"ARC THE HERALD"

                               

                                                         Defining Story Arcs

 

You’re not wrong if today’s title has a Christmas theme or sounds like a lesson in conductive energy. It is the most wonderful time for sharing gifts of all kinds, including the electrical power of storytelling.

It sounds electrifying, but not to get too technical; a story arc is the same as the narrative.

In some ways, story arcs can have scientific elements, like unequally dispersed energy. We all know what havoc that cause.

To avoid any disparity, A definitive path should start at each story’s beginning, middle, and end.

Nothing is more confusing than a story that starts out promising until it’s not.

It’s what we follow as authors to tell the character’s story in phases. In simpler terms, a well-choreographed chronological plot construction.

My pastor, God rests his soul, would always say when preaching a sermon or teaching bible study, remember the first defined principle. How something or someone starts is usually how it ends.

Valid on all accounts.

If you were to visualize them, story arcs resemble a rollercoaster in how they start inclining until they reach a definitive peak and then level off at the end.

The intrigue and sense of anticipation begin with the situation, the opposition, and finally, a climax.   

The initial starting point introduces the characters and story theme.

The midpoint is the critical part of the plot, and the readers are usually already emotionally invested in the story.

Finally, we reach the end, and hopefully, all issues will be resolved if it’s not a sequel.

The goal for writers is to create a powerful story dynamic that will strengthen as it moves along. Strong story arcs form bestsellers.

As I pointed out earlier, story arcs are definitive, but in some cases, they can become more than one, especially if the book becomes a series.

The final destination is to write better stories, create engaging plots and win readers who will love your books and share them.