In school, when you learned about the structure of a story, you probably heard terms like 'climax' and 'resolution'. But did you know these stages are essential to creating a good narrative structure and that they are present in all stories Every good short story, novel, poem, or play must have a strong narrative structure to keep readers engaged and effectively present the concepts the writer wants to show.
Narrative structure doesn’t follow just one type of structure but there are various types such as the Fichtean curve, the Hero’s journey, and Freytag’s Pyramid. They all have unique elements to create a desired effect on the reader.
But let's start at the beginning: what is narrative structure?
Narrative structure definition
The narrative structure is considered the framework of a story.
Narrative structure refers to the way in which a story is organized and presented to the reader or audience. It includes the elements of plot, character, setting, and theme, as well as the techniques and devices used by the author to convey these elements.
It organises the different parts of the story including the beginning, middle and end. The narrative structure is also hugely dependent on the genre of the story as a crime story would follow a different narrative structure from a fantasy story.
By having a strong narrative structure, writers can successfully portray to readers what is happening and the meaning of all the events. The narrative structure of a novel is based on how the writer decides to organise the text. So while the plot is based on the events, the narrative structure is how these events are ordered.
The stages in a linear narrative structure would be different to the stages in a circular narrative structure. (We will go more into their definitions later). This is because writers often use certain narrative structures that would fit their content. As with different narrative structures, the order of the events accentuates the themes of the text in particular ways).
Parts of a narrative structure
Before we learn about the different types of narrative structures, let’s understand what the different parts of a narrative structure (beginning, middle and end) specifically consist of.
| Elements of a narrative structure | Definition | Example |
| Exposition | The introduction of the story's setting, characters, and situation | In The Hobbit (1937), the exposition sets the scene by introducing the protagonist Bilbo Baggins, his peaceful life in the Shire, and the unexpected arrival of the wizard Gandalf. |
| Rising Action | The series of events that build tension and move the story towards the climax | In Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997), the rising action includes Harry's discovery of his wizarding heritage, his enrollment at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the growing threat of the dark wizard Voldemort. |
| Climax | The point of highest tension or conflict in the story, often involving a decisive moment or choice | In Romeo and Juliet (1597), the climax occurs when the two lovers decide to run away together, despite the ongoing feud between their families. |
| Falling Action | The aftermath of the climax, in which the story's conflicts are resolved or further complicated | In To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), the falling action includes the trial and eventual conviction of the innocent Tom Robinson, and the emotional aftermath for the novel's protagonist, Scout. |
| Resolution | The final outcome of the story, in which loose ends are tied up and the characters' fates are revealed | In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950), the resolution sees the four children crowned as kings and queens of Narnia, and the land restored to its former glory after the defeat of the evil White Witch. |
These elements can vary in their presentation and importance, depending on the specific narrative and the author's goals. However, understanding these basic components of narrative structure can help readers and writers alike to better appreciate and analyze stories of all kinds.
Aristotle’s Poetics (4th Century BC) lays down the foundation of narrative structuring. Aristotle comments that all stories should have a beginning, middle and end. To make a story a good story, Aristotle holds that there needs to be cohesion between these 3 parts: one event should lead to the next.
“A beginning is that which is not itself necessarily after anything else, and which has naturally something else after it. An end is that which is naturally after something itself, either as its necessary or usual consequent, and with nothing else after it. And a middle, that which is by nature after one thing and has also another after it.”
– Aristotle’s Poetics (4th Century BC)
Five types of narrative structure
There are five types of narrative structure: linear, non-linear, circular, parallel, interactive. Other included framed or episodic.
Linear plot structure
In this narrative structure, the events of the story are presented in chronological order. So this means the plot essentially continuously moves forward. However, this does not mean there cannot be jumps to the past (for example, in the form of flashbacks). Yet when there are past moments in a linear narrative structure, they are identified by the writer as past events or events that aren’t in chronological order.
This is the opposite of linear plot structures, as the events happen in a non-chronological sequence. For example, the book's first scene could be about the last event that occurred chronologically. Writers who use this structure use literary devices such as flashbacks to move back and forth in time in the narrative.
Literature written by Holocaust survivors and their children often also uses non-linear plot structures. The structure reflects how they remained trapped in their trauma, where conventional linear time no longer exists.
Circular plot structure
Stories following the circular narrative structure end where the story begins. The events ultimately lead back to the setting, scene, imagery and even the event that began the story.
John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men (1937) follows the circular narrative structure as the opening scene with George and Lennie at the riverbed is replicated in the last scene. The similarities of the opening and ending only accentuate the differences in the circumstances, adding to the tragedy of the death.
