What’s your take on story structure?
On The GITS Club, Mike Scherer posted this (re-posted with Mike’s approval):
Over the past five years I have read dozens of books on screenwriting, searched hundreds of Web pages for tips and techniques, and spent a lot of time just plain THINKING (another excuse not to write). I have looked at the three, four, and nine act structures. Sequencing methods (anywhere from 8 to 16). The Hero’s Journey. Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet, et-cetera, et-cetera, et-cetera. Basically, stolen from the best.
What I have settled on, and what works for me, is a hybrid of the Four Act Structure and the Sequence Method. Below is the template I use:
ACT I — The Loner/Orphan/Disunity
Sequence #1 ( 01–10) Set-up: Protagonist In The Ordinary World
Sequence #2 ( 11–20) Call to Adventure / Predicament / Inciting Incident
Sequence #3 (21–30) Turing Point: Change Of Plans / New Lower Obstacles
ACT II — The Wanderer/Explorer/Deconstruction
Sequence #4 ( 31–40) Elaborating on the Dilemma and The World of Story
Sequence #5 ( 41–50) Hero encounters TESTS, ALLIES, and ENEMIES.
Sequence #6 (51–60) Point Of No Return / Discovery Of False Goal
ACT III — Towards The True Goal: The Warrior/Activist/Reconstruction
Sequence #7 ( 61–70) Complications, Higher Stakes, And Subplots
Sequence #8 ( 71–80) Culmination Toward The Main Plot
Sequence #9 (81–90 ) All Hope Is Lost
ACT IV — Result Of The Action: The Martyr/Death/Unity
Sequence #10 ( 91–95 ) Final Push Toward The Main Plot
Sequence #11 ( 96–100) False Resolution (The Twist)
Sequence #12 (101–105) Final Test of Character and True Resolution
Sequence #13 (106–110) Final Confrontation
Sequence #14 (111–115) Climax
Some explanation is in order. What do these Act headings really mean? Follow me:
ACT I — The Loner/Orphan/Disunity: at the end of the first act our hero must be alone and/or isolated — physically; emotionally; socially. Our hero has left her ordinary world and is alone in the new story world.
ACT II — The Wanderer/Explorer/Deconstruction: because our hero finds herself in new circumstance, there are new skills to be learned as she wanders/explores this new story world. Our hero must deconstruct and understand this new story world in order to survive.
ACT III — Towards The True Goal: The Warrior/Activist/Reconstruction:
Armed with new skills our hero is ready to take on this new story world and/or the bad guys. Our hero is ready to reconstruct her new world in a way she can control and/or manipulate.
ACT IV — Result Of The Action: The Martyr/Death/Unity: With victory our hero’s old-self dies — her new-self is born. She possesses better skills, more knowledge, and a better understanding of self. She is now in harmony with the new story world and the new story world is in harmony with her.
That’s it. Comments?
Mike’s got an interesting hybrid, clearly one that owes a lot to Joseph Campbell, but with some tweaks and twists to make it unique as well.
Which got me to thinking: How many GITS readers might have developed their own approach to screenplay structure? If so, would you care to share them in comments? And more than that, perhaps go into some detail about the philosophy or rationale you used in coming up with your take on structure.
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