Have you ever read a novel or watched a film that seemed to drop off suddenly without any real ending? This happens more often than you might think, and it’s because the writers didn’t take the time to develop their story’s falling action—the last segment of story structure in a narrative.
Don’t let this final component trip up all the hard work you’ve put into developing your plot. We’ll guide you through everything you need to know about ending your story’s final resolution the right way.
What is “Falling Action” in story structure? Our falling action definition
Falling action is the segment of a narrative immediately following the climax, in which the tension raised begins to dissipate and equilibrium is restored. During this stage the characters will re-examine their “ordinary world” and reflect on how they’ve been changed by the events of the story.
We can define falling action as the “winding down” phase of a novel or film, and it happens right between the climax and the denouement. The reader gets to see the aftermath of all the battles that have been fought and the choices that have been made.
Falling action in Freytag’s Pyramid
Many people know the term “falling action” from Freytag’s Pyramid, a plot structure which assembles a story into a mountain-like shape that builds to its highest tension in the middle, rather than at the end. It consists of five basic stages: Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Dénoument. We’ll look at some of these terms in more detail below.
In these stories, the falling action encompasses most of the second half of the plot. It might involve a few more twists, turns, and trials that the heroes have to face. “Voyage and return” style stories, like Gulliver’s Travels or Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, often fit this framework. The climax comes when the protagonist reaches their destination, and the falling action happens as they try to make their way home again.
Falling action in the three-act structure
In the three-act story structure, falling action begins closer to the end. It might encompass the last five to ten pages of a novel, or the last ten to fifteen minutes of a movie.
At this point, the main plot is pretty much over. The falling action is there so that the ending doesn’t feel too abrupt, and so we get to see how the events of the plot have had permanent or lingering effects. New relationships have been formed, sacrifices have been made, knowledge has been gained. The falling action of the three-act structure takes a moment to show all of those changes in practice.
What is falling action important in a story?
We’ve touched on the purpose of falling action in both those story structures above. Here’s a deeper look at why this block of narrative structure is so essential to a satisfying story.
1. Falling action dissolves narrative tension
The second half of a plot is all about building more and more tension, all the way to the story’s climax. The climax is where this tension pays off in an explosive finish. The falling action, then, is a space for both the characters and the reader to come down from this tension.
You can think of it like running a race, or doing an aerobic exercise session. You build momentum throughout the activity, but if you stop suddenly, you might hurt yourself. Athletes know they need to come off their activities gradually with a cool down stretch. The falling action sequence is this “cool down” period.
2. Falling action resolves lingering questions
Sometimes you might have subplots that haven’t been fully wrapped up yet, because the story’s attention was on the climax of the main plot. The falling action is a place to finish off any last details that still need to be established about your characters and their world.
The falling action serves as the “housekeeping” phase in which you make sure you’ve caught all those last lingering loose ends.
3. Falling action shows rewards and consequences
Every story is about change, whether that’s on a personal, social, or societal level. The falling action is an opportunity to show how those changes have affected the characters, their relationships, their community, or even their world.
It’s not enough to tell the reader that these changes have happened. You need to let them see the results of the change (that’s “show, not tell”). The falling action takes a moment to highlight the new status quo.
4. Falling action cements theme
“Theme” is really just a fancy way of saying the point of a story. Why are you writing it? What message or idea do you want the reader to get from it? Much of this will come from the story’s main conflict and how it’s perceived and resolved. But the falling action is a good place to sum up the core message one more time.
This relates to the “new status quo” we looked at above. If your theme is “love conquers all,” your falling action should show what that victorious love looks like. If it’s “crime never pays,” the falling action should show the consequences that make this clear. This way, the reader will close your book with a new understanding of this idea.
5. Falling action lets you say goodbye
Finally, falling action gives you and your readers a moment to say goodbye to your main characters. You’ve been with them for months or even years, seen their character development and growth, watched them face a major conflict and come out again. Don’t be the host that rushes your guests out the door; instead, take a moment to wish them well.
This space of your story allows your reader a last look at these characters and where they’re headed to next.
Falling action vs. rising action
Falling action is sometimes confused with rising action, two important elements of any basic plot structure.
We’ve established that falling action is the last stretch of a story, happening after the climax occurs at the height of act three. The rising action is a reflection of the falling action that happens at the beginning of the story, following the inciting incident.
While falling action is about tying up lingering threads, the rising action is about putting those threads into action in the first place. Many of the complications introduced in the rising action will be resolved in the falling action.
The falling action is usually shorter than the rising action, covering around 5—10% of a story.
