Rising action simply refers to the series of events that lead from the story’s inciting incident to the climax of a story.
In this article I will explore how to create a compelling ‘rising action’ that builds in meaning as it progresses, thus leading to a satisfying conclusion.
Rising action is the gas that fuels a strong story. Tension is building, stakes are rising, and your audience is anxiously waiting to see what happens next. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just beginning your writing journey, understanding the purpose and power of rising action is central to telling a compelling story. Making up a majority of the story, it is essential to get this right.
What is Rising Action?
Rising action is the part of the story that begins with the inciting incident and ends at the climax. Simply put, rising action is the series of events that play out as characters go on a journey and face obstacles that drive the plot forward and deepen their personal development.
The term rising action was first coined by Gustav Freytag, a German novelist and playwright, who believed all story plots could be broken down into five stages – exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution.
As you can see in his diagram, he laid out story in a symmetrical manner. While still a helpful tool in understanding story structure, the graph is not universal to all stories. In fact, rising action is typically the longest part of a story, containing a bulk of the events that take place.
What is the Purpose of Rising Action?
The purpose of rising action is to build the narrative – to increase tension, reveal character development, and maintain reader engagement.
Rising action deepens plot as the event taking place further emphasizes the central dilemma, the source of all tension and conflict.
The central conflict is introduced in the inciting incident, sending your characters on a journey of sorts. With every obstacle and challenge your character faces, tension builds. If you don’t have a strong narrative, this is the stage of the story where you will lose your readers. When tension is not progressively escalating, you fail to give them a reason to keep reading.
Rising action also shapes a character’s development as we see them battle both external and internal conflict. With every challenge the protagonist faces, the audience gets a stronger view into their character. Their actions and responses to each obstacle forms the reader’s connection to your protagonist that keeps them invested in the story.
Typically the external conflict is introduced through the inciting incident and stressed through the roadblocks put in the protagonist’s way. The rising action contains this physical representation of the challenges being faced by the protagonist while also revealing the internal struggles they are experiencing as they are being tested by these events.
Writing a Compelling Rising Action
Writing a compelling rising action centers around the events you put your protagonist through.
The events should test your protagonist and present questions they have to face in order to understand the purpose of their journey. These questions should build on top of each other until the ultimate test that is the climax. Failure to write an interesting rising action results in a flat story that doesn’t go anywhere.
However, while we want to build the reader’s anticipation through the conflicts presented, it is also the portion of the story that introduces side characters and plots. A story of straight tension may leave your readers overly stressed. They deserve a little bit of a break. This is a great place to add in comedic or romantic relief, side characters and plots that give the readers some respite while also keeping them engaged. These side characters and plots may not take part in the climax of the story, but they should be relieved in the falling action portion to give readers a full sense of satisfaction.
That being said, be sure to keep your plot focused. Any challenges faced or character introduced, should ultimately lead back to the center conflict and contribute to the themes being conveyed.
How the events of your story play out matters. This is the substance of your story that builds a connection with the audience so they are engaged and reading in anticipation for the ending. A strong rising action results in a satisfactory climax and resolution.
It is the character traits revealed through the events of the story that creates a compelling story.
Inciting Incident | Definition, Examples & Your Secret Weapon