Gay Ingram's Blog - Posts Tagged "arc"
The Arc of a Short Story
A story is held together by the shape into which the elements of fascinating characters, witty dialog and lyrical scenes are combined.
You have a first draft completed. But is it a satisfying story? Here are some questions to consider.
What does your main character want? Why? The fulfillment of a hope raises the stakes.
Does the story have a beginning, a middle and an end? Do the events expose the hidden hope the character seeks?
Does the story have the makings of a central metaphor as it is explored and used in the story? Not necessarily required, a metaphor can be hidden from obvious view yet add richness and depth of texture.
A well-shaped story should look somewhat like a bell curve. The setup and complications occur at the beginning of the bell; the rising action takes up the dome; and the climax and denouement occur as the bell winds down at the other end.
Rising action is the meat of the story and requires the bulk of the weight.
The climax should be brief by comparison. Don't make the mistake of dragging out your ending.
You have a first draft completed. But is it a satisfying story? Here are some questions to consider.
What does your main character want? Why? The fulfillment of a hope raises the stakes.
Does the story have a beginning, a middle and an end? Do the events expose the hidden hope the character seeks?
Does the story have the makings of a central metaphor as it is explored and used in the story? Not necessarily required, a metaphor can be hidden from obvious view yet add richness and depth of texture.
A well-shaped story should look somewhat like a bell curve. The setup and complications occur at the beginning of the bell; the rising action takes up the dome; and the climax and denouement occur as the bell winds down at the other end.
Rising action is the meat of the story and requires the bulk of the weight.
The climax should be brief by comparison. Don't make the mistake of dragging out your ending.
