STORY STRUCTURESTORY STRUCTURE

KEY AREAS TO THINK ABOUT:KEY AREAS TO THINK ABOUT:

CHARACTER and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

RESOLUTION RESOLUTION

LOGICAL CAUSALITY – a story contains a series of interconnected events which lead to LOGICAL CAUSALITY – a story contains a series of interconnected events which lead to a resolutiona resolution

THEMETHEME

http://thinkingwriter.comhttp://thinkingwriter.com

(Read ‘The Lion and the slave’ story)(Read ‘The Lion and the slave’ story)

THEORISTS TO MENTIONTHEORISTS TO MENTION

Mckee – controlling ideaMckee – controlling ideaParker – Inner and outer presenceParker – Inner and outer presenceField – Action moves storyField – Action moves storyLevy – build a character profileLevy – build a character profileTodorov – 3 act structureTodorov – 3 act structure

Alternative versionsAlternative versions The slave escapes, finds the cave, The slave escapes, finds the cave,

meets the Lion, removes the thorn and meets the Lion, removes the thorn and lives happily ever after in the cave lives happily ever after in the cave with himwith him

The slave escapes and meets the lion The slave escapes and meets the lion but upon returning to town his master but upon returning to town his master tells him how much he’s missed him tells him how much he’s missed him and promises to be much kinder in the and promises to be much kinder in the future.future.

Everything happens exactly as in the Everything happens exactly as in the original except the lion kills the slave original except the lion kills the slave in the arena.in the arena.

Alternative versionsAlternative versions

The slave escapes, finds the cave, meets the Lion, removes The slave escapes, finds the cave, meets the Lion, removes the thorn and lives happily ever after in the cave with him. the thorn and lives happily ever after in the cave with him.

The slave escapes and meets the lion but upon returning to town his The slave escapes and meets the lion but upon returning to town his master tells him how much he’s missed him and promises to be master tells him how much he’s missed him and promises to be much kinder in the future. much kinder in the future.

Everything happens exactly as in the original except the lion Everything happens exactly as in the original except the lion kills the slave in the arena. kills the slave in the arena.

TAKE 1TAKE 1

The slave escapes, finds the cave, meets the The slave escapes, finds the cave, meets the Lion, removes the thorn and lives happily ever Lion, removes the thorn and lives happily ever after in the cave with him – after in the cave with him –

SO WHAT??? LACK OF NARRATIVE DEVPTSO WHAT??? LACK OF NARRATIVE DEVPT::

TAKE 2TAKE 2

The slave escapes and meets the lion but upon returning to The slave escapes and meets the lion but upon returning to town his master tells him how much he’s missed him and town his master tells him how much he’s missed him and promises to be much kinder in the future. promises to be much kinder in the future.

MORE INFO AND MORE EVENTS THAN THE FIRST MORE INFO AND MORE EVENTS THAN THE FIRST ALTERNATIVE BUT THERE IS NO CAUSAL CONNECTION ALTERNATIVE BUT THERE IS NO CAUSAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SLAVE’S GOOD DEED FOR THE LION AND BETWEEN THE SLAVE’S GOOD DEED FOR THE LION AND THE CONSEQUENT BETTER TREATMENT BY THE MASTER. THE CONSEQUENT BETTER TREATMENT BY THE MASTER. SO, WHAT’S THE POINT?SO, WHAT’S THE POINT?

TAKE 3TAKE 3

Everything happens exactly as in the original Everything happens exactly as in the original except the lion kills the slave in the arena. except the lion kills the slave in the arena.

A BIT OF A JOKE. COMIC REVERSAL OF A BIT OF A JOKE. COMIC REVERSAL OF EXPECTATIONS BUT THE LION IS ACTING OUT OF EXPECTATIONS BUT THE LION IS ACTING OUT OF CHARACTER. THIS ACTION IS UNMOTIVATEDCHARACTER. THIS ACTION IS UNMOTIVATED..

TRY YOUR HARDEST TO TRY YOUR HARDEST TO AVOID……………..AVOID……………..

LACK OF LACK OF CHARACTER CHARACTER MOTIVATIONMOTIVATION

RANDOMNESS OF RANDOMNESS OF EVENTSEVENTS

LACK OF LACK OF NARRATIVE NARRATIVE DEVELOPMENTDEVELOPMENT

THREE ACT STRUCTURETHREE ACT STRUCTURE

ScreenplayScreenplay, Syd Field 1979,, Syd Field 1979,

Set up / Equilibrium : the relationships between the main Set up / Equilibrium : the relationships between the main character and the other character and the other people who inhabit the people who inhabit the landscape of his or her world are all landscape of his or her world are all established.established.

