Editing Story arc (section)

{{short description|Extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media}}
{{refimprove|date=June 2019}}

A '''story arc''' (also '''narrative arc''') is the chronological construction of a plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing [[narrative|storyline]] in [[episode|episodic]] storytelling media such as [[television]], [[comic book]]s, [[comic strip]]s, [[boardgames|board games]], [[video game]]s, and [[films]] with each episode following a [[dramatic arc]].<ref>[https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-narrative-arc-in-literature-852484 "Narrative Arc – What is Narrative Arc in Literature?"]. ThoughtCo.</ref> On a [[television program]], for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story arc is common in [[sitcom]]s, and even more so in [[soap opera]]s. In a traditional Hollywood film, the story arc usually follows a [[three-act structure]]. [[Webcomic]]s are more likely to use story arcs than [[comic strip|newspaper comics]], as most webcomics have readable archives online that a newcomer to the strip can read in order to understand what is going on. Although story arcs have existed for decades, one of the first appearances of the term was in 1973 by ''[[Time Magazine]]'' for a synopsis of the movie ''[[The Friends of Eddie Coyle]]'': "He accomplishes this with no sacrifice to the pacing of his action sequences or the suspenseful development of his story's arc."<ref>{{cite magazine |date=2 July 1973 |title=Friends of ''Friends''|magazine=TIME |volume=102 |issue=1 |page=53 |url=https://time.com/vault/issue/1973-07-02/page/57/ |publisher=TIME USA, LLC.|access-date=10 August 2023}}</ref>

Many American comic book series are now written in four- or six-issue arcs, within a continuing series. Short story arcs are easier to package as [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperback]]s for resale, and more accessible to the casual reader than the never-ending [[Continuity (fiction)|continuity]] that once characterized US comics.
A corollary to the absence of continuity, however, is that, as exemplified in 1950s DC ''[[Superman]]'' comics, no permanent change to characters or situations occurs, meaning no growth can take place. Thus, storylines repeat over time in a loop.