A narrative arc is like the story that happens when you go on a fun ride at an amusement park, it has ups and downs, twists and turns, and ends with you getting off the ride, feeling excited or tired.
Like Going on a Ride
Imagine you're on a roller coaster. At first, you slowly climb up a hill, this is like the beginning of the story. Then whooosh! You go down fast, that’s the exciting part. Sometimes the ride goes upside down or loops around, those are the surprises in the story. Finally, the ride comes to a stop, that's the end.
A Story That Changes
A narrative arc is just like that roller coaster: it starts with something simple, gets more interesting as it goes on, and ends with a finish that makes you feel satisfied or curious for more rides (or stories). The whole point is to take you from one place to another, maybe even change how you feel about things!
Examples
- A hero goes on a journey to save their village, faces many challenges, and returns as a stronger leader.
- A movie starts with a character in a normal life, then they discover a secret world.
- A book has a beginning, middle, and end, just like a trip.
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See also
- What Makes a ‘Novel’ Different from a ‘Short Story’?
- Why Do People Like ‘Mystery’ More Than ‘Logic’ in Stories?
- What is Poetry is like a special kind of story?
- How Does The magical science of storytelling | David JP Phillips | TEDxStockholm Work?
- How stories shape our minds | The science of storytelling | BBC Ideas?
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