Confrontation/Disruption : in which the main character Confrontation/Disruption : in which the main character encounters an obstacle encounters an obstacle that keeps him from that keeps him from achieving his or her dramatic endachieving his or her dramatic end

Resolution/ New equilibrium : Resolves the story.Resolution/ New equilibrium : Resolves the story.

WRITER’S JOBWRITER’S JOB

Create PLOT POINTS - which is any incident, episode or Create PLOT POINTS - which is any incident, episode or event that ‘hooks’ the action and spins it around into event that ‘hooks’ the action and spins it around into another direction. Each plot point moves the story along another direction. Each plot point moves the story along to its resolution.to its resolution.

Plot points in Red Riding Hood:Plot points in Red Riding Hood:

1.1. Meets the wolfMeets the wolf

2.2. Trusts the wolf Trusts the wolf

3.3. Wolf finds GrandmaWolf finds Grandma

4.4. Wolf eats GrandmaWolf eats Grandma

5.5. Wolf eats RR HoodWolf eats RR Hood

6.6. Woodcutter kills wolf and saves RR Hood and Grandma.Woodcutter kills wolf and saves RR Hood and Grandma.

CREATE PLOT POINTSCREATE PLOT POINTS TO ESCAPE THE MASTERTO ESCAPE THE MASTER TO SURVIVE THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE LIONTO SURVIVE THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE LION TO HELP THE LIONTO HELP THE LION TO RETURN TO HUMAN COMPANYTO RETURN TO HUMAN COMPANY TO SURVIVE THE ORDEAL IN THE ARENATO SURVIVE THE ORDEAL IN THE ARENA

THE MOMENTS AT WHICH A GOAL CHANGES OR IS THE MOMENTS AT WHICH A GOAL CHANGES OR IS REACHED ARE TURNING POINTS. THESE ARE CALLED PLOT REACHED ARE TURNING POINTS. THESE ARE CALLED PLOT POINTSPOINTS

HOW DO WE KNOW THE SLAVE HOW DO WE KNOW THE SLAVE IS THE MAIN CHARACTER?IS THE MAIN CHARACTER?

THE SLAVE IS THE MAIN CHARACTER THE SLAVE IS THE MAIN CHARACTER BECAUSE………………………………………………BECAUSE………………………………………………

We see things from his We see things from his point of view and therefore point of view and therefore identify most with himidentify most with him

He is ‘on screen’ most of He is ‘on screen’ most of the timethe time

He initiates the action and He initiates the action and drives the plotdrives the plot

The story describes his The story describes his journeyjourney

PROTAGONIST

THEMATIC UNITYTHEMATIC UNITY HUMANITY VS BEASTLINESS – how is this theme shown throughout the HUMANITY VS BEASTLINESS – how is this theme shown throughout the

story?story?

The action is held together with a high degree of ‘thematic unity’The action is held together with a high degree of ‘thematic unity’

Theme is used to bring the idifferent strands together and lead to a Theme is used to bring the idifferent strands together and lead to a resolution which now ‘makes sense,.’resolution which now ‘makes sense,.’

THEME IS THE CONTROLLING IDEA.THEME IS THE CONTROLLING IDEA.

HOW IS THIS SHOWN IN YOUR STORY?HOW IS THIS SHOWN IN YOUR STORY?

YOUR TASK …..YOUR TASK …..

In your group ANALYSE your story structure so far in view of In your group ANALYSE your story structure so far in view of what you have learnt today:what you have learnt today:

THEMATIC UNITYTHEMATIC UNITY LOGICAL CAUSALITY & NARRATIVE DEVELOPMENTLOGICAL CAUSALITY & NARRATIVE DEVELOPMENT CHARACTER MOTIVATION & DEVELOPMENTCHARACTER MOTIVATION & DEVELOPMENT KEY PLOT POINTS AROUND WHICH THE ACTION MOVES KEY PLOT POINTS AROUND WHICH THE ACTION MOVES

AHEADAHEAD

(Use Activity 2 questions from ‘Lion and slave’ to help you)(Use Activity 2 questions from ‘Lion and slave’ to help you)

AND REMEMBER TO MAKE A CLEAR NOTE OF ANY CHANGES AND REMEMBER TO MAKE A CLEAR NOTE OF ANY CHANGES YOU MAKE AS ARESULT OF YOUR ANALYSIS !YOU MAKE AS ARESULT OF YOUR ANALYSIS !