Somehow, I’ve gotten years into writing these posts and have not done one on external and internal story arcs. I reference these all the time so I’m sure my followers have grasped the meaning of these terms, but I want to take the time to explain these arcs and their roles in stories.
External Arcs
An external arc is all about the goal of the book. Is it to solve a mystery? To stop a killer? To reconnect with an old boyfriend? The external arc is whatever goal your POV character is chasing. Think of an external arc as the story premise. Whatever cool plot you planned for the book, that’s the external arc.
Once you identify your external arc goal, write it down and keep it close when you’re working. Every scene you write should shift toward or away from that goal. Ask yourself, what did the POV character learn or do in this scene to strive toward the goal? If the external arc is to take down the corrupt government, then how did he get closer to that goal? Or did someone discover him spying and now his enemies are on the lookout for him? That would push him further from his goal. It doesn’t matter if the character gets closer or further from the goal, he just needs to do something that affects the goal in every scene. It keeps the external plot in the reader’s mind and shows progress on the promised story premise.
Internal Arcs
An internal arc is how a character changes over the course of the story. Does he learn to trust his brother? Will she put aside her resentment and learn to forgive? Can they get over their differences and learn to appreciate who each other is? Essentially, you show the character learning a lesson and either becoming a better person or a worse person. Think of the internal arc as the character arc. It’s all about how the character grows.
Ask yourself how you want your main character to be different by the end of the book, and then write that down and keep it with your external arc idea. As you write, make sure you are showing small shifts in the protagonist’s emotions and mindset in every scene. It can be as small as starting the chapter carefree and happy, then ending in a state of confusion and sadness. Greater shifts around big plot points will have larger impacts. For instance, the character may trust her team going into the midpoint, but then one of them betrays her and now her mindset has changed to doubt everyone around her. By showing character growth in an internal arc, writers give the story meaning by proving the external arc has an impact on the characters.
Roles In Story
The external arc of a story gives the reader the what, and the internal arc gives the so what. One without the other does not work. If a race car driver wins the cup, it makes a nice news headline but no real impact. On the other hand, if a person learns the importance of humility by just thinking about it, no one will believe the lesson was really taken to heart. What makes a good story is a race car driver who’s too egotistical to listen to his coaches, but after several losses he learns he doesn’t know everything. He starts listening to his coaches and wins.
The external arc needs to shape the internal arc, and the internal arc needs to be proven in the external arc. External events shape the protagonist’s growth, and then he has a chance to prove that internal arc growth by applying the lesson in the end to win. The arcs must impact each other to make the story compelling.
Final Thoughts
When writing your next story, make sure each scene has movement in both the external and internal arcs. You must progress the plot with external shifts and show character growth with internal shifts. Readers need to know what happens and why it matters. Show progress in both arcs, and your story won’t disappoint.
Thanks for reading!
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