The Eight Point Story Arc - The Stasis

Today I'm going to continue my discussion on the eight point story arc. The eight parts are as follows.


1. Stasis
2. Trigger
3. The quest
4. Surprise
5. Critical choice
6. Climax
7. Reversal
8. Resolution

It's time to focus on the stasis. Here's a reminder of the definition.

Stasis
This is the “every day life” in which the story is set. Think of Cinderella sweeping the ashes, Jack (of Beanstalk fame) living in poverty with his mum and a cow, or Harry Potter living with the Dursley’s.

So, using The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe as an example, the stasis finds the four Pevensie siblings— Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, being evacuated from London to escape the Blitz. They are sent to live with Professor Digory Kirke out in a large house in the English countryside, so that they can be sheltered from the war and continue their lives in some kind of safety and stability.

The Stasis section of this book is interesting because there is already so much going on. The children have already had their lives disrupted because of the war and having to relocate. They are already in the midst of a horrible adventure, but during this period of history (1940s during World War II) most everyone in Europe is stuck in the same nightmare. It is out of this point of troubled stasis that the story really takes a turn with the Trigger, which we'll discuss during the next post.