History Main / NarrativeBeats

Each narrative beat can resolve either positively, i.e. towards hope (that TheProtagonist reaches their goal, does the right thing, resolves their internal strife, or simply looks awesome), or negatively, i.e. towards fear (that the protagonist fails, succumbs to their demons, makes a bad call, etc.). A plot with too many positive resolutions often TastesLikeDiabetes, while too many negative ones can lead to TooBleakStoppedCaring.

No examples, please; this merely [[Administrivia/DefinitionOnlyPages defines the term]]. %%https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1644184945085449000&page=2#comment-28

Filmmakers and playwrights use the term [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_%28filmmaking%29 "beat"]] to describe moments in the screenplay that should [[EmotionalTorque evoke particular emotional reactions]] in the audience. Although derived from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_%28music%29 musical beats]], this term is less about timing and much more about ''pacing'' -- the cyclic shifts in emotional direction and intensity that keep the audience engaged with the story. Narrative beats therefore don't have any specific duration, and can, in fact, be found as often as at every line of dialogue or as rarely as at the key turning points of the plot. In movies, beats tend to be spaced apart regularly; a string of scenes between two beats is known as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequence_%28filmmaking%29 "sequence"]].

Each narrative beat can resolve either positively, i.e. towards hope (that TheProtagonist reaches their goal, does the right thing, resolves their internal strife, or simply looks awesome), or negatively, i.e. towards fear (that the protagonist fails, succumbs to their demons, makes a bad call, etc.). A plot with too many positive resolutions often TastesLikeDiabetes, while too many negative ones can lead to DarknessInducedAudienceApathy.

Filmmakers and playwrights use the term [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_%28filmmaking%29 "beat"]] to describe moments in the screenplay that should [[EmotionalTorque evoke particular emotional reactions]] in the audience. Although derived from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_%28music%29 musical beats]], this term is less about timing and much more about ''pacing'' -- specifically about keeping the audience emotionally engaged throughout the whole story. Narrative beats therefore don't have any specific duration, and can, in fact, be found as often as at every line of dialogue or as rarely as at the key turning points of the plot. In movies, beats tend to be spaced apart regularly; a string of scenes between two beats is known as a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequence_%28filmmaking%29 "sequence"]].

* '''Commentary''' beats inject the author's own voice into the narrative, e.g. as a GreekChorus or as an AuthorFilibuster, and are often (but [[TropesAreTools not always]]) a [[ShowDontTell sign of bad writing]].

Procedural and Dramatic beats are the two main workhorses of fiction: 80% of any narrative consists of them, with the exact ratio between the two determining its place on the SlidingScaleOfPlotVersusCharacters. Pipe, Question, and Reveal are collectively known as "informational beats". The Question-Reveal combo is a particular darling of LitFic, whose authors use it to maintain narrative suspense in lieu of jeopardy-inducing Procedural beats preferred by adventure fiction.

Particularly powerful resolutions of key narrative beats have good chances of going down in collective memory as EmotionalTorque of one sort or another.

Creator/RobinLaws in ''Literature/HamletsHitPoints'' identifies two elementary and seven special types of narrative beats (without claiming this model to be complete or universal):

* '''Commentary''' beats inject the author's own voice into the narrative, e.g. as GreekChorus or as AuthorFilibuster, and are often (but [[TropesAreTools not always]]) a [[ShowDontTell sign of bad writing]].

* '''Gratification''' beats consist of various forms of {{Fanservice}} (not necessarily sexual, e.g. a ContinuityNod) and/or AuthorAppeal and serve to resolve positively without adding anything meaningful to the story.
* '''Bringdown''' beats are Gratification's EvilTwin, rubbing salt into the wounds without technically making the situation any worse--for instance, an EmpathyDollShot. Naturally, they always resolve negatively.

Particularly powerful resolutions of key narrative beats have good chances of going down in collective memory as {{Crowning Moment}}s of one sort or another.

The trick to keeping the audiences on the edge of their seat throughout the whole story is a varied progression that generally slopes downward (towards fear) but intersperses negative beat resolutions with hopeful ones at just the right times. Not all beats have to resolve positively or negatively, however: neutral or ambiguous resolutions can be used effectively to maintain tension, but too many of them result in indecisive and forgettable narratives.

* '''Commentary''' beats inject author's own voice into the narrative, e.g. as GreekChorus or as AuthorFilibuster, and are often (but [[TropesAreTools not always]]) a [[ShowDontTell sign of bad writing]].

* '''Pipe''' beats lay subtle {{Foreshadowing}} groundwork for upcoming events or reveals. Well-written pipes resolve neutrally, as the audience doesn't normally register them as important.

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Will go under OmnipresentTropes, hence no examples.