Story Arcs/Story Maps

Many famous writers rely on story arcs to think through the plots of their stories.

Story arcs can help you figure out the rises and falls of your own plot, because they remind you that it’s not just one event after another, with no real change or climb. The story arc also shows you that something is going to happen, and things are getting tough, and then something happens as the story curves, or arcs, that changes things or that solves your character’s problem. After that, things change, your character is different, and there isn’t a feeling of anticipation anymore.