The Fichtean Curve
The Fichtean Curve skips the leisurely setup. The story opens mid-crisis, then climbs through a series of smaller crises, each one higher than the last, with backstory slipped in along the way. After the climax it resolves quickly. Because it wastes no words, it is the most natural shape for flash fiction.
Step through the 6 beats
Click a point, use the buttons, or focus the diagram and press ← →. Drag the length slider to turn percentages into word positions.
Start with trouble already under way.
In flash fiction: First sentence = first problem.
Example beatThe lamp dies at 11:52, eight minutes before they switch it off for good.
Fichtean Curve beats in a 500-word story
| # | Beat | What happens | Starts near word | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open in crisis | Start with trouble already under way. | 0 | The lamp dies at 11:52, eight minutes before they switch it off for good. |
| 2 | Crisis 1 | First escalation; slip in backstory. | 100 | The generator will not start; thirty years of habit tell her where the spare fuses were. |
| 3 | Crisis 2 | A bigger problem. | 210 | The radio: a boat is out there, blind. |
| 4 | Crisis 3 | Bigger again. | 310 | The old oil lamp is dry. |
| 5 | Climax | The peak. | 410 | She pours the lamp oil from the kitchen stove and lights it with shaking hands. |
| 6 | Falling action | Brief resolution. | 500 | An answering flash from the sea. |
Fichtean Curve: common questions
What is the Fichtean Curve?
A plot shape, described by John Gardner, that opens in crisis, climbs through several escalating crises to a late climax, and then resolves quickly. Backstory is woven into the rising action rather than front-loaded.
How is it different from Freytag's Pyramid?
Freytag starts with calm exposition and gives the falling action real space. The Fichtean Curve has no calm start and very little falling action, so tension stays high throughout.
Why do flash fiction writers like it?
It removes the setup that eats word counts. Starting in the crisis hooks readers in the first line.