Whereas linear narrative structures are more aligned to a Western perspective of time, circular narrative structures can be linked to Buddhist and Hindu thought. Buddhists believe that life is a cycle (or circle) of life, death, rebirth and suffering, from which they wish to escape. Similarly, Hindus believe in the process of reincarnation, a process in which every life experiences birth, life, death and rebirth which is called the cycle of samsara.
Parallel plot structure
In this narrative structure, several storylines are told simultaneously and can even intersect with one another (but don’t have to). These storylines may be connected by a shared event, character or theme.
Charles Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities (1859).
More recently, Nick Bradley's The Cat and The City (2020) follows short stories of various characters in Tokyo, whose narratives run parallel to each other and sometimes intersect. All parallel stories have the uniting theme of cats in Tokyo.
Interactive plot structure
The reader or viewer has an influence over the narrative and can choose between fixed options of what will happen next. This plot structure encourages reader participation.
The children's book Huff & Puff (2012) by Claudia Rueda.
Narrative structure examples
Narrative structure examples include the three-act structure, the Fichtean Curve, the hero's journey, the seven-point structure, Freytag's Pyramid, and the Save the Cat beat sheet.
| Examples of narrative structures | Key Characteristics |
| Three-Act Structure | Divides story into three parts: setup, confrontation, resolution |
| The Fichtean Curve | Emphasizes rising tension and conflict, followed by sudden climax and resolution |
| The Hero's Journey | Involves a call to adventure, journey into the unknown, challenges and obstacles, and return home with newfound wisdom |
| The Seven-Point Structure | Includes seven key plot points, such as hook, inciting incident, climax, and resolution |
| Freytag's Pyramid | A five-act structure that includes exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution |
| The Save the Cat Beat Sheet | Involves 15 key plot points, such as opening image, theme stated, and final image |
Three act structure
Stories following the three-act structure divide the narrative into beginning, middle and end. Syd Field formalised this structure in Screenplay (1978), dividing the acts into Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution.
Act 1. In the Setup, the setting, characters and narrative world are established. Then an inciting incident kicks the story into motion, serving as a plot point to propel the narrative into the next act. The major dramatic question will be raised here, which will be answered in the climax. This could include: will the hero save the day? Will the detective find the killer? Will the couple end up together?
Act 2. In the Confrontation, the tension and crises build as rising action. The second act follows the protagonist’s journey from a midpoint crisis to the second turning point. The protagonist is faced with trials, enemies and allies, taking on the challenges of the new world. An event occurs that goes against the protagonist’s main goal and they are tested. However, they are not able to pass this test. This prompts the protagonist to learn and reflect on themselves to find out what they can truly achieve.
Act 3. The final act rises to a climax and ends in the Resolution/denouement. The protagonist now is left with two choices – to try again or to fail. The protagonist goes against the final challenge one more time and with the lessons learnt in the second act they conventionally triumph. In the denouement, a new normal life is established, all the unanswered questions are answered and any consequences resulting from the climax are presented.
The movie Star Wars (1977) follows the Three Act Structure narrative structure.
Act 1: The film starts from the beginning of the story until when the Death Star captures the Millennium Falcon.
Act 2: Obi-Wan attempts to close down the tractor beam's power to try and stop Millennium Falcon from escaping. Luke, Han and Chewie try to rescue Princess Leia. Other more minor problems are solved as well but the main problem, the threat of the Death Star, is still there.
Act 3: The Death Star is eventually destroyed and the Empire is defeated by Luke and his friends.
Fichtean curve
The writer and professor John Gardner formalized the Fichtean Curve in The Art of Fiction (1983). By examining multiple narratives, he noticed three essential elements of rising action, climax and falling action. This narrative structure is often used for character-driven stories that are fast-paced.
In the Fichtean Curve, the protagonist already begins in the rising action. This means that a period of ‘normal life’ is not always established. From this point to the climax, world-building, character development, backstory and exposition occur. The protagonist is put against several worsening crises, with each of the crises acting as a key plot point.
Two thirds into the narrative, the climax occurs, which is a crisis at the height of tension. This turning point of the plot changes the protagonist’s course of action. At this point, the protagonist cannot turn back and they must either deal with the core conflict directly or deal with the consequences of failure. Traditionally, the protagonists are victorious and this leads to the falling action.
The falling action happens after the climax and leads to the resolution. It is the point of the story where all the loose ends are tied up, and where the protagonist’s character arc is complete. It is also the point where the new normal may be established and where the protagonist has gone through some sort of change.
An example of a story written in the Fichtean Curve is L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz (1900).
- Rising action: Glinda, the Good Witch of the South, tells Dorothy to go to the Land of Oz to see the wizard and gives her a pair of silver slippers. On the way there, she meets Scarecrow, Tim Woodman and Cowardly Lion and when they arrive at the Land of Oz, the wizard tells them he will help them if they manage to kill the Wicked Witch of the West.
