Form and plot: exploring the role of genre, author gender and quality ratings in narrative arcs in Dutch-language novels

How do narrative structures in Dutch-language novels compare to those in English-language literature? This study applies Boyd et al.'s (2020) narrative arc framework to examine three key trends: Staging (introducing settings and characters), Plot Progression (advancing the storyline), and Cognitive Tension (reflecting conflict and resolution). Drawing on a corpus of 401 novels from the project The Riddle of Literary Quality, the research investigates whether these trends emerge similarly in Dutch literature and explores the influence of genre, author gender, literary quality, and overall reader-assigned quality on narrative arcs. The findings confirm the presence of the narrative arc patterns while revealing notable distinctions: the Romantic genre has the most pronounced impact on narrative structure, and differences emerge between novels authored by men and women. By shedding light on the interplay between cultural and stylistic factors, this study advances our understanding of narrative structures in diverse literary traditions.