends where it began, but the protagonist is changed. Sometimes also referred to as the monomyth , this type of plot focuses on a single character and the changes they go through in the story.

Despite how popular the Hero's Journey is, it is not without its faults, as we'll see in the next plot method!

7. The Heroine's Journey

A student of Joseph Campbell's work regarding numerous world mythologies, Maureen Murdock felt the original Hero's Journey method failed to address the contemporary female experience .

As a critique of Campbell's outline, she presented a ten-step story-planning process— the Heroine's Journey —that outlines a cyclical quest of the feminine soul.

• Separation From the Feminine: The heroine abandons the archetypal "Mother" because they feel they need to do this in order to be seen in some certain way.
• Identify the Masculine and Gather Allies: They emulate traditionally perceived male behaviors or actions.
• Road of Trials: They face trials, learn new skills, and overcome challenges to achieve their goals.
• Boon of Success: They achieve success but doubt lingers... When will the ball drop?
• Realization of Spiritual Barrenness: Even though they have achieved some success, something feels like it's missing.
• Initiation and Ascent to the Goddess: The heroine withdraws from their surroundings to face an internal darkness.
• Yearn to Connect to the Feminine: They emerge from their darkness to carve a new person of themselves. They may form new relationships or try something new.
• Healing of Mother/Daughter Split: They reconnect with the feminine traits they abandoned in the first step and, in doing so, begin to rediscover themselves.
• Healing of Wounded Masculine: They recognize that the masculine traits they tried to emulate are not inherently bad. They keep what is valuable to them and leave all else.
• Integration of Feminine and Masculine: The heroine becomes their whole self, with both feminine and masculine traits, behaviors, or ideals.

At its core, the Heroine's Journey plot structure provides a framework for the journey of the self . Where the hero's journey puts emphasis on a grand outward adventure (a quest), the heroine's journey puts emphasis on a grand inward exploration of emotions and the spirit for a character who is a woman.

All of the above being said, both the Hero's Journey and the Heroine's Journey were first proposed decades ago and much has changed today. Use these frameworks as you see fit for your character(s), and even modify them to create a heroic journey that is unique to your story!

8. Kishōtenketsu

The Kishōtenketsu story structure is a four-part narrative blueprint rooted in East Asian traditions.

Originating from classical Chinese literature and found in Japanese and Korean tales alike, Kishōtenketsu comprises four parts:

• An introduction ( ki ): This is your exposition, where you introduce the characters and world of your story.
• Development ( sho ): Your characters face obstacles or choices that raise the stakes and add tension—but these need not be overly dramatic. Simply, something has changed.
• Pivotal twist ( ten ): The story is thrown for a curve—something unintended or unexpected happens. The entire story is made to reach this moment.
• Harmonious conclusion ( ketsu ): What remains after the events of the twist? Tie the end back to the beginning and give your characters closure.

One of the most interesting components of the Kishōtenketsu method derives from its reputation as a “plotless” story structure . Its central philosophy leans toward slice-of-life—big, world-ending conflict is not a requirement. The narrative doesn’t even need to have a proper resolution, it just needs to end once the twist in part three has taken place.

9. Romancing the Beat

When Gwen Hayes created Romancing the Beat , she outlined a new structure specifically for plotting romance novels.

It's divided into four phases, each with five beats, for a total of twenty story beats that loosely translate to:

• Phase 1: Introducing the love interests and setting the stage for their romance.
• Phase 2: A period where the love interests get to know each other better, but are not quite firmly in a relationship.
• Phase 3: One or both characters begin(s) to doubt the relationship entirely, leading to a breakup.
• Phase 4: The love interests face their darkest moment, realize they can't live without each other, and go on to live happily ever after.

By using this romance novel beat sheet, you can easily map your romance story from the meet-cute to the happily ever after (HEA) and all the messy in-between.

If you're writing a love story, though, or even a different type of story simply with a romantic subplot, you may want to consider another plotting method, or modifying this one. After all, not all love stories end in an HEA !

10. Save the Cat Story Beats

Another method composed of story beats, the Save the Cat! story structure focuses on setting the pacing of a story.

Originally set forth by Blake Snyder in his book of the same name as a scriptwriting method, it has become a popular tool for novelists thanks to Jessica Brody's Save the Cat! Writes a Novel .

The Save the Cat beat sheet consists of:

• Opening Image : Establish exposition and introduce the protagonist.
• Theme Stated : Establish the theme.
• Set-Up : Delve further into the status quo.
• Catalyst : The inciting incident takes place.
• Debate : The protagonist debates whether to respond to the catalyst or not.
• Break Into Two : The protagonist rises to the challenge.
• B Story : The protagonist meets an important secondary character.
• Fun and Games : This is all rising action. As the name of the beat suggests, have fun with it!
• Midpoint : The protagonist meets a false victory or defeat.
• Bad Guys Close In : Things take a turn for the worse.
• All is Lost : A tragic event occurs.
• Dark Night of the Soul : The protagonist is changed by the tragedy.
• Finale : The protagonist overcomes the challenge or meets their worst fate.
• Final Image : Resolution.

There are some who feel the Save the Cat! method is overdone, citing that it leads to predictable stories—especially in today's films. You can probably think of a few movies off the top of your head right now that follow these beats to a tee.

However, that doesn't change the fact that it's a tried-and-true plot method that has helped countless authors finish their first drafts. If it works for you, that's all that matters!

11. Snowflake Method

Created by Randy Ingermanson, the Snowflake Method eschews the beginning-to-end approach to plotting, opting for a top-down approach.

The story elements of the Snowflake Method consist of the following.

• Story: This method starts with a single-sentence story concept that is then expanded to a paragraph summarizing the exposition, conflict, and resolution.
• Character: After this, a one-page summary is written for each major character and a half page for secondary characters.
• Expand: Next, the story summary is expanded into a four-page synopsis, and the character summaries are further fleshed out into full character charts.
• Scenes: Finally, the story summary and character charts are used to create a scene chart, mapping out the actual narrative structure of the story.

This is somewhat of a broad generalization of the Snowflake Method, but the key thing to remember when using it is to start small and work your way outward!

Establish your baseline story ( what is happening ), build your characters ( who is it happening to ), then plot all of your scenes around those elements ( when is it all happening ).

12. Story Circle

Developed by the creator of popular television series such as Rick and Morty and Community , Dan Harmon’s Story Circle is a simplification of the Hero’s Journey.

The method puts a strong emphasis on character development, focusing the plot more on internal motivations versus external factors. The eight steps of the Story Circle are...

