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Sep 29, 2021 · In all forms of media, the stories that stand the test of time are those with strong, compelling narrative structure. From origin stories to folktales to supernatural mythology, well-told narratives have been passed down across cultures and generations. In today’s world, we’re most familiar with storytelling in one of four forms: spoken ...
- Freytag’s Pyramid. Named after a 19th-century German novelist and playwright, Freytag’s Pyramid is a five-point dramatic structure that’s based on the classical Greek tragedies of Sophocles, Aeschylus, and Euripedes.
- The Hero’s Journey. Inspired by Joseph Campbell’s concept of the monomyth — a storytelling pattern that recurs in mythology all over the world — The Hero’s Journey is today’s best-known story structure.
- Three Act Structure. Following the old adage that “every story has a beginning, middle, and end,” this popular structure splits a story’s components into three distinct acts: Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution.
- Dan Harmon's Story Circle. Another variation on Campbell’s monomyth structure, the Story Circle is an approach developed by Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon.
Dec 18, 2023 · A narrative structure is the order in which a story’s events are presented. It is the framework from which a writer can hang individual scenes and plot points with the aim of maximizing tension, interest, excitement, or mystery. Traditionally, most stories start at the chronological beginning ("once upon a time") and finish at the end ("and ...
- Three-Act Structure. Most of the story structures on this list use some version of the three-act structure, since it basically involves a beginning, a middle and an end.
- Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey is a story structure that typically begins with the disruption of the protagonist’s ordinary life by a call to adventure, which they eventually accept.
- Dan Harmon’s Story Circle. Screenwriter Dan Harmon adapted the Hero’s journey to focus more on character arcs, rather than on action. While the hero’s journey puts external challenges and obstacles in the spotlight, Dan Harmon’s Story Circle focuses on internal transformation and change, even though external challenges are present.
- Tragic Plot Embryo. Created by Rachael Stephen, this is an adaptation of Dan Harmon’s story circle in which the character doesn’t learn enough to achieve their desire or goal.
Jan 24, 2024 · The way you structure a story will impact the pacing, the tension, and how your reader takes in the story. It’s important to stop here and acknowledge the difference between plot and story, as I’ll be using each term throughout this post. Writers often use these terms interchangeably, but your plot isn’t your story, and your story isn’t ...
Nov 17, 2023 · Part 1: Departure. The ordinary world: we establish the place of comfort for the hero. The call of adventure: this is similar to the inciting incident, where the hero is given a reason to go on an adventure. Refusal of the call: at first, the hero is reluctant to answer the call to action.
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Oct 22, 2019 · 5. Randy Ingermanson’s Snowflake Method. If you like outlining your story, you’ll love The Snowflake Method. But if you’re a Panster like me (someone who prefers to write by process of discovery), a story structure like Dean Koontz’s Classic Story Structure or In Medias Res might feel more natural.