- Climax: Dorothy is able to kill the witch.
- Falling action: Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tim Woodman and Cowardly Lion get their wishes and Dorothy is able to go home if she clicks her slippers together and speaks her wish out loud.
The hero’s journey
This is perhaps the most well-known narrative structure. The writer and professor Joseph Campbell observed patterns in literary texts to propose the narrative structure of the hero's journey in his seminal The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). Campbell argued that there are similar storytelling traits present in all mythology all over the world. The Hollywood screenwriter Christian Volger then simplified Campbell's 17 stages to 12.
Here is Volger's 12 stages of the Hero's Journey:
It starts with the ordinary world where the hero’s normal life and the status quo of society are established.
The hero is then given a call of adventure (this is also the inciting incident).
The hero refuses the call and they are unsure about whether they should take on the challenge.
The hero then meets their mentor, a supernatural aid. This is someone knowledgeable and experienced in the things that will prepare the hero for what’s to come. For example, a character who is trying to better their magic skills would go to a wizard as their mentor.
They then cross the first threshold and enter the new world, leaving behind all that they know.
As a result, they face a series of tests, allies, enemies.
They then must come towards the inmost cave, this is where the hero is close to achieving their goal.
But it isn’t so easy, they must face an ordeal and overcome their biggest hurdle.
When they do this, they obtain the reward, the thing that they wanted from the beginning and they are almost victorious.
On the road back, the hero finds that even though they have achieved their goal it isn’t the final challenge; actually, achieving their reward may have even made it worse for them.
In the resurrection stage, the hero faces a climactic challenge in which they must use everything they have learned through their journey to overcome the challenge.
Finally, the protagonist is victorious and goes back to their old life; this is called the return with the elixir stage.
Let's take a look at J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (1937) and trace the hero's journey of Bilbo Baggins.
Tolkien sets the ordinary world in the Shire and Bilbo's character of a respectable hobbit that does not go on adventures.
The call of adventure begins when Gandalf arrives unexpectedly and requests Bilbo to join the 12 dwarves in a burglary.
Bilbo refuses the call: "Sorry! I don't want any adventures, thank you. Not today." (chapter 1)
Gandalf then takes up the role of the mentor, in the meet their mentor stage. Gandalf can cast magic spells and saves the group multiple times.
When Bilbo leaves the Shire with the dwarves and Gandalf, they cross the first threshold and start on their journey.
They face a series of tests and go against enemies such as when they lose all their resources or when the group are captured by trolls and goblins.
The inmost cave is a literal cave in The Lonely Mountain, where the dragon Smaug is guarding treasure.
Bilbo's ordeal is facing the dragon by himself. By fighting his fear and reluctance for adventure, Bilbo out-riddles the dragon to learn about the dragon's one weak spot. This will come in handy when Bard the Bowmen kill Smaug.
The treasure horde and Arkenstone is the reward, and the Dwarves can reclaim their home in the Lonely Mountain.
The initial challenge has been overcome yet on the road back there are issues surrounding the fair distribution of the gold. Bilbo solves this by compromising with all the parties, showing his maturity.
In the resurrection stage, Bilbo and the Dwarves are faced with a military attack from the goblins. But the friends Bilbo has made along the way come to save the day in the The Battle of Five Armies.
After winning the battle, Bilbo returns to his old life in the Shire in the return with the elixir stage. His elixir is the knowledge, character development and friendships he made.
Seven-point story structure
This is another variation of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and was popularised by the author Dan Wells. When writers use this structure, they must first decide how the narrative arc should end and then work backwards.
The seven following elements make up the Seven-Point Story Structure.
Opening hook: The opening hook is what grips the reader, inviting them to find out more about the protagonist and the society in which they live.
Plot point 1: This is where the inciting incident happens, starting the chain of events and/or adventure.
Pinch point 1: This is the point in which something wrong happens for the protagonist either through a conflict or the arrival of an antagonist.
Midpoint: This is the point at which the main character changes their course of action. In a hero’s journey, this is the point where the protagonist takes on a call to action.
Pinch Point 2: Here, another issue happens for the protagonist but this time it seems as if everything is over and the protagonist has lost/ failed.
Plot point 2: The protagonist realises something that aids them to defeat their obstacles and resolve the conflict.
Resolution: All conflict is resolved; the antagonist is removed. A new sense of normal life has been created and the protagonist’s character arc is completed.
The movie Casablanca (1942) is an example of a movie that follows the Seven-point story structure.
- Opening hook: People are trying to leave Nazi-controlled areas in Europe and go to North America. However, the narrator lets the reader know that for people to do this must pass through Casablanca and most likely will get trapped.
- Plot point 1: Ugarte flees as police come to arrest him.
- Pinch point 1: Major Strasser tries to start a deal with Ilsa and Lazlo.