• Step 1: They are in a zone of comfort.
• Step 2: But they want something.
• Step 3: They enter an unfamiliar situation.
• Step 4: Adapt to it through facing trials.
• Step 5: They get what they wanted.
• Step 6: They pay a heavy price.
• Step 7: Return to the familiar situation.
• Step 8: Having changed.

The story circle still centers on the main character’s arc, but because of the episodic nature of its original application, it focuses on immediate desires and incremental character growth rather than ultimate goals and life-changing events.

13. Story Genius

Much like the method outlined in Poetics above, Lisa Cron takes a character-first story planning approach in Story Genius . There is a strong focus on creating a character who arrives at the story already with a problem they need to solve —this is what will drive your plot.

Cron has also devised a detailed scene outline to follow once you've established your character and their backstory. Scene cards in Story Genius consist of two things: the plot and the third rail.

• The plot describes cause (what happens) and effect (the consequences) in your story.
• The third rail describes why the scene matters to the protagonist, what they realize during the scene, and how this changes them.

Story Genius is a creative method that begins with fundamental story concepts and builds on these step-by-step toward outlining a character-driven novel instead of jumping directly into the plot structure.

The actual “story as a whole" seems to take the backseat; as in, it isn’t given a focus as far as plotting goes. Instead, your story will unfold as you write once you have your character(s), their problem(s), and your scenes .

You may find Story Genius especially helpful if you're a pantser, as the method actively avoids plotting in the technical sense. You'll still end up with a plot by the end of it, but the process gives you room to explore instead of being pigeonholed into a strict framework. Or rather, it puts the plotting process into an entirely different context!

14. Story Grid: The Five Commandments

The entirety of the Story Grid methodology can get pretty complex, pretty fast. It doesn't just present a plot structure, but also a masterclass on the philosophy of every single story element you can imagine, from genre to scenes to character development to the "global story."

Shawn Coyne devised the Story Grid after having worked as an editor, to apply a fully-developed methodology for analyzing and creating a story.

The most applicable components of the Story Grid that one can use as a starting base to plot a book are The Five Commandments (which may look suspiciously similar to the five basic elements of plot!).

• The Inciting Incident: Disruption of the status quo. This kicks off the events of your story; without it, there would be no story.
• Turning Point Progressive Complication: The story's path changes direction, usually indicated by your characters coming to a crossroads.
• Crisis: A direct result of the Turning Point. Your character may hesitate to choose a path, yet will be forced to do so in order to move forward.
• Climax: Everything that has happened thus far in your story leads to this moment. Emotions are at their highest, all bets are off, and your character is forced to make their choice.
• Resolution: The consequence(s) of the climax. Your character either does or does not achieve their goal. Depending on your story's genre, readers may expect a specific outcome or emotional payoff here.

Coyne put together a spreadsheet template for the Story Grid that can help you write down all the necessary details for your story, as well as track the most important information about each scene.

15. Thematic Square

While not a strict plotting method, Robert McKee’s Thematic Square can be applied to your entire story and individual scenes as a companion tool.

It consists of four quadrants that illustrate the push-and-pull of forces in a story:

• Positive : This represents the protagonist’s worldview. It's the most important thing to them—the one thing they'll do anything for.
• The Contradictory : This represents the opposing view. That could be the antagonist of your story or even an opposing idea expressed by a faction.
• The Contrary : This is the in-between, compromise, or path of least resistance. It's another force that pushes on the positive to create dramatic tension.
• The Negation of the Negation : This represents the dark consequence(s) of rejecting the theme or embracing the opposite of the theme.

It's a useful way to ensure your theme is expressed well across four essential story elements. If you’re a pantser, the thematic square can help you develop major scene concepts without having to plot out events!

16. Three-Act Structure

This is the backbone of many other plotting methods. One could say that every story includes a three-act plot structure since every story has a beginning, a middle, and an ending.

Further, this narrative structure defines what should occur in each of these three necessary parts of a story:

• Act I : Exposition, the inciting incident, and a consequential plot point ending the act.
• Act II : Rising action, the midpoint, and a consequential plot point ending the act.
• Act III : The build-up to the climax, the climax, and the resolution.

No matter how you plot your novel, ensuring that every chapter or scene follows a three-act structure template is a great way to ensure they each have an impactful function and identity.

Advanced Plotting Scenarios

The narrative structures and plotting methods mentioned in this article intuitively apply to a story that presents a straight line from A to Z, but things are rarely that simple. How would one apply story structure to the additional layers, curves, and corkscrews that inhabit complex novels?

Parallel Plots

Developing a parallel story structure shares much in common with planning a single plot since you might plot each thread individually before weaving them together. The storylines may rarely intersect, or you could end up with an intricate tapestry.

Depending on the type of parallel narrative, the degree of interaction your individual plots have can vary.

• Some parallel narratives will address a common theme or deal with a single event from different perspectives.
• Others involve multiple protagonists on separate journeys that come together for the third act or the climax.
• Sometimes, these storylines intersect multiple times.

An important thing to ensure is that each plot carries its own weight and feels like a complete story. And together, they should feel like one story. Even if the protagonists never meet, their experiences should explore a single event or theme through different lenses.

Non-Linear Plots

When telling a non-linear story, where events are not in chronological order, you’ll require separate story structures for both the chronology of the events and how the events are shown to the reader.

First, how the events play out in timeline order needs to still make logical sense and follow all the rules of causality. Write down the sequential order of events in your planning notes to make sure you cover all of your bases. Let's take these events as an example:

• Joe wakes up.
• He gets ready for work.
• Joe travels to the office.
• He works all day.
• Joe gets fired.

Now, the key to telling a good non-linear story is to make sure the flow of events you present to the reader tells a compelling story with a narrative arc. We can take our sample events and rearrange them so that they're still following the structure of the five basic plot elements —and in a way that makes sense, too.

• Status quo: He works all day.
• Inciting incident: He gets ready for work.
• Rising Action: Joe travels to the office.
• Midpoint: Joe wakes up.
• Climax: Joe gets fired.

Even though events presented aren't in chronological order, you can still craft a compelling narrative that makes sense to a reader.

It’s the “two birds with one stone” nature of this endeavor that makes it challenging. To see it in action successfully, I’d give Quentin Tarantino’s film Pulp Fiction a watch (this is both nonlinear and parallel!), or almost any Christopher Nolan film.

Adding a story within a story seems deceptively simple but can grow increasingly complex.

For each subplot , you might use the same story structure as the main plot; or if a subplot is brief or simple, you might choose a more streamlined plotting method like the three-act structure.