Falling action vs. denouement
Denouement is another literary term that sometimes gets confused or conflated with falling action. In fact, they have a lot of elements in common. While falling action refers to the last stretch of a story, denouement specifically means the closing final scene. In a TV show, this is often the scene that comes after the credits. In this way you can think of the denouement as one component of the larger falling action.
While falling action is about wrapping up any remaining details of the plot, the denouement is more about hinting at what happens next. Both are important in creating a satisfying conclusion for your readers.
Tips for writing your own falling action
Ready to tackle the falling action of your own story? Here are some essential tips to keep in mind as you go—and if you want to dig deeper into the elements of a good story, don’t miss this comprehensive guide.
Don’t end a story too early
You’ve worked long and hard to get to the end of your story, and the finish line is finally within sight—! It can be very tempting to wrap it up in a rush so you can get to that euphoric “The End.” But you’d be doing your story a disservice.
Give your falling action room to breathe. Tie everything together slowly and softly, rather than with a sudden snap. This will make the ending more satisfying for both you and the reader.
Use brevity and concision
Now even though you’re not rushing your falling action, you also shouldn’t pad it up with superfluous plans and details. Everything that happens in the falling action should come back to what matters: the story.
Try to find the perfect balance between fast and slow pacing. It shouldn’t feel rushed, but it also shouldn’t drag so that the reader is checking their watch and looking to see how many pages are left. You can do this by avoiding extraneous adjectives and adverbs and making every word count.
Bring your plot and subplots together
If you’re writing a longer form story like a novel or full-length screenplay, you may be juggling multiple plot lines across an ensemble of characters. The falling action is where these plot lines should all merge into one.
Often this will be an event like a party where everyone’s invited, or a final battle where everyone joins forces. If the main plot and subplots don’t connect, see if you can finagle a way to bring them together. This will make your story’s end feel cohesive and natural.
Land on your theme
We mentioned above that a story’s falling action is a really good place to emphasise its theme, or core message. Think about what you’re trying to say with this work as a whole. Then, see if there’s a way to communicate that idea through the last few scenes.
This might be in the way characters interact with one another, or how they view the world around them. The way you show your character development will help the reader fully understand and appreciate your theme.
Hint at what comes next
As you go through your story’s resolution, also think about your characters’ future. What are they going to do, now that they’ve faced their main conflict and checked everything off their urgent to-do list? Their book has come to a close, but their story will continue off the page.
You can also give the reader a sense of how this world might be different because of the events of the story. In the Hunger Games series, for example, the falling action shows how society is moving in a new direction because of what the characters did. How have your characters impacted their own social circle, community, or culture?
Falling action examples from literature and film
To see how these tips look in practice, let’s check out a few examples of stories that have used falling action to create a satisfying end.
Falling action in Romeo and Juliet
William Shakespeare’s famous tragic romance is a great example to study when it comes to story structure. The play’s falling action occurs right after the climax, during which the star-crossed lovers die heartbroken deaths.
This leads to the warring families coming together and learning that their hatred has killed their own children. This is the point when any unanswered questions are wrapped up so that everyone can get on the same page, literally and figuratively. Then, Romeo and Juliet’s respective parents erect statues of their teenagers to remind them not to fight anymore. Like any good falling action, this scene shows the reader a glimpse of better days to come.
Falling action in Back to the Future
This 40-year old film continues to resonate with audiences today, and is another great story to learn structure from. The falling action happens after the time travelers return to the present day, having averted disaster and set events right. But there’s still one more turning point to navigate before the end: the scene where Christopher Lloyd is shot by ruffians and left for dead. Only this time, he comes out of it alive.
Having thwarted fate, the mad doctor takes off into the sunset. Only then he returns for a quick stop to set up the sequel: “Where we’re going, we don’t need… roads.”
(A sequel actually wasn’t planned yet when this final part was shot; the closing twist was there to show viewers that the characters’ adventures would continue.)
Falling action in Dracula
The falling action in Bram Stoker’s epistolary novel happens in two parts. It begins in the final scene right after Dracula’s death, when the heroes (mostly) emerge victorious. Mina Harker is released from Dracula’s control, and is restored to her original porcelain beauty.
The falling action then continues after a seven-year time jump, effectively as an epilogue. This section fills in the gaps for the reader, showing what happened to the remaining characters after the horrors of their experience, and brings them to the setting of the conflict one last time.
Conquer those loose ends with falling action
From these examples, you can see how falling action makes a story land even more powerfully for your readers. Once a story reaches its highest point, see if you can come off of it slowly and give your characters—and your reader—the closure they need.
You can use this space to emphasize your theme, set up future installments, explore how things have changed, and wish your characters well as they move into the future.
