Story
Common Narrative Structures
and
How to Reproduce Them
Foundations
• first theory of narrative formulated by
Aristotle in The Poetics
• his theory is still the basis of all
mainstream storytelling
• came up with “Beginning, Middle, End”
(What does this really mean?)
According to The Poetics:
• the beginning is that which has no
cause, and causes other things
• the middle is that which has a cause,
and also causes other things
• the end is that which has a cause, and
causes nothing else
Two important observations:
• the basic relation in narrative is cause
and effect
• causal relations are filtered by
relevance
(seems obvious, but this is belied by the existence of crap)
• relevance implies that causation is not
merely physical, but psychological
• characters are provoked, do stuff which
provokes other characters
Conflict
• protagonist wants something, can’t get
it
• usually because some other character
wants the opposite
• or an impersonal situation prevents it
Result: characters act against one another, or
against their situation
(again, seems obvious, but belied by crap)
Types of Conflict:
• person vs.
person
• person vs. self
• person vs.
nature
• person vs. God
(not mutually exclusive; distinctions
between them may be fuzzy)
Leads to well-known three-part
structure:
1. development - status quo is
perturbed; characters act and take
sides
2. climax - conflict reaches its height;
protagonist wins or loses
3. resolution - things settle back down
(different people use different terms)
3-part structure actually insufficient need 5-part stucture
1. development - as before
2. first climax - gives false sense of
security, exposes deeper problems in
situation and protagonists
3. nightmare/living hell - situation at its
worst; protagonists truly struggle
4. second climax - protagonists either
grow and win, or don’t grow and lose
5. resolution - as before
• purpose of first climax and
nightmare/living hell phases is to reveal
character flaws
• forces characters to overcome their
own flaws in order to prevail in the
second climax
• shows the importance of character
development
•
(also useful for providing extra length)
Star Wars
1. Luke wants to join the Rebellion,
become a Jedi, rescue the princess,
etc.
2. Escape from the Death Star!
3. Kenobi dead; Death Star tracks Luke
& Co. to the rebel base.
4. Destroy the Death Star!
5. Happy ending.
Every romantic comedy ever
made
1. Boy and girl meet.
2. Boy and girl become romantically
involved (“climax”, get it?).
3. Boy and girl have some sort of huge
misunderstanding.
4. Boy and girl overcome their problems
and re-unite permanently.
5. Boy and girl live happily ever after.
Cars
1. Talking cars that race!
2. Lightning McQueen wins first race,
shows himself to be an jerk.
3. Jerkiness causes him to get stranded in
Radiator Springs, where he learns good
ole’ rural values.
4. Loses the second race, but wins AT
LIFE.
5. Goes back to Radiator Springs and
lives happily ever after.
1. Afredo and Remy find themselves at
Ratatouille
Gusto’s restaurant.
2. Initial success with the soup; Alfredo
and Remy team up and become
professional chefs.
3. Alfredo’s a fraud; Remy’s still a rat.
They alienate everyone and raise
Skinner’s suspicions.
4. Gusto’s is shut down, but not before
they win over Ego with the ratatouille.
5. The three start their own restaurant and
live happily ever after.
Extra stuff
• when to resolve
conflicts?
• reversals
• recognition
• repetition and
foreshadowing
Conflict Resolution
• a non-trivial story typically has many
conflicts
• if resolution of a conflict is necessary to
advance the plot, then resolve as
needed
• if a conflict exists only to add suspense
and place a psychological burden on
the protagonists, then resolve after the
climax
• reversal - pretty much what it sounds
like; things end up the opposite of
what’s expected
• recognition - protoganist learns
something profound that he didn’t know
before, which changes everything
Foreshadowing & repetition
• creates suspense
• prevents the appearance of
randomness
• encourages economy and re-use
• creates emotional resonance
Application
Tom & Jerry: “Puppy Tale”
• 5-part structure
• “rule of three”
• recognition
• reversal
• foreshadowing &
repetition
How can I create good stories when I
have limited time, education, and
experience?