At times, you'll want to make sure the beats of multiple plots coincide with one another for maximum impact, such as the midpoint of the main plot coinciding with a plot twist in a subplot, or both sharing a single event for the climax.

The tricky part is weaving your subplots into the main narrative in a way that creates a single, cohesive story. The keys here are to ensure that events flow logically from one to the next, all your plots are relevant to one another, and every subplot influences the main plot, characters, or theme.

Slice of Life Stories

With a slice-of-life story, you explore a selection of small, everyday stories focused on the character and setting rather than a sweeping narrative with a central conflict.

However, narrative structure has a role to play even in stories that simply examine ordinary facets of life instead of addressing some sort of impending conflict.

Everything that happens to us follows a plot structure, which is what makes it so natural and necessary for any kind of storytelling.

Let’s take buying a loaf of bread as an example, and apply the five elements of plot:

I was at home ( introduction ) when I realized I was out of bread ( inciting incident ). So, I went to the store ( rising action ) and bought a loaf of bread ( climax ). Then, I went home with my new loaf of bread ( resolution ).

As we can see, even the most basic of interactions with the world involve a narrative structure.

What a Dastardly Plot!

The variety of narrative structures and plotting methods can be overwhelming. Take time to explore them. No single method is better than another, so find what works for you.

Also, one should not feel beholden to existing formulas. Innovation is what drives storytelling forward.

Jeff Vandermeer said it best in Wonderbook :

Understanding existing plot structures is a vital foundation for any writer, but don’t be afraid to experiment once that knowledge is at your disposal.

Plot Method Templates in Campfire

Ready to plot out your masterpiece in earnest? The Campfire team has put together twelve of the aforementioned plot methods as templates in the Timeline Module.

Campfire's Timeline Module offers a versatile canvas to plot out each basic component of your story while featuring nested "notebooks." Simply double-click on each panel in the Timeline to open up a canvas specific to that card. This allows you to look at your plot at the highest level, while also adding as much detail for each plot element as needed!

If you're new to Campfire, their writing software is free to sign up for! Create your account, find the right template for you in the Timeline Module, and start planning out your novel in minutes.

Storytelling is magic-making, so no matter what, the important thing is that you get out there and make some magic!

Narrative Arc, Story Arc, Plot Arc and Character Arc (Definitions + Examples + Tips For Creating A Narrative Arc In Your Story)

What is a story arc? Does it mean the same thing as narrative arc or plot arc? These are questions many budding and professional writers often ask. And they are very important questions too. Storytelling arcs help to make great stories memorable and outstanding.

In this article, Charles Opara will give apt narrative arc definitions. Then, he’ll dissect a sample story that has a clear story arc. What’s more, he’ll explain the difference between a character arc and a narrative arc. You’ll also get bonus tips on how to create the arc of a story in a narrative 

Ready to learn about arcs in stories? Read on.

The Story Arc Also Known As The Narrative Arc.

When many writers get a story idea, the last thing they think about is the narrative arc. But the story arc is one out of many techniques that keeps the reader hooked .

Before we learn how to create a story arc, let’s define a narrative arc.

What is a narrative arc?

The story arc or narrative arc or dramatic arc is the path a story follows. It gives a story a definite form, one with a clear beginning, middle, and end. 

The concept of narrative arc as we know it today was created by Gustav Freytag, a German novelist and playwright who closely analyzed ancient Greek writing, along with William Shakespeare’s five-act plays.

As the term suggests, when plotted on paper, a typical narrative arc forms the shape of a hill or pyramid.

Creative writing experts suggest that a typical story arc has five elements..  Understanding these elements will help you know what to focus on when trying to create a narrative arc in your story.

Here they are, arranged in the order in which they appear:

The Five Elements of a Story Arc

Exposition..

This is the reader’s introduction to the story. The exposition offers background information to prime the audience for the rest of the story, including introducing the main character(s) (the “who”), setting (the “where”), and circumstances or time period (the “when”).

Rising Action.

This is when conflict begins to ramp up. The rising action usually begins with what’s called an “inciting incident”—the triggering event that puts the main events of the story in motion. This is when the audience starts to see what your story is really about.

This element forces you to answer questions like, what visual representation describes the structural elements of your plot?

This is the highest point of tension in your storyline, and often the point at which all the different subplots and characters converge. Typically, the climax requires the main character to face the truth or make an important choice.

Falling Action.

This is what happens as a result of the protagonist’s decision. During the falling action, the conflict gives way to resolution. Loose ends are tied up, and tension begins to dissipate.

Resolution.

Also known as a denouement, this is how your story ends. The resolution of a narrative arc isn’t always happy, but it does close the loop and show how the events of the story have changed the characters and the world around them.

How To Create A Narrative Arc (Examples and Tips).

I will demonstrate these 5 elements using excerpts from my horror short story piece: It Happened.

A Demonstration of the Five Elements of a Story Arc using the horror short story piece

‘It Happened’ by Charles Opara

Exposition (Opening)

It is official. My son is missing — if you believe the statement I made back at the station. I am in the backseat of a squad car, on a manhunt for the prime suspect in my son’s abduction, and we have just gone past the orphanage at Aladinma. Chuma, my first child, left home for Church to rehearse for a play his youth group plan to stage on Sunday and has not returned since. Look at the time. It is past nine. The police chief and I have spent the last forty-five minutes visiting some of Chuma’s friends in their homes and interrogating them. They all said the same thing: they last saw him at the rehearsal and do not know where he went after that.

The police chief is constantly on his phone, constantly talking to his boys, asking if they have made any progress. Every negative response he gets threatens to turn me into a nervous wreck.

Help me, Lord, before I lose my mind. I am a poor widow whose mite comes from her earnings as a nurse at a state-run clinic, one of the outstations for the proper reference hospitals in the city. I have no one else but you, Lord, and I thank you for revealing to me who my son’s abductor is. I speak of Ihemee, the destitute on our street. Would I even know his name if it were not for my son, whom he chose to befriend?

Chuma has been acting strange ever since we moved to Ikoku Avenue, almost three months ago. He has a knack for expressing ideas that could not possibly come from a nine-year-old. Like the time he asked me a riddle: “Grass eats dirt, cow eats grass, and man eats cow. What eats man?” I answered ‘nothing’, and he said, “Maggots. Maggots eat man. They turn him into dirt so the grass can eat.”

When Chuma became fascinated with setting traps for house rats — when I noticed he was a little too eager to take out the rubbish, every evening — I asked Uchendu, my second child, to follow him and see where he would take the trash. Uchendu came home to report that he had seen Chuma speaking with Ihemee at the dumpsite.

