The section after the climax where consequences unfold, loose ends get addressed, and the story moves toward its final resolution.
Falling action is the stretch of narrative between the climax and the resolution, where the aftermath of the story's peak moment plays out. It's where the dust settles: characters deal with the consequences of the climactic event, subplots get resolved, and the reader begins to see what shape the new world will take. If rising action is the inhale, falling action is the exhale. Gustav Freytag identified it as the descending slope of his dramatic pyramid, and while modern stories sometimes compress it into just a few pages or scenes, it remains a crucial part of giving your story an emotionally satisfying landing.
Skipping or rushing the falling action is one of the most common reasons a story's ending feels abrupt or hollow. After you've put readers through the emotional intensity of a climax, they need a bridge back to solid ground. Falling action gives characters (and readers) space to process what happened, and it's often where the thematic meaning of your story crystallizes. Without it, even a brilliant climax can feel like it happened in a vacuum.
Famous for having one of the longest falling action sequences in fiction. The Scouring of the Shire and the Grey Havens departure are pure falling action, and they're essential to the story's emotional completeness.
After Voldemort's defeat, the falling action includes Harry's conversation with Dumbledore's portrait, the repair of his original wand, and the epilogue showing the next generation. Each scene processes a different thread.
The falling action after the dual deaths includes the discovery of the bodies, Friar Laurence's confession, and the Montague-Capulet reconciliation. The tragedy only achieves its full meaning in these final moments.
Give your readers at least a few scenes of falling action. They've been emotionally invested in your characters, and they need to see the aftermath. Even a single page of resolution can make the difference between a satisfying ending and a jarring one.
The falling action should resolve tension, not create it. If you introduce a new problem after the climax, readers feel cheated. Save new conflicts for a sequel or leave them as subtle seeds, not full-blown plot developments.
While rushing is the more common mistake, dragging out the falling action can kill your story's momentum. Resolve what needs resolving and let the rest breathe in the reader's imagination. Not every thread needs an explicit conclusion.
The best falling action does more than tie up loose ends. It's where theme lands, where character transformation becomes visible, and where the emotional payoff of the entire story arrives. Don't waste it on logistics.
Identify the climax of your current project and write down three things that need to happen after it: one external consequence, one subplot resolution, and one moment of emotional processing for your protagonist. Arrange them in order from most plot-driven to most reflective. This sequence will form the spine of your falling action and ensure your story doesn't end with a thud.