falling action

American  

[fawl-ing ak-shuhn] / ˈfɔl ɪŋ ˈæk ʃən /

noun

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

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Usage

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.

Example Sentences

But at the last second, he did a fake-out, letting the Stevie Wonder song play out — a falling action into an ending.

From New York Times

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.

From New York Times

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

From New York Times

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.

From The Verge

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

From Salon