What It Is: Arc words are words that occur repeatedly throughout a narrative. One of Green's most iconic examples would have be Okay? Okay from The Fault In Our Stars. What It Means: Arc words are primarily used to evoke different emotions while tying the narrative together with a connected strand. One of the great things about arc words is that they stay the same (they're a repeated motif) yet can change meaning throughout a story. Take the above, for example. In The Fault In Our Stars, the exchange of the word "okay" begins as a mock version of Isaac and Monica constantly saying that they'll always be together. As the book (and their relationship) progresses, the words take on a genuine quality of love, and then ultimately become tragic whenever Augustus gets sick. The same can be said for Miles' repeated thoughts on the Gabriel Garcia Marquez quote How will I ever get out of this labyrinth! What begins as a labyrinth of loneliness becomes a labyrinth of mourning.
