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Introduction to Story Design Patterns

Updated

Starting from Tradition

Three-Act Dramatic Structure

  • Act One
  • Turning Point A
  • Act Two
  • Turning Point B
  • Act Three

Eight-Stage Story Development Structure

  • Stasis
  • Trigger
  • Quest
  • Surprise
  • Critical Choice
  • Climax
  • Reversal
  • Resolution

Learning from Screenwriting

Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet

  • Opening Image
  • Theme Stated
  • Set-Up
  • Catalyst
  • Debate
  • Break into Two
  • B Story
  • Fun and Games
  • Midpoint
  • Bad Guys Close In
  • All Is Lost
  • Dark Night of the Soul
  • Break into Three
  • Finale
  • Final Image

Sequential Plot Structure

  1. Introduce the main characters, settings, and events of the story.
  2. Propel the story toward extraordinary events.
  3. Typically, the protagonist attempts to resolve the problems arising in Sequence 2.
  4. At the end of this sequence, the audience usually learns the character’s ultimate goal.
  5. The protagonist strives to resolve the issues from Sequence 4, but this often leads to more severe problems.
  6. This is typically the conclusion of Act Two. It eliminates all simple methods for solving problems and achieving goals, showing the audience that the protagonist’s only solution is the most costly one.
  7. At the end of this sequence, the plot usually features an unexpected major twist.
  8. The final sequence contains the story’s conclusion, explaining how the protagonist, after enduring great hardships, either achieves their final goal or becomes a tragic figure who evokes deep emotion.

The Hero’s Journey

The Five Stages of the Soul

  • The Call
  • The Search
  • The Struggle
  • The Breakthrough
  • The Return

Monomyth

  • Departure
    • The Ordinary World
    • Call to Adventure
    • Refusal of the Call
    • Meeting the Mentor
    • Crossing the Threshold
    • Belly of the Whale
  • The Road of Trials
    • Meeting the Goddess
      • The Meeting with the Goddess
      • Woman as Temptress
  • Atonement with the Father
  • Atonement with the Father
  • Apotheosis
  • The Ultimate Ordeal
  • The Return
    • Refusal of the Return
    • The Rescue from Without
    • The Crossing of the Return Threshold
    • Master of Two Worlds
    • Freedom to Live