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6 Steps to Writing Your Story's Rising Action

Anybody Can Write a Novel

Chapter 4 “Plot Points” – Section 4 “The Rising Action”

With Links to Supplementary Material

Welcome to Act II of your story, where we are going to start by discussing Rising Action. Rising Action is a series of events or chapters that occur after your protagonist realizes how they are going to resolve their problem in the First Turning Point. For me, this is often the most fun, lighthearted, and enjoyable part of any novel I write—and I will provide some tips so that it can be just as enjoyable for you.

Step 1: Have your Protagonist take steps to achieve their goals.

Your first priority within the Rising Action plot-point, is for your protagonist to make steps toward solving their problems. This can be anything from talking to people and learning about a key mystery, to searching out a mentor or allies, to taking the first shaky steps on a new adventure. In Karate Kid, for example, this will be Daniel's training montage—strengthening him to deal with the problem of being bullied.

Step 2: Allow your Protagonist to fail, grow from failure, and become more able to deal with challenges.

Like in Karate Kid, you Protagonist should not be instantly adept in dealing with the challenges that they are faced with. At first, it should take them all day and all their energy and all their frustration just to wash a car. Their challenges should be too much for them to handle. But, from their mix of failures and success, they should grow and gradually become the hero that they need to be.

Step 3: As your Protagonist grows, there should be something missing.

If your protagonist were to learn everything they need to know within the Rising Action, it would be a very short story, as they would be able to rise to any challenge they faced. However, we still have a Failure to deal with later in the plot. And so there must be something missing. Perhaps your hero grows in fighting ability, but does not yet really believe in themselves, or perhaps still lacks responsibility, or because of their victories in the Rising Action have become cocky. Careful, when applying this step, to avoid story cliches.

Step 4: The efforts of your protagonist in the Rising Action do not have to be particularly well-aimed.

At this point, remember that your hero does not have to be going in the precisely correct direction on their journey. Yes, they have a plan for how to resolve their problem and get what they want, but that plan does not need to be good or accurate (although it does need to make the most sense). The direction and modification of the plan to get where the protagonist actually NEEDS to be, should come from their growth in dealing with problems that strengthen them (and from challenges in later plot-points).

Step 5: Take your time when writing the Rising Action.

For all the previous chapters, I've implied and/or directly stated that the plot-points should only last a chapter or two at most. This is not the case in the Rising Action. This is the part of the story where you can have fun—add all the minor fight scenes, misadventures, and interactions between characters that you have so longingly envisioned here. Really, anything goes so long as it is related to the overall plot and serves to make your characters grow.

Step 6: Lead up to your First Pinch-point/Main Confrontation.
In a superhero movie, the villains will often take notice of the hero because of what happens during the Rising Action—acts of heroism that either interfered with their nefarious deeds or that appear to be a threat. Similarly, your Antagonist Force should either begin to notice the protagonist or the two forces should be put on a collision course, even if it is not obvious to the protagonist or the reader. And that Main Confrontation should peak its head right at the very highest point of growth/progress/development that your character will have achieved through the Rising Action.

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