falling action

[fawl-ing ak-shuhn]

noun

1. the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved.

Example Sentences

He meticulously plans his sets — each one has a beginning, establishing action, rising action, climax, falling action and ending, as he instructed his MasterClass — but knows how to read the room.

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And so we should pray for the president’s swift recovery, that all those infected around him recover soon as well, and that the falling action of 2020’s drama would spare as many lives as possible.

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It’s abstract and lasts barely 11 minutes, but clearly suggests rising and falling action.

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Its primary narrative, around Vers / Carol / Captain Marvel and her voyage of self-discovery, falls together well, following Marvel’s usual patterns of drama and humor and rising and falling action.

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They also follow a pattern: there is the introduction, rising action, a climax, a complication, falling action, and then a conclusion and resolution.

Read more on Salon

When To Use

What is falling action?

Falling action is what happens near the end of a story after the climax and resolution of the major conflict.The majority of literary and dramatic works (stories, novels, plays, movies) are built on action—characters doing things, typically pursuing things they want. The climax (the most intense part of the story, often a turning point or a conclusion to the conflict) is preceded by rising action and followed by falling action. Simply put, falling action is what the characters are doing after the story’s most dramatic part has happened.You can see falling action in action (see what we did there?) in just about any form of narrative. And being able to identify it and the other structural elements of a story can help you craft compelling stories of your own.