What? My son? Talking to that mad man? After I specifically warned him to steer clear of him? What sort of mind-control medicine is that homeless herbalist using on him? Ihemee, of all people! How can Chuma want to be friends with that disgusting thing? A tramp who could be carrying skin diseases yet unknown to man? Who might even be a runaway from a mental institution, and potentially dangerous?

Analysis Of The Opening (Exposition).

Notice the background information. I’m referring to the incidents that happened before we joined the story:

• Chuma’s relationship with Ihemee.
• Chuma not returning home after a rehearsal at church.
• The narrator calling the police. 
• The narrator and the police chief making house calls to inquire about the whereabouts of Chuma.
• The narrator going to the police station to give a report.
• The manhunt. The narrator and the police chief boarding a squad car that’s part of a convoy of two police vehicles on a search for the suspect.

We also learn a bit about the narrator.

She’s a nurse.

And two other characters, who are at the heart of the conflict: Chuma and Ihemee.

The police chief gets off the phone and says to me, “My men have apprehended the suspect.”

“Praise God,” I chant. “Is my son with him? Have they found him?”

”Calm down, Madam. Your son is not with him, but we will find him. I assure you.”

He tells the driver to turn the car around and our convoy of two makes a U-turn. At one point, the other car’s headlight strikes me with a blinding haze of white that catches the tears welling up in my eyes.

If my premonition misses, my son is not in a black cellophane bag and Ihemee is not a ritualist looking for a human head while pretending to be shelter-challenged.

I keep my head turned towards my window, away from the police chief, and watch the dark shapes of trees as they fly by. A quick flash of light from a working streetlight ambushes me with my sad reflection.

Analysis Of The Rising Action.

The inciting incident is the phone call the police chief receives. It informs him that the suspect has been apprehended.

At this point, we start to get a sense of what the story is about.

At the shoulder of the hill, a putrid smell filled my lungs. But I was like a moth drawn to the strong light on the other side, I could not be denied. I crawled up the slope, taking my time. At the summit, I fell on my chest and slithered up and poked my head over the hill. The first thing that caught my eye was a bright furnace. And then a man. He was naked, stark naked. He looked like the driver of our bus. There was another man by the fire. He was tending to the flames with a long stick. I knew I had seen him somewhere before, on the bus, perhaps. Wasn’t he the one who sat closest to the door?

The first man dragged an equally unclothed body by the ankles—dead from all indications—out of a pile of human remains and laid it flat on its back. The corpse he had pulled out belonged to the woman who had offered me ukwa while we were waiting for the bus to fill up with passengers. The first man—who, in the glaze of firelight, I could now confirm was our driver—lowered himself on top of the woman’s corpse and assumed the missionary position. It was a sickening sight. I could not think of anything more depraved. I could not think at all. He belched. He puked all over her face. His vomitus poured and poured (bucket-loads of it) and as it did, his head lurched forward and he gurgled, “Bleeegh!”

His oral discharge seemed alive, the way it swirled over the woman’s face and then over the rest of her, soiling and unsoiling her body parts. Jesus! It was a swarm—of maggots. The driver coughed out the last ones. And then came… a long worm—no, a leech, the longest I had ever seen in my life. Maggots, leeches (and God knows what other vermin) turned the woman’s face into a hive. The last thing I saw, before slinking away, was of the driver licking the woman’s skull, slurping back the maggots, and exposing her soggy half-eaten face.

Analysis Of The Climax.

In this scene, the narrator faces a shocking truth: the men, she initially thought were rescuers, are scavengers, decay-feeding supernatural creatures.

Falling Action

Where am I?” I ask.

“In hospital,” Chuma says.

“How do you feel?” Ngozi asks, her eyes the pale red of someone who has been crying.

“Excuse me. That’s my job,” the strange face in the room says. She raises her stethoscope and slips it into her ears. “Now, if the rest of you will give me a moment, I will be done here.”

I feel the cold dab of her stethoscope on my chest and jerk back a little. 

“So it was all a dream,” I say. “Thank goodness. But what happened? Why am I here? Doctor, did you give me a hallucinogen? You can tell me. I’m a nurse.”

“Hold still.” She pulls down my lower eyelid and shines her retinoscope in my eye. She does the same with my other eye. “I did not,” she says. “Your bus had an accident and, for all we know, you are the only survivor.”  

No. She can’t be serious. “Noooo,” I scream, alarming the young woman leaning over me. 

Ada, whom Chuma is trying to prevent from clambering up into my bed, stops struggling and gapes at me for a brief moment before she opens her mouth wide and releases a bawl.

“Mummy, what is it?” Uchendu asks.

“She is still in shock,” the woman in white overall says to Uchendu. “Now, I want everyone to leave so that she can get some rest. She will feel much better after she sleeps it off.”

Analysis of the Falling Action.

Here, we see how the protagonist reacts to her realization in the climax. This action, which starts in the ‘Falling Action’ will lead to the resolution.

“Confused, I watch the woman lift Ada into her arms, and shepherd my family out of the room. 

Chukwunna, lekwa nu mo, Father, see me-o, I repeat to myself each time I recall the accident, and the driver scavenging that passenger’s face. 

Before the woman can shut the door behind her, an impulse makes me say, “Chuma. I want to speak with Chuma.”

“Of course,” the doctor says and allows my son back into the room. 

Chuma bounds over to me and the woman pulls the door shut. He stands by my bed, waiting. He doesn’t know what to say. And for a while, neither do I.

“That thing Ihemee said to the police, the night Obasi went missing, did you understand it?” I ask, finally.

“Yes, Mummy.”

I blink to clear the tear-clouds from my eyes, my lips shuddering slightly.

“Mummy, what is it? Don’t cry. You’ll be okay. The doctor says you will,” Chuma says, switching to Igbo.

“How does Ihemee know what he knows?”

Chuma hesitates.

I reach out and touch his arm. “You can tell me. I won’t get angry. I promise.” 

“He is one of them. He is like Pastor Ikenna, but he is not bad like him. He doesn’t kill and bury children so he can eat them later. He only eats dead rats and the things he finds in the garbage. Mummy, Ihemee is my friend, and he can be your friend too, if you like.”

  E nd Of Story.

How Story Arcs Work.

Story arcs in contemporary drama often follow the pattern of bringing a character to a low point, removing the structures the character depends upon, and then forcing the character to find new strength without those structures.

In a story arc, the character undergoes substantial growth or change, which culminates in the denouement in the last third or quarter of a story.

What’s The Difference Between The Narrative Arc and The Plot Of A Story?

