Writing Focus: Dramatic Arc

Dramatic arc is a phrase that many people hear and dread in English literature classes. Despite the fact that it is hated by students around the globe, using a dramatic arc can be a lifesaver!

What Is a Dramatic Arc?

A dramatic arc is the structure that a piece of drama takes. This is used frequently in plays and films, but can also be used within the context of a story. There are several variations on the dramatic arc structure, but one of the simplest and most widely used is Freytag’s view of the dramatic arc.

In Freytag’s dramatic arc or pyramid, there are five different areas: the exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action and the dénouement. These five areas all have their own unique purposes. The exposition is the first section of any drama and will always set the scene for what is happening. It introduces the main characters, their personalities and often introduces the main conflict or reason for the drama itself. The rising action does what it says on the tin – it shows the plotline building to the main point of the story, or the climax. The climax is the point where the most important area of action happens in the piece. This could be a fight, a falling out or a breakthrough in a criminal case that leads to the bad guy. The falling action is the battle between good and evil, or between the main characters. Within this time period, the story starts barreling towards the end. The dénouement is the ending of the piece, and is set in action somewhere between the falling action and the end. This allows the reader to get a sense of finality and often, writers use this to tie up loose ends up and fully complete the plot.

In a story, these can all be used just as well as the arc can be used to structure a drama piece or a film. As with these types of writing, a fictional story has several well-defined areas – usually the beginning, middle and end – and by using this pyramid, we can structure stories fully.

Tips

Take each area separately and think what you want to achieve with that area of the story. Do you want a character to instantly become hated within the first few chapters? Spend the exposition showing the negative side to their character. Do you want your rising action to lead towards something explosive for the climax? Plan it out so that your rising action contains several pointers towards a shocking climax. Do you want a twist in the ending? Plan out where the twist becomes apparent – is it the dénouement or is it a twist that occurs right at the very end?

A good way of planning using this method is to bullet-point the actions you think should appear under each heading. This is a fairly simple and organized way of checking that you have everything you need in the sections where it should appear!

Prompts

Looking to improve your knowledge of dramatic arc? Then check out these prompts to help you out!

1. Watch an episode of a television show you’re familiar with and try and pinpoint where the climax appears. After you have done this, fit the other areas of the arc around it.
2. Take a storyline and bullet-point all of the main aspects or action areas you want to include in the story. Arrange these under the five Freytag headings.
3. Take an old story you have written and write a basic plan for it, pinpointing where each area of the arc starts and finishes.

Although it can be tedious to plan when you just want to start writing, using a dramatic arc can make your story appear well-rounded and may help when writer’s block pays you a visit!

Special thanks to poison and blood, silent hearts. and Norman Reedus for editing!