Ross Hartmann - The Structure of Story: How to Write Great Stories by Focusing on What Really Matters

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The Structure of Story

How to Write Great Stories by Focusing on What Really Matters

Ross Hartmann

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Copyright 2020 by Ross Hartmann

All rights reserved.

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No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Edited by Esther Chilton

Book Cover Design by ebooklaunch.com

Created with Vellum

Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

Elmore Leonard

Contents

Introduction

Tools, Not Rules

First Principles of Story

I. The Blueprints

Starting With an Idea

Plotting From Dramatic Tension

Desire, Opposition, and Conflict

Fear in Drama

The Protagonist and the Antagonist

Structural Opposition of Desire

Dramatic Tension and the Dramatic Question

Stakes

Manipulating Information

Suspense

Surprise

Promises

Tension

Explicit Tension

Implicit Tension

Plotting From a Dramatic Question

Plotting From Dramatic Irony

Misunderstandings

How Does a Misunderstanding Arise?

Secrets

How Are Secrets Revealed?

Plotting From Dramatic Irony

Plotting From Mystery

How to Create a Passive Mystery

How to Create an Active Mystery

Plotting From Mystery

Plotting From Convergence

Promise as Plot

Urgency and Ticking Clocks

Convergence

Plotting From Convergence

Reviewing Plotting

Starting From a Story World

Research and Development of Story World

Starting From Theme

First Principles of Theme

What is Theme?

The Dilemma Pair

Conveying Theme

The Great Decision Moment

Value System Exploration

Morality in Dilemma Pairs

Character Arc (Value System Change)

Societal Value Opposition

Character Versus Community

Community Arcs

Dramatizing a Value System

Making a Thematic Argument

Crafting From Theme

Individual Versus Community

Faith Versus Reason

Love Versus Duty

Attachment Versus Detachment

Ends Versus Means

Power Versus Morality

Easy Versus Right

Justice Versus Legality

Knowledge Versus Ignorance

Interventionism Versus Isolationism

Life Versus Death

Gratitude Versus Ambition

Short-Term Versus Long-Term

Nature Versus Nurture

Progress Versus Tradition

Find the Boundaries of Theme

Want Versus Need

Grounding Theme in Story World

Crafting From Dilemma

Crafting From Worldview and Belief

Crafting From Decision

Crafting From Obsession, Desire, and Fear

Adding Thematic Dimensions

Starting From Character

The Void and the Spine

Trauma and the Ghost

Revealing a Character's Ghost

Lie or Misbelief

Obsession

Individuation

Worldview

The Character Engine

Faade

Moral Weakness

Need

Spine

Character From Theme

A Character's Life Experience

Plot From Character

Disruptions

Disrupting a Character

Stage I Wrap-up

II. Pour the Foundation

A Brief Introduction to Story Structure

Questions and Disruptions

Questions and Answers

The Disruption and the Turning Point

The Least Important Becomes Most Important

Structure Overview

The Organic Logic of Storytelling

The Global Turning Point (Crisis)

Three-act Structure

The Midpoint

The Life Experience

Promise as the Foundation of Story Structure

Stage II Wrap-up

III. Putting up the Framing

Expanding the Story Idea

Starting From the End

Thematic Strategy

The Great Decision

Self-revelation

Life Experience

Elements of the Character's Journey

Central Story Disruption

The Initial Opportunity

The Initial Problem

The Initial Revelation

The Disruption and the Desire

Initial Disruption Possibilities

Desire / Want

Desire From the Void

Desire From False Belief

Desire From Thematic Opposition

Desire From Problem

Desire From Opportunity

Justification and Rationalization

The Impetus and Dramatic Question Moment as One

Internal Versus External Impetus

Superseding Desires

Wrapping up Desire

Need

The Lesson

Want Versus Need Pattern

Character Arc

Central Relationship (The Influence Character)

Genre and Story Form

Genre

Fantasy

Science Fiction

Horror

Myth

Action

Mystery

Thriller

Romance

Comedy

Story Form

Dramatic and Thematic Elements

Opposition

Multi-dimensional Opposition

Multi-dimensional Thematic Opposition

Philosophical Mentors and Antagonists

Multi-dimensional Dramatic Opposition

Ticking Clock

Directionality

Stakes

Plan and Strategy

Wrapping up Story Elements

Stage III Wrap-up

IV. Is the Foundation Sturdy?

Vetting a Story Idea

Vetting the Story Premise

Write What You Know?

Emotion and Experiences

Fleshing Out a Story Idea

Main Character, Protagonist, and Transformed

Who Should be the Main Character?

The Storyteller Character

Who Should be the Transformed Character?

Who Should be the Protagonist?

Character Questions

Stage IV Wrap-up

V. Rooms

How to Structure a Story: Structure, Plotting, Beats, and Pacing

The Disruption Chain

Cause and Effect

The Disruption Chain

The Disruption Chain and Causality

Woody's Disruption Chain in Toy Story

The Stages of a Disruption Cycle

Stage One: The Disruption

Effective Disruptions

Stage Two: The Debate

The Reaction Cycle

Physiological Reaction

Physical Reaction

Emotional Reaction

Analytical Reaction

Anticipation

Hesitation in the Face of Disruption (The "Refusal of the Call")

Dramatizing Inner Conflict

The Short Debate

Stage Three: The Decision

Stage Four: Action

Defining Story Structure

Structure (and Narrative) as a Chain of Disruption Cycles

What's a Scene?

The Sequel / Interlude

What's an Act? (Whats a Narrative Unit?)

Story Nomenclature

Plotting and Repetition

Plotting

The Sin of Repetition

The Beats of Character Arc

The Beats of Story

Dramatize the Moral Weakness

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