Plot refers to the individual events that make up your story. In other words, the plot is what happens.

Narrative arc, on the other hand, refers to the path or sequence of your plot, and how that series of events creates a flow and progression that keeps the reader engaged at each stage in the story.

What Is the Difference Between a Narrative Arc and a Character Arc?

If a narrative arc is the path of the overall story, a character arc is the path a specific character takes during that story.

The story arc is external, and happens to all of the characters, while a character arc is internal, and happens to one person.

A character arc usually involves a character overcoming an obstacle and changing the way they see the world. (Undergoes an internal change, if nothing else.)

When the narrative arc begins its descent down the pyramid into the falling action and resolution, the character arc has its moment to shine.

This is when a character experiences a turning point by:

• asking for help,
• learning a new skill,
• making a critical choice,
• and/or becoming more self-aware.

Typically, only major characters have character arcs, though minor characters can undergo this type of character development as well.

The character arc of the narrator in our sample story

From the story “It Happened”, the narrator’s character arc is her realization that Ihemee is not what she thinks, but something much worse,  something hard to believe.

She now knows that Ihemee is not insane and was speaking the truth when he accused the general overseer of the church she attends of being a cannibal. We don’t know how she’ll respond to this. But it can be inferred that a change has occurred within her, a change in the way she sees the world.

And this change results from her acceptance of the fact that men who feed by digesting their prey extracellularly exist.

Wrap on narrative arcs, story arcs, character arcs and plot arcs..

The story arc can be seen as a pyramid that shows the different changes that take place in a story. There are five elements of a narrative arc. And each element plays an important role in defining the clear arc of the story.

The narrative arc is different from a plot. A character arc differs from a narrative arc. With our aforementioned example, you can decipher what the differences are. And hopefully, you can write classic short stories the everyone will love.

Have you ever tried to decipher the narrative arc of your story? What did you learn from the process? 

Got more tips on creating a story arc? Please share in the comments section. We look forward to learning from you.

About the Author:

Charles Opara is a Nigerian-born author who writes suspense, speculative fiction, literary fiction and short stories. He is a programmer with a passion for groundbreaking technologies. His creative mind enjoys the logic involved in writing stories and programs, puzzles and problem-solving, basically. In 2015, his horror short “It Happened” was shortlisted for the Awele Creative Trust Prize and in 2017, another story ‘Baby-girl’ was long-listed for the Quramo National Prize in his country. His stories have appeared in Ambit, Flash Fiction Press, and Zoetic Press. He is about to publish a collection of short stories with Fomite Press called ‘How Hamisu Survived Bad Kidneys and a Bad Son-in-law’.

Twitter handle: Charles Opara@OparaCc

INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS

• Fake It , Flash Fiction Press http://www.theflashfictionpress.org/2016/06/24/fake-it/
• Fermenting , Zoetic Press, Non-Binary Review #7 The Woman in White
• Broken Sleep , Ambit Magazine, Ambit 229 (19 th July 2017) ISSN: 0002-6972 http://ambitmagazine.co.uk/issues/229

WRITING CREDITS  

• ‘It Happened’ shortlisted for Awele Creative Writers’ Prize 2014
• ‘The Dream’ longlisted for Fiction Desk’s Best Newcomer’s Prize 2015  
• ‘Fermenting’ nominated for the Best of the Net (Zoetic Press 2016)
• ‘Baby-girl’ longlisted for the Quramo National Short Story Prize 2017

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Narrative Essay

Narrative Essay Outline

Crafting a Winning Narrative Essay Outline: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Are you a student struggling to bring your stories to life in a captivating way? 

Narrative essays provide the perfect canvas for your personal experiences, but without a well-crafted outline, your tale can easily lose its way. 

Don’t worry we are here with the solution!

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the process of structuring an impactful narrative essay. By the end of this blog, you'll be able to create your own compelling narratives. 

So, let's start on this exciting storytelling adventure together. 

• 1. Understanding Narrative Essays
• 2. Narrative Essay Outline Sample
• 3. Steps to Write a Narrative Essay Outline 
• 4. Narrative Essay Outline Format
• 5. Narrative Essay Examples Outlines

Understanding Narrative Essays

A narrative essay is a short story with a central theme that revolves around it. It's typically told from the perspective of the author, and specific sensory details are included to pique the reader's interest in the story.

Unlike other types of essays , a narrative essay revolves around a central theme or event, making it an engaging and often emotionally charged piece of work.

Elements of a Narrative Essay

Narrative essays typically are composed in the form of a narrative and rely on personal experiences. This format is used in storytelling, as was stated previously. The following are the five components of a narrative essay:

• Plot: The main event of the story.
• Character: People involved in your play.
• Setting: Timeline of the events.
• Conflict: The challenges the characters face.
• Theme: The moral of the story

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Narrative Essay Outline Sample

Here is a narrative essay outline template, let’s take a look: 

Steps to Write a Narrative Essay Outline 

Writing a narrative essay is much easier than any other type of essay. It doesn’t follow a set of essay writing rules, and it gives you freedom of expression. You can write an essay that reflects your stories in your own style. 

All you have to do is to follow a typical structure which is consist of 3 essential parts: 

• Introduction 

Let’s dive into the steps of creating a perfect narrative essay outline:

Step 1: Brainstorming

• Reflect on Personal Experiences: Think about your life experiences, both significant and everyday moments, that could serve as the basis for a narrative essay.
• Gather Good Ideas: Jot down key events, emotions, or lessons learned that stand out in your memory.
• Choose a Central Theme: Identify a central theme or message that you want to convey through your narrative.

Step 2: Selecting a Topic

• Relevance: Ensure the chosen topic is relevant to the central theme and purpose of your narrative among different types of narrative.
• Engagement: Select a topic that will gain your readers attention and keep them interested throughout your essay.
• Significance: Consider the significance of the chosen topic in your life and its potential impact on your audience.

Step 3: Developing a Thesis Statement 

• Clarity: Create a clear and concise thesis statement that conveys the main message or lesson you want to share.
• Alignment: Ensure the thesis aligns with the central theme and purpose of your narrative.
• Guidance: Your thesis statement should guide both your writing process and your readers' understanding of your narrative.

Step 4: Write Introduction

Your introduction should catch the readers’ interest immediately. Here are the three main components of introduction: 

• Hook: Start with a captivating hook that intrigues your readers. It could be an anecdote, a rhetorical question, or a surprising fact.
• Scene Setting: Provide background information to set the scene and establish the context for your narrative.
• Thesis Statement: Present your thesis statement clearly, giving readers a preview of the central message and the journey they are about to embark on.

