Story arc
A plot structure unfolding over multiple episodes or seasons.
A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of a plot in a novel, film, or episodic media like television, comic books, comic strips, board games, and video games. In an episodic show, a story arc unfolds over multiple episodes or seasons instead of resolving in a single installment.
- field
- Narrative structure, storytelling
- known_for
- Chronological plot construction across multiple episodes or issues
- common_mediums
- Novels, films, television, comic books, comic strips, board games, video games
Lore & Background
By contrast, earlier comics—such as mid-20th-century Superman titles by DC Comics—kept a fixed status quo where little permanent change occurred, with storylines repeating in a loop rather than an evolving arc.
Reader's Guide
The main purpose of a story arc is to move a character or situation from one state to another, bringing about real change in the story. This change often follows classic patterns, such as a tragic fall or a turn from weakness to strength. Screenwriter Christopher Vogler later adapted Campbell's model for Western screenwriting in The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. In television and radio, serial storylines go back to early broadcast programming, especially radio serials and daytime soap operas. Serialized shows historically struggled in traditional broadcast syndication, but the rise of DVD box sets and streaming services made serialized shows much easier to follow, shifting industry standards toward longer story arcs. Long serialized shows often use shorter sub-arcs, and episodes outside the main arc are known as standalone episodes, sometimes called 'filler' by fan communities. Manga and anime use story arcs heavily, with longer series often divided into distinct arcs by fans and publishers.
Did You Know?
- In American comic books, series are often split into four- to six-issue story arcs.
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