Outlining: The Eight-Point Arc
@papofglencoe has asked me to expand on this particular method of outlining and I don’t consider myself an expert, but I’m happy to expand on it and how I use it!
The Eight-Point Arc consists of the following points, which I will further expand on later:
1. Stasis
2. Trigger
3. The Quest
4. Surprise
5. Critical Choice
6. Climax
7. Reversal
8. Resolution
This method of outlining is taken from Nigel Watts who has a couple of books about, well, writing. This method is super helpful for stringing together a plot through the process of writing your story. I’ll be using examples from The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and The Fellowship of the Ring to help flesh out the ideas a little more.
So let’s go through them!
1. Stasis: Basically this is the “before” of any story, or at least before the real plot kicks off. For example, Katniss’ routine and priorities before the Reaping, Harry Potter’s life with the Dursley’s before learning he was a wizard, Frodo in the Shire before leaving with the One Ring, etc etc. This part of a story tends to be brief, but can be a great foundation for world-building before—
2. Trigger or Inciting Incident: The moment everything changes for the protag is typically referred to as the inciting incident, aka the moment when the story truly begins and takes the protag away from everyday life. To fit the above examples: Katniss volunteers, Harry learns he’s a wizard, Frodo leaves the Shire with the Ring. And the story begins. Now, the baton’s been passed to the protag but they need a direction to go! Which leads us to…
3. The Quest: Once the protag’s world has changed, they need a new direction or objective to follow. If the trigger is the spark, the quest is the momentum. Katniss’ quest to win the Hunger Games and return to her family; Harry’s desire to go Hogwarts and learn magic; Frodo leaving to destroy the Ring.
4. Surprise! : Now this is a good “middle”-ish part of the story that can consist of pleasant events, but usually obstacles, complications, or conflicts for the protag. This is also the part of the story when it’s a good idea to change or, shockingly, surprise the reader with a twist or something big that raises the stakes or tension in some kind of way. The Hunger Game begins; Harry is nearly killed in a Quidditch game which proves that someone is trying to murder him; The Fellowship lose Gandalf. (I really hope these aren’t big spoilers for anyone LOL)
5. Critical Choice: Eventually, every obstacle and conflict you’ve presented your protag so far will lead up to something which is usually some kind of choice, whether it be clear-cut or not, decisions have to be made. It’s typically a culmination of character development you’ve set up through the plot, where a protag shows their true colors. This is not something that can just happen and has to be a very deliberate choice as it directly determines the climax. Katniss choosing to eat the berries with Peeta instead of giving the Capital what they want; Harry choosing to not give Quirrell/Voldemort the stone; Frodo deciding to part with the Fellowship.
6. Climax: Now because the critical choice and climax rely heavily on each other, it usually occurs immediately or very soon following the critical choice. It’s essentially the result of the choice, and must be the highest point of tension, in your story— this is the culmination of everything before this moment and your last chance to sucker punch your audience as they hold their breath and anticipate. Katniss and Peeta bringing the berries to their mouth; Harry nearly being killed by Quirrel/Voldemort in an intense grapple; Frodo and Sam leaving as the remainder are left behind to fight.
7. Reversal: Finally, we come to the reversal or the consequences of the critical choice and climax. The results that will feed directly into the resolution. If Stasis was your state A for your protag, Reversal is where state B for your protag becomes clearly apparent. The protagonist is not the same and they’ve changed. The consequence should exhibit that to some extent.
8. Resolution: With the resolution, we return to a new stasis. The new status quo if you will. Characters are changed and have a new “every day.” The story is complete. (Until the next trigger that is…)
And that’s basically it in a nutshell. Now this doesn’t go into sub-plots or individual vs. overarching plots as this isn’t meant to be very extensive but the same process can be applied to any arc structure! I hope I’ve explained the method sufficiently enough though :)
If you want to practice this method a little more before applying it to your own projects, here’s an exercise: take a story you’re familiar with or like and try to fit parts of the story to each of these points. You’re bound to find that most classic plots can be fit to this outlining method!
Happy plotting!! And if you’re up for the #tenaday challenge, hop on in! Basically, we’re committing to writing no more or less than 10 minutes a day! It’s a great way to get out of a rut or just get some ideas flowing.
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