Step 5: Body Paragraphs

The body is the section where you present your story’s details, share facts and guide readers through the plot. Here are the essential elements that should be included in each body paragraph:

• Topic Sentence
• Vivid description
• Characters involved
• Chronological order

Let’s discuss these elements briefly: 

• Vivid Description: A narrative essay is all about setting up a scene. Hence, make sure you provide a vivid description of the event that paints a picture in the readers’ minds. The vivid description will help you take the reader to the actual happening of the event.
• Dialogues: Usage of dialogues helps you present your story in an effective way. Dialogues give life to the story and support the story’s atmosphere.
• Characters Involved: The characters are the people acting or behaving in the story. Incorporate all the characters that are involved in your story. Provide their detailed description and what role they have played in your story.
• Chronological Order: As you are telling a story, it should be in the same order as the actual happening of the event. Start telling your story from the beginning and work through the end. Write your story in a proper sequence to keep your essay organized. 
• Climax: The climax is the breaking point of the story, and it requires a detailed description. Include all the real emotion that engages the readers’ five senses, i.e. smell, sight, touch, hear, and taste. Don’t exaggerate and stray from the truth and provide the actual and accurate climax.

Step 6: Conclusion Section 

The essay conclusion is the final part, and it provides the final outcome of the story. It bears the same importance as the introduction paragraph. 

The conclusion paragraph should contain the following elements:

• The moral of the story
• The lesson that you have learned from the story (if any)
• A call to action (if required)

Step 7: Transition Sentences

Use transition sentences between each section of your narrative essay to ensure a smooth and logical flow from one point to the next. These sentences help readers navigate through your story without feeling lost or disconnected.

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Narrative Essay Outline Format

Here are general formatting rules for a narrative essay outline: 

• Organizational Structure: Ensure your outline follows the standard structure of a narrative essay, which includes Introduction, Body, and Conclusion sections.
• Font and Size: Use a clear and easily readable font such as Times New Roman or Arial, in 12-point size for consistency and readability.
• Spacing: Double-space your outline. This enhances readability and makes it easier to distinguish different sections.
• Text Alignment: Align your text to the left. This maintains a neat and organized appearance.
• Margin Consistency: Keep consistent margins throughout your outline for a professional and well-structured presentation.
• Formatting Guidelines: Follow any specific formatting guidelines provided by your instructor or institution, which may include APA , MLA , Chicago , or other style requirements.
• Section Labeling: Number or label each section in your outline to ensure clarity and organization, making it easy for readers to follow the structure of your narrative essay

Narrative Essay Examples Outlines

In this section, we offer a selection of PDF narrative essay outline examples. These samples provide practical templates and inspiration for crafting well-structured narrative essay outlines. 

College Narrative Essay Outline Template

Narrative Essay Outline High School

Narrative Essay Outline Middle School

Narrative Essay Outline Worksheet

5 Paragraph Narrative Essay Outline

Descriptive Narrative Essay Outline

Literacy Narrative Essay Outline

Reflective Narrative Essay Outline

Personal Narrative Essay Outline Examples

Looking for narrative essay samples to spark your inspiration? Dive into our narrative essay examples blog and explore a wide range of narrative essays!

In summary, crafting a strong narrative essay outline is a vital skill for all writers. A well-structured outline is the backbone of your narrative, guiding your writing and captivating your audience.  With the knowledge and step-by-step guide shared here, you can now create a narrative essay outline that is no less than perfect.

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Plot Diagram Worksheet Templates

Customize plot diagram worksheets.

If you're assigning this to your students, copy the worksheet to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

Our plot diagram templates are great if you're looking for a quick and easy way to outline your story. With these illustrated templates, you can plan out the main events of your story, map out your character's journey, and figure out how everything will come together in the end. In addition, they are easy to use, allowing you to make a diagram quickly.

What is a Plot Diagram?

A plot diagram is a tool used by authors and readers alike to understand the structure of a narrative. It serves as an outline or blueprint of the components that come together in a story, organizing them into five distinct sections.

A plot diagram is also called a story mountain, a plot mountain, or a story structure chart, among many other names. The plot diagram shows the narrative structure of a typical story: exposition/conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Plot diagrams are excellent tools to plan well thought out stories.

Different parts provide vital information about how the plot progresses and how it ultimately concludes. When viewed together in the context of a plot diagram, this helps readers and writers gain insights into the significant events that shape and define how the story progresses.

Why are They Important and How Are They Best Used?

The plot diagram aids in reading comprehension and helps students see the important themes and plot points of a story. Use plot diagrams to map out the events of a story you are reading or a story you will write!

Utilizing a plot diagram template is a handy method for visualizing the development of a particular story's characters and gripping plot points. To start, pick out the most important parts of the story and put them in each of the template's sections: "exposition," "rising action," "climax," "falling action," and "resolution."

The exposition, in particular, will introduce readers to the central characters and setting. Moving on to the rising action, this part is critical because it is filled with plot twists and reveals that propel the story forward to the climax. This section should contain all the major plot points that bring us to the turning point in the plot diagram and narrative arc .

When you get to the climax, this is where you should write down what happens to all the plot points in the end, because this is where all the problems are solved, or not. Following falling action, end on an impactful note that alludes back to rising action by demonstrating how crucial those plot points were.

Lastly, in the resolution section, plan any important denouements that show how the actions of the characters affect the story as a whole. By filling out a plot diagram template, you can easily keep track of an overview that will help you analyze plots and symbols in stories better.

Plot Diagram Use Case Examples

Stories that work well with a plot diagram can have a wide range of genres and settings that appeal to readers of all ages. The possibilities are endless, from suspenseful thrillers to mystical epics, heartfelt romances, or touching coming-of-age stories.

For instance, a crime mystery could revolve around a detective trying to figure out how to solve a case that has a lot of false leads and unexpected turns. Or a search for lost treasure might include themes of friendship and redemption as the protagonist unravels their past and battles dark forces along the way to claim their prize.

In the end, the structure of a story arc blank template gives any story arc cohesion while leaving a lot of room for character growth and other details that make stories interesting.

Plot Diagram Example Layout

Using the plot diagram example above, the detective is trying to solve the mystery case using the common core elements of a plot mountain. You could use each section of the plot line template as follows:

• Exposition : introduce the setting and the detective, laying out their background info and goals.
• Rising Action : uncover clues and investigate suspects, with the detective gradually getting closer to solving the crime. This part of the story usually is used to build suspense and is the central conflict.
• Climax : the detective arrives at the grand reveal, gathering all of the pieces of the puzzle together.
• Falling Action : the detective wraps up their investigation and sorts out any loose ends.
• Resolution : the detective successfully solves the case and brings justice to those involved.