Steal.
(also known as:)
•
•
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
borrowing
re-using
imitating
emulating
finding inspiration
alluding
referring
parodying
paying tribute
making an homage
etc.
One source: Design
Patterns
(a.k.a
archetypes)
the quest
•
• slaying the monster (Star Wars)
• rags to riches (Ratatouille)
• rebirth (Cars)
• voyage and return (~Wall-E)
• comedy (every romatic comedy
ever made)
• tragedy (Revenge of the Sith [video
clip!])
(Booker, The Seven Basic Plots)
Another source: steal from
the best or oldest
• Myths, legends, folklore
• Fairy tales, nursery rhymes,
urban legends
• Literature
Example: Pygmalion
(Ancient Greek
myth)
Pygmalion, a great sculptor, carves a statue of
his idea of the perfect woman and falls in love
with it.
Aphrodite pities him and turns the statue into a
real woman.
Pygmalion and the ex-statue live happily ever
after.
Pygmalion (Ancient Greek myth)
Pygmalion (Theatrical play, 1912)
My Fair Lady (Musical & film, 1956)
She’s All That (Teen movie, 1999)
Not Another Teen Movie (Vulgar parody, 2001)
(video clips!)
Trans-historic Cross-genre Arc of Narrative Re-use
(not a real thing)
Myth & Legend
Literature/High Art
Mainstream/Pop Art
Value
Parody/Trash Art
Time
Amleth (Scandinavian legend)
Hamlet (Shakespeare)
Hamlet (Mel Gibson)
Value
Hamlet (Simpsons, South Park)
Time
Biblical & mythological allusions
Moby Dick (Melville)
Moby Dick (Gregory Peck)
Value
“Dicky Moe” (Tom & Jerry)
Time
Yet another source: steal from yourself
• personal experiences
• personal issues, crushing
psychological trauma, etc.
• re-use or extend stories you’ve
already created
Example: James Bond
• recurring plot #1: manipulation of
supowers into military conflict,
escalation to World War 3
• recurring plot #2: artificial scarcity and
monopolization of a precious
commodity
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
1. Villain stages military incidents
between Britain and China.
2. Britain and China blame each
other.
3. Escalation to WW3.
4. ???
5. Profit!
The Spy Who Loved Me
(1977)nuclear
1. Villain launches
missiles at New York and
Moscow.
2. USA and USSR blame each
other.
3. Escalation to WW3.
4. ???
5. Profit!
You Only Live Twice (1967)
1. Villain captures US and Soviet
spacecraft.
2. USA and USSR blame each
other.
3. Escalation to WW3.
4. ???
5. Profit!
(video clips!)
Goldfinger (1964)
1. Villain attempts to detonate
atomic bomb in Fort Knox.
2. US gold supply is irratiated.
3. Value of villain’s gold stockpile
increases tenfold.
4. Bonus: economic collapse of the
West.
A View to a Kill (1985)
1. Villain attempts to destroy
Silicon Valley.
2. US semiconductor production
halts.
3. Villain’s semiconductor cartel
monopolizes the market.
4. Bonus: economic collapse of the
West.
The World Is Not Enough
(1999)
1. Villain attempts
to cause a
nuclear meltdown in a major oil
distribution hub.
2. Pipelines relying on that hub
become useless.
3. Villain’s pipeline monopolizes oil
distribution.
4. Bonus: economic collapse of the
West.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
1. Villain dams up subterranean
rivers in Bolivia.
2. Creates drought, controls most
of Bolivia’s water supply.
3. Villain becomes Bolivia’s new
utilities provider.
4. (Economy of the West already
collapsing.)
(video clips!)
The Moral:
• Go ahead and steal.
Everyone does
it.
• There’s nothing new under the sun.
• All of this stuff is much older than
you think.