- Midpoint: Ilsa does not want to leave without her husband but last minute, Ferrari makes it known that Rick most likely has the letters of transit.
- Pinch point 2: German officers get into a fight with French patrons in Rick's bar after they start singing the national anthem.
- Plot point 2: Ilsa goes to Rick's office and begs for the letters of transit; eventually she reveals her love for him.
- Resolution: Rick shoots Major Strasser and Ilsa and Lazlo leave the country.
Freytag’s pyramid
The five-point narrative structure was inspired by the classical Greek tragedies of Euripides, Aeschylus and Sophocles and follows the storyline of a tragedy. The narrative structure was coined by the 19th-century German playwright and novelist Gustav Freytag.
It begins with the introduction/ exposition where the status quo and normal life are established and where the inciting incident happens.
During the rising action, the protagonists actively seek their goal and the stakes become higher
In the climax, the protagonist reaches the highest point of conflict and can no longer return to the normal life that they knew before.
In the falling action, the point after the climax, instead of conflicts resolving and reaching the resolution tension increases.
The story ends with the catastrophe as opposed to the resolution. Here, the protagonist’s fears have taken over them, and they are at their lowest self.
Fig. 1 - This is how Freytag's Pyramid works.
William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' (1597) follows Freytag's Pyramid structure.
- Exposition: The events shown before the Capulet household's party.
- Rising Action: Romeo and Juliet get married secretly, Tybalt and Romeo enter a duel, Tybalt and Mercutio both die, Romeo is banished, Juliet comes up with a plan to fake her death but Romeo thinks she is actually dead as he hasn't read her letter.
- Climax: Romeo commits suicide, Juliet wakes up and sees Romeo is dead so she kills herself.
- Falling action: The events after Juliet's death.
- Resolution: The Montague family and Capulet family end their feud.
Save the Cat! beat sheet
In 2005 Blake Snyder formalised this narrative structure that uses 15 ‘beats’ to structure the story.
First, the opening image presents the readers with a scene that introduces them to the setting and makes the readers want to know more.
In the 'theme-stated' section, a hint is given of what is to come for the story.
The set-up then established the ordinary world of the protagonist.
The catalyst takes place (this is the inciting incident).
This is followed by the debate which is where the protagonist refuses the call to action but is eventually forced into it.
In the 'Break into Two' part, the protagonist must decide what they want to do to begin their journey.
In the B Story, a subplot is introduced and this is usually a romantic subplot but overall emphasises the theme of the story.
The Promise of the Premise is also called the ‘fun and games' and is the point in which the writer works on the genre of the story and presents the entertaining side of the plot. For example, in a romance genre, this would be the section the characters fall in love.
The midpoint is where the plot twist occurs. It increases the stakes and makes it harder for the hero to achieve their goal; it can also be the point where they start focussing on a new goal.
The tension increases as the bad guys close in as the protagonist’s obstacles become more intense and none of their plans works.
All is lost and the hero is at an ultimate low point.
Having lost everything, the hero eventually finds new information in the 'dark night of the soul' section that gives them an idea of what they can do to succeed.
In the 'Break into three', the protagonist decides to try one more time after finding out this new information.
In the finale, the protagonist goes against the main conflict; they are now able to see the real truth and resolve their story.
Finally, in the final image, readers see a final moment or scene in which the protagonist has changed.
Hafsah Faizal used the Save the Cat beat sheet to write We Hunt the Flame (2019).
Narrative structure analysis & character arcs
Another essential part of narrative structure is developing the character arc. The character arc is the development and transformation of the character from the start to the end of the story.
Most stories are driven by either a plot arc or a character arc. In a plot arc, the story follows an external goal. For a character arc, the story will follow the emotions of the characters in an attempt to resolve internal issues and answer internal questions.
Positive/ Growth character arcs
The protagonist goes against a false belief or fears they had of themselves and by the end of the story are a better person.
Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008)
Negative/ Tragic character arcs
Protagonists who follow this character arc end up keeping their flaws and believing their false beliefs about themselves and this eventually causes their downfall.
Voldemort from the Harry Potter series (1997–2007)
Static character arcs
This is when the protagonist’s major beliefs and values are challenged but they stay true to themselves till the end of the story.
Sherlock Holmes in 'The Five Orange Pips' (1891)
Narrative Structure - Key takeaways
- The narrative structure is the framework of a story; it is how the plot is organised.
- The different parts of the narrative structure are the beginning, middle and end.
- The 5 types of narrative structure include linear, nonlinear, circular, parallel and interactive plot structures.
- Examples of narrative structure are Fichtean Curve, three-act structure, seven-point structure, Freytag's Pyramid, the hero's journey and the Save the Cat beat sheet.
- The 3 types of character arcs are positive, negative and static arcs.
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