Using the example of a plot diagram, readers can use this template to get a better idea of how stories are structured while also providing them with an easy-to-follow format for organizing their own ideas. With a plot diagram maker, writers can create unique, interesting stories with a clear structure that readers all over the world will enjoy.

Ways to Use a Plot Structure Diagram in Class

A plot diagram can provide a great visual aid. Putting a diagram in a prominent place on the wall or whiteboard in the classroom can help students with everything from book reports to presentations about movies based on classic books.

How Plot Maps Help Students

Plot charts are helpful for students because they show how the different parts of a story fit together. Students can see how all the pieces fit together by plotting out the story using a chart. This can be helpful when writing a paper or giving a presentation about a story.

It's also a great way to learn more about the structure of stories and novels, such as 5 act story structure , which can help students better understand literature. Plot development charts are helpful for both fiction and nonfiction, as they provide an easy way to follow the progression of events.

Finally, by plotting the story out on paper, students can get a better sense of the characters and themes that run throughout the work. By seeing how each character's arc contributes to the overall story, students can better appreciate the complexity of the work. In essence, plot maps offer an organized and simple way for students to understand literature.

With a better understanding of the different components of writing, students will be able to score higher on their papers and tests, as well as gain a better appreciation for literature.

How Plot Maps Help Teachers

Plot map templates can also be incredibly useful for teachers. Providing students with a visual aid like a plot line diagram helps break down the story into simple, easy-to-follow elements. This can be particularly helpful for younger students or those struggling with comprehension.

Also, putting the story's events on a chart can help teachers find plot holes or places where the story doesn't make sense. With this visual tool, it's much easier to find places that need work and make sure that every part of the story arc is covered.

Finally, plot maps are great tools for teaching students how to create their own stories. By providing students with a basic template for plotting out a story, teachers can help their students understand the structure and flow of writing better. With a bit of guidance, students will be able to craft the most exciting parts of the narrative and therefore create unique stories that are sure to captivate readers.

How Plot Maps Help Schools

On the whole, schools are looking to improve grade levels. By incorporating plot maps into their curriculum, schools are giving students a visual tool that can help them understand literature better and incorporate what they've learned into their writing projects.

Students can also use these to help them write their own stories and screenplays. This is an essential skill for any student, as it can help them think more critically and creatively. These skills are transferable, meaning that even students who may not be interested in writing can still benefit from using story maps.

Plot Diagram Templates vs. Hand-Drawn Diagrams

Using a plot structure diagram template with storyboard software is better than drawing the diagrams by hand. It is easier to see the different pieces of the story and how they fit together on a computer. Also, it is faster to create and edit a plot diagram graphic organizer using these tools. It also makes grading easier.

Hand-drawn plot structure diagrams are more complicated than using a blank plot diagram template on a computer. It takes longer to draw them, making it harder to see how the puzzle pieces fit together. It also makes grading harder for teachers if you do it by hand, as information can be messy and poorly aligned.

How to Create a Plot Diagram Template from Storyboard That

Putting together a plot mountain template can be hard because there are so many things to think about. Luckily, our plot diagram creator makes this process much more manageable.

First, you'll need to decide on the structure of your plot outline template. You can choose from various templates, like the five-act or three-act plot triangle structures. Once you've selected the template that best suits your needs, you can add characters and scenes to each act to illustrate the flow of events.

When you're ready to create your plot chart diagram, drag and drop elements onto the canvas of the plot worksheet to make a beautiful diagram. You can also customize each piece by adding text boxes and images.

Once you've finished creating your plot images, you can download the file to your computer and share it with your students. A plot diagram can be digital or printable. It's a simple but effective way to help them better understand literature and create their own stories.

Effective Writing Techniques for Students

To become a successful writer, students need to practice effective writing techniques. One of the essential techniques is outlining. Students can plan and organize their ideas by creating a synopsis or a plot chart before they start writing. This helps them stay focused on the essay's overall structure or story.

One of the other key features of writing is editing. After completing a draft, students need to read through their work and make any necessary changes. This ensures that their work is cohesive and well-structured.

Finally, students need to recognize the importance of feedback. Having a second set of eyes review their work can help them identify any areas that need improvement. This is especially true when writing stories and screenplays, as another person may be able to spot plot holes or inconsistencies that the student didn't realize.

Students can improve their writing skills and become better storytellers by using story plot diagrams and these good ways to write. This can help them achieve better grades and open up new opportunities for them in the future.

Fiction & Non-Fiction Writing With Plot Diagrams

Plot structure charts are an excellent tool for both fiction and non-fiction writing. In non-fiction pieces, such as essays and research papers, plot diagrams help to organize your thoughts before you start writing. Outlining your main problem or arguments ahead of time makes it much easier to craft a cohesive piece of work.

In fiction, plot diagrams can be used to brainstorm ideas and plan out the structure of a story. By using a story diagram template or a blank chart, writers can map out their stories' different scenes or events and see how they fit together. This makes it easier to create a fluid narrative that readers will enjoy.

Using Plot Diagrams in Different Types of Writing

Most of the time, plot map diagrams are used to help students understand books and write their own stories. However, they can also be used in other types of writing, such as:

• Creative writing: A story plot worksheet can help students brainstorm and organize their ideas before writing. This makes it easier for them to create a cohesive story.
• Journalism: Plot structure worksheets can help journalists plan their stories and ensure that the facts are in the correct order.
• Essays: Plot diagrams can help students to structure their essays, ensuring that their ideas are organized logically.
• Screenplays: Plot diagrams are essential for screenwriters to plan out their stories and ensure they make sense.
• Business Writing: Plot diagrams can be used to create presentations and proposals, helping writers to present their information in a clear and organized way.
• Children's Stories: Plot diagrams can be used to plan children's stories, ensuring that the plot is engaging and the characters are captivating.
• Formal Letters: Plot diagrams can be used to create formal letters, helping the writer to ensure their message is clear and concisely written.
• Emails: Plot diagrams can help writers to organize their emails, ensuring the message is easy to read and understand.

Plot Diagram Activities in Class

Once you've created your plot diagrams, there are many activities in class that can incorporate them. For example, you can have students read a story and plot the significant events on a plot pyramid template. This will help to reinforce their understanding of the text and make it easier for them to remember important points.

Another activity could be to have students create their own plot diagram stories. This will teach them how to structure a story and ensure all the pieces fit together correctly. It's also great for them to practice their creative writing skills.

