Structure

26 terms in this category

A-Plot/B-Plot etc

Multiple plotlines expose different sides of the same theme and keep things moving.

Act

A major section of a longer story.

Arc

The progression or journey a character makes through the story.

Character

The first requirement of effective business storytelling.

Christopher Vogler

The man who made Campbell's Hero's Journey practical for Hollywood and storytellers.

Climax

The emotional peak of a story.

Cold Open

The teaser scene/sequence before the titles of a TV programme.

Comedy

Any story that ends happily (in the classical definition).

Countdown/Clock

Your mind may jump to James Bond and the seconds ticking down on the bomb ...

Dénouement

The section of the story that comes after the climax.

Exposition

Background context that supports or explains the story.

Fable

A simplified story that illustrates fundamental truths.

Fairy tale/story

You know what this is and you may have a favourite ...

Hero's Journey

Joseph Campbell's universal story structure from 1949. The foundation of modern storytelling.

Hook

The line, conflict or idea that pulls the audience into a story.

Novella

A shortened story of approx 20k to 40k words.

Plot (versus story)

The mechanics that create the effect: selection, focus, and the removal of friction.

Promise/Promise of the Premise

The implicit promise that a storyteller makes to their audience.

Setting

The location of a story (in time and space).

Story

My minimum viable definition ...

Story Beats

The twelve-beat scaffolding for telling origin stories based on the Hero's Journey.

Story Circles

Dan Harmon's simplified Hero's Journey: eight beats for television storytelling.

Storyverse

The interconnected stories a brand or business tells about itself and what it stands for.

Tragedy

Any story that ends unhappily (as opposed to Comedies...

True Self Revealed

The moment when a character abandons their mask to reveal their true self.

Worldbuilding

The wider process of building your interconnected web of stories, ideas, concepts, and insights.