The essence of a great story lies in its ability not only to make the viewer care, but also to make them forget. Forget their worries, their problems, even their pain. The story helps the viewer enter a new, magical world that is extremely appealing.
Storytelling is an essential part of communication. It is the most effective way to learn, digest information, become energized, be influenced, and get carried away.
Although it seems quite challenging to master the art of storytelling, when you manage to understand the main principles of a great story, you are in a position to deconstruct them and build a system off of them.
Below we have provided three essential processes widely used to construct a narrative, develop characters, and to push the story forward in a timely manner.
The 3-act structure is an old principle commonly used in storytelling today. It can be found in plays, poetry, novels, comic books, short stories, video games, and movies. It is present in the novels of Conan Doyle, the plays of Shakespeare, the fables of Aesop, the poetry of Aristotle, and the films of Hitchcock. It’s older than Greek dramaturgy, and Hollywood and Broadway continue to rely on the concept heavily.
Though relatively simple, the 3-act structure has proven to be a valuable weapon in the arsenal of any screenwriter. Though there are other ways to tell a story, the 3-act structure is a foundational and successful approach.
In a nutshell, the 3 acts are labeled as:
Act I: Setup
Act II: Confrontation
Act III: Resolution
These acts are also referred to as the beginning, middle, and end. The goal of the 3 act structure is to make sure that the story evolves and provide tension and release, which will help ensure that your audience remains engaged throughout the story.
The first act is where all the major characters of the story are introduced, plus the world where they live in, and the conflict that will move the story forward. In Act I, the writer has the freedom to create any setting and reality that he/she so wishes. It’s in the first pages of the script that defines the reasoning and logic of the story.
Act I must also present a strong hook – an exciting scene early in the script that grabs the audience’s interest and hooks them. Part of that hook is the inciting incident that takes place somewhere in the beginning of Act I. This inciting incident often provokes a change in the protagonist’s routine – something new they experience that could either challenge or encourage them.
Act I ends with the first plot point of the movie.
The second act is by far the longest, encompassing half of the movie and taking place between the first and third acts. For some screenwriters, Act II is the hardest one to design. This happens because after the initial boost of a new story, the writer is left without plot elements to introduce. The story, its characters and conflict are all established. At this point, the writer has created a solid frame for his/her narrative. The writer faces the challenge of keeping the story moving forward and not boring the audience.
One device to accomplish this feat is the creation of subplot. The subplot is a minor story layered under the main narrative. It often adds a three-dimensionality aspect to the characters by allowing them to engage in a behavior that is not necessarily connected to the main plot, but still relevant in the overall narrative and often linked to a central theme.
The second act may be a moment in which the hero leaves their comfort zone, which fuels the writer with another set of possibilities. In the second act, the stakes escalate. If the hero is “on the fence” or confused about what they should do, then something must happen by the midpoint of the script to make their goal clear and to make the stakes much higher than before. This is often a moment of crisis, in which all hope seems lost.
The last act, Act III presents the final confrontation of the movie, followed by the denouement. This act is usually the shortest in length because quickly after the second turning point of the script, the main character is face to face with the villain or just about. Showdown ensues and then conclusion. Act III contains a moment often labeled as mandatory – the confrontation between hero and villain, the clash between good and evil, a duel. The third act is also when the writer ties up any loose ends and offers a resolution to the subplots. The resolution can also give extra information for a more elaborate character arc.
In general terms the Character Arc is the notion that characters must evolve, grow, learn, or change as the plot unfolds. The audience, in general, expects a character to finish the movie in a better position than that in which he started because that is what everyone strives for. Life sometimes allows that, but not always. The arc doesn’t imply that characters will always be richer, smarter, or get the girl or boy at the end. Perhaps a greedy person would end up in jail or an impulsive lover would end up murdered at the hands of an angry husband.
Points to consider when creating the Character Arc.
It’s important to note that characters (like humans) are complex creatures and their transitions are never clean or black-and-white. Sometimes only one aspect of the character evolves, while others remain the same. With that in mind, don’t always (if ever) write characters who change from wholly evil to wholly good or vice versa because that rarely happens. A subtle transition is sometimes more identifiable for the audience.
The Hero’s Journey follows the archetype called The Hero on their journey to achieve great deeds. All the different points on this journey is what creates the framework. The journey is divided into three parts:
Departure includes the following stages:
The Ordinary World
The Call to Adventure
Refusal of the Call
Meeting with the Mentor
Crossing the Threshold to the Special World
Initiation includes the following stages:
Tests, Allies and Enemies
Approach to the Innermost Cave
The Ordeal
The Reward
Return includes the following stages:
The Road Back
The Resurrection
Return with the Elixir
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