So, writing a screenplay that has a full arc means that you're not traveling full circle without the evolution of character - and you're not going from beginning to end in a straight and easy line. Yes, by way of The Hero's Journey, your protagonist can come back to their ordinary world, but only in an evolved state, having learned or experienced something that has changed them. Look no further than at what Back to the Future II and Back to the Future III did, among many other time travel films.īut beyond any imaginative timeline narrative structure, you want to focus on the present, and take your protagonist from the beginning of their ordinary world to their evolved world or state. Sure, you can creatively play within the diameters of the narrative circle. We need to see the story and the protagonist change, as opposed to revolving back around through the past events and through what the protagonist has already experienced in their life. Physically and emotionally.Ī true narrative arc is about change. If you look at a circle from a narrative perspective - regarding both a character arc and story arc - it's easy to see that you generally don't want your characters or stories to come full circle. If you follow that structure with your protagonist while adding an external arc that helps them come to those inner conclusions about themselves, you’ll create an empathetic and cathartic connection to the audience.īut what elements ensure that your whole screenplay has a narrative arc? Here we present three simple, actionable elements that will help you close the arc of our ARC acronym screenwriting guidelines to make sure your screenplays have the narrative arc necessary to capture engage the reader and audience. You show them accepting their current fate and situation (Act 1), force them to come to a revelation about their inner feelings and emotions (Act 2), and then let them be content, knowing that they’ve figured something out about their life. Your protagonist’s internal arc is basically an emotional three-act structure. You present them with conflict (Act 1), have them react (Act 2), and then show how they deal with the consequences of those reactions (Act 3). Your protagonist’s external ARC is a three-act story structure that applies to them and them alone. We've explored two different acronyms of the word ARC and how they apply to the inner and outer arcs of a screenplay's character. How can screenwriters use character arcs and story arcs to ensure that their screenplays have an overarching narrative?
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