Finally, you can use plot diagrams as a tool for assessment. You can ask your students to create a narrative plot diagram of their own story or essay and grade them based on how well they have organized the information. This will give you a better understanding of their writing skills and help you identify areas that need improvement.

Plot Diagram Activities for Aspiring Writers

Aspiring writers can also use plot diagrams to help hone their craft. They are great for writing short stories, novels, and screenplays, as they help plan out the plot structure.

Try reading a short book and then using a plot diagram to break it down. This will help you understand how events flow and how all the pieces fit together. Once you have done this, write a short book synopsis to explain the key events and storyline, but with much fewer details, to the reader.

You can also use plot diagrams to map out your own stories. This will help you stay organized and ensure that all your ideas fit together. You can also use it to keep track of the progress of your writing; you can see how the plot is developing and identify any areas that need more attention.

Plot Diagram Activities in the Workspace

Parts of a plot chart are also helpful in the workspace environment for many different elements. They can be used to help organize tasks or ideas and make sure they are completed in the proper order. They can also be used to illustrate relationships between different departments or teams and make sure everyone is following the same plan.

Finally, plot diagrams can be used to illustrate timelines for projects. This will help you stay organized and ensure that all tasks are completed on time.

Try a Storyboard That Plot Diagram Template

Creating a storyboard, graphic organizer, or other plot diagram project can seem daunting; luckily, StoryboardThat offers some free plot diagram templates to help streamline the process and make it easier than ever to get started.

With dozens of different storytelling templates to choose from for each type of project, you'll quickly find something that suits your needs. Whether you're looking for something simple and efficient or creative and fun, try out multiple options until you find what works best for you. Every template will give your project structure, so try some different ones and see which one fits perfectly into what you're trying to create.

Plot Diagram Case Study 1: Peter’s Writing Journey

Pete had always wanted to write a short story but wasn't sure where to start. He was still in high school, but he's always had a passion for writing. The only problem was that he constantly needed help staying on topic. He frequently asked his English language arts teacher for feedback and was frequently met with criticism.

One day, Pete decided to use a template from StoryboardThat to follow a more concise structure. He used the template to plan out each scene and create a timeline of events leading up to the climax. After he finished his novel, he asked his teacher for feedback again.

The teacher was impressed with Peter’s writing and praised him for the good structure of the narrative. Peter kept using plot chart templates in all the stories he wrote after that. This helped him tell stories that kept people interested and made them look forward to his next great work.

Plot Diagram Case Study 2: The Headteachers Changes

Mrs. Johnson had been the principal of a school in a city for a long time, and she was worried that her ways of doing things were becoming old-fashioned. She wanted to introduce new ways of teaching but needed to figure out how to go about it.

Mrs. Johnson could see the big picture and was confident that all her ideas would be successful. So, she created a plot diagram from Storyboard That to help her plan out the changes she wanted to make. She wrote down each step that would be needed to carry out her plan and made a schedule of when each change would happen.

Students quickly became interested in learning again, and the school did even better than before. Mrs. Johnson's use of a plot diagram template allowed her to think through the changes she wanted to make and helped her stay organized throughout the process.

Following that, she organized a teacher meeting and demonstrated the Storyboard That software. She thought it would be a great way to help other teachers organize their classes, use their resources in lessons, and keep track of their assignments. The faculty agreed, and everyone started to use the software in their classes, which significantly improved overall student performance.

Mrs. Johnson used Storyboard That to improve the school and give her students a better learning experience. She was thankful for the tool and knew that it had been an enormous help in making her dream of improving the school come true.

Plot Diagram Case Study 3: From Idea to Product

A small startup came up with the idea, and they wanted to make sure their product was perfect before putting it on the market. To do this, they used a plot diagram template from Storyboard That to map out the entire process, from idea to launch.

They set up a schedule that was realistic and made sure that each step was done before moving on to the next. This allowed them to stay on track and create a marketable product thanks to their plot diagram template. They now use Storyboard That for all their projects, as it helps them stay organized and on top of everything.

The Bottom Line

Overall, the plot diagram is a great tool for writers of all ages and can be used to make stories of all kinds. Whether you’re writing a blockbuster novel or getting creative with storytelling in the classroom, the plot graph helps break down stories into the most important parts so that authors can ensure structure, coherence, and depth in their tales.

We hope this article has encouraged you to try the plot diagram and explore different storyboard templates to find one that works best for you. Don’t forget that there are many free resources on our website, including line plot worksheets and pre-made templates, helpful questions to consider, and ideas for using the template in cross-curricular work.

How to Make a Plot Diagram Worksheet

Choose One of the Premade Plot Diagram Templates

We have color, black and white, portrait, or landscape templates. Take a look at our plot diagram example for inspiration!

Click on "Copy Template"

Once you do this, you will be directed to the storyboard creator.

Give Your Worksheet a Name!

Be sure to call it something related to the topic so that you can easily find it in the future.

Edit Your Worksheet

This is where you will include directions, specific questions and images, and make any aesthetic changes that you would like. The options are endless!

Click "Save and Exit"

When you are finished with your plot diagram worksheet, click this button in the lower right hand corner to exit your storyboard.

From here you can print, download as a PDF, attach it to an assignment and use it digitally, and more!

Happy Creating!

Frequently Asked Questions about Plot Diagram Worksheets

What is a plot diagram.

A plot diagram is a tool used to map out a story and typically includes the exposition or conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. A plot diagram is also known as a story mountain.

Why are plot diagrams important?

Plot diagrams aid in comprehension and retelling of the story. They help students learn to pick out the most important events in the story, including themes and plot points.

How do I use the plot diagram template?

To create a story plot diagram, simply choose a template and click on "copy template." Make the changes that you want to make in the storyboard creator, save, and exit, and you will have a printable plot diagram to use digitally!

What is a plot diagram template?

A plot diagram is a tool used to map out the main events and main characters of a story, helping authors stay organized and focused as they write. A plot diagram blank template is a stencil that is used as a reference to create a story.

How to use a plot diagram to make a story plot?

To use a plot diagram to make story plots, start by filling out the template with information about your characters, setting, and main events. Consider the questions provided on Storyboard That and use them to help guide your story. Once all the details are in place, you can use the template as a reference to write out the plot.

How to do a plot diagram?

To make your own plot diagram, start by downloading or drawing out the template. Fill out the character and setting boxes with relevant information for your story. Consider the questions provided on Storyboard That to help identify key elements of your plot. Finally, fill out each circle with a description of the main event in your story. Once you’ve done this, you can use the template as a reference to write out your plot.

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