A STORY'S STRUCTURE
by Adam W. Parker
Dear fellow storytellers,
We've forgotten what a story is. Or is it that we've never known and have just been intuitively feeling our way through? (I am guilty of this.) But who has defined it? Can it be defined? In short...
What is a Story?
We have the multi-million dollar effects, the A-list actors, the talented animators, the genius composers, but...
What is a story?
We have the social commentaries, the political statements, the cultural context, the thematic symbolism but...
What is a story?
We have the protagonist, the inciting incident, the twists, the turns, the climax, the resolution, but alas...
What is a story?
I'm not here to provide another model, beat sheet, or diagram (though I like them). I want to provide definitions. These definitions may coalesce into something resembling a model, but simpler, more powerful, and hopefully helpful to you when you are crafting your own stories.
So, what is a story at its core? It's as simple as this:
Mary had a Little Lamb
Mary had a little lamb,
whose fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went,
the lamb was sure to go.
It followed her to school one day
which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play,
to see a lamb at school.
And so the teacher turned it out,
but still it lingered near,
And waited patiently about,
till Mary did appear.
“Why does the lamb love Mary so?”
the eager children cry;
“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know.”
the teacher did reply.
A Story is a PREMISE that evolves into a PROBLEM that evolves into a DILEMMA that evolves into a PARADOX.
These four signposts are necessary to tell a story and by “story” I mean any unit of drama from the largest to the smallest fractal. More often than not, what we call a “bad story” is probably due to the violation of the above definition – not qualifying as a story at all but is rather a string of temporally or thematically related events or images. Not to say that the non-narrative is any less valid as a form of artistic expression. I am saying that it is “non-narrative” – not a story.
Let's dive deeper into these four signposts and how they relate in the order that they appear:
Premise
Mary had a little lamb,
whose fleece was white as snow;
And everywhere that Mary went,
the lamb was sure to go.
A Premise is something assumed – whether it be about the outer world, inner beliefs, inner emotions, or outer actions. These form the basis from which the Problem emerges. Without these assumptions, whether stated or implied, there is no potential for drama.
The Premise is the result of past actions and events, but what makes it a Premise is its relation to a specific character. Only what a character takes as a given is considered a Premise. A flooded city is a problem to the citizens – to the fish, a Premise.
The Premise can contain a goal but it doesn't have to, unless you take “goal” in its broadest definition. The character could be in a routine or embarking on a new journey. Whichever the case, the character has an expectation of how events will transpire.
There is no limit to the examples of a premise so I will not give any until I go over this in more depth. The Premise is always at the beginning of the story. We would like to believe that “in media res” exists but to the observer it does not. The first thing seen will always inform the second.
keywords: routine, day-to-day, expectation, recap, set up, unsurprising, belief, knowledge, thesis, goal...
Problem
It followed her to school one day
which was against the rule;
It made the children laugh and play,
to see a lamb at school.
A Problem is an event that violates the Premise. It cannot exist without a Premise. A Problem is a change in the outer world, inner beliefs, inner emotions, or outer actions that make it impossible to continue in the Premise and sends a character towards a Dilemma.
This is really a Problem/Opportunity dynamic. Whether an event is seen as positive or negative is really a matter of perspective, and tells us more about the Character than the event (I will be using “Problem” rather than “Opportunity” but note that a Problem isn't necessarily “bad”). It is also the Character that determines whether something is even a Problem or not depending on the Premise that they hold. In summation, expectations are the prerequisite to Problems.
Lots of situations, events, or obstacles arise in daily life. The very act of walking is a relation to obstacles. In this sense, the formation of obstacles or benefits en route to fulfilling the Premise are not Problems per se.
This is a major pitfall in storytelling. Too many times a mere obstacle is mistaken for a Problem. A Problem always invalidates a Premise.
For a construction worker going to a job site, stepping in a deep mud puddle may be an obstacle – for a businessman late for an interview, it is a Problem. One of the core assumptions made by this businessman is (most likely) to arrive at the interview on time wearing pristine clothes. A step in a mud puddle shatters this Premise. It will force him to change his location, attitude, mood, and actions to try to restore the original Premise.
But this Premise is invalidated. If it is not, the muddy mishap in our example was not truly a Problem but an obstacle (part of the Premise) that will be necessary to the true Problem presented later, but if it is not a necessary obstacle, it is completely unnecessary in regards to the structure of the story.
Too often, these empty calorie obstacles are mistaken for story structure. Too many of these obstacle moments can build up and throw off the rhythm of the overall story. This is dead weight that either needs to be cut or worked into the story by being orchestrated as a mini-story in itself.
The quest to restore the invalidated Premise despite the Problem leads the Character to a Dilemma...
keywords: unsuspected, surprise, counter-intuitive, uncomfortable, anti-thesis, argument, conflict...
Dilemma
And so the teacher turned it out,
but still it lingered near,
And waited patiently about,
till Mary did appear.
A Dilemma presents two possibilities that violate each other. A Dilemma cannot exist without a Problem. A Dilemma is a change in the outer world, inner beliefs, inner emotions, or outer actions that make it impossible to continue in the Problem and sends a character towards a Paradox.
A Dilemma is not simply a choice between many options. It is a special decision in that there are only two options, equal in benefits and costs, that violate each other. Once one option is chosen – the other is impossible to realize.
Not every choice is a Dilemma but every Dilemma is a choice – it may simply be a choice of going right or left. But what makes this 'right or left' choice a Dilemma relies on the Premise and Problem that came before. If 'right' takes you on a path to rescue your brother and 'left' to rescue your best friend – which should you choose? If only one can be chosen at the denial of the other then we have a Dilemma.
There is never a 'correct' choice in a Dilemma. There will be equal benefits and losses for either path chosen. You have gained a brother but minimized friendship or gained a friend but violated brotherhood. There is no 'win-win'. The character, after crossing this threshold, is in constant regret at the path chosen while simultaneously experiencing the joy of it.
This is the lifeblood of characterization (and also what is most integral to a developed theme – in a sense it is theme). This is the difference between 'quirk' and 'character'. Rather than superficial qualities pasted onto a thin frame, a character's true self is defined by their Dilemmas. An audience's relation to, and 'likeability' of, a character is in direct correlation to how many Dilemmas we experience with the character (many Dilemmas = Main Character). The Dilemmas are the 'self-projection' moments where we put ourselves in the character's shoes. I may not identify with a character's Premise or Problem but not so with the Dilemma, it is universal. Yes, any Dilemma (if truly a Dilemma) is universal because we identify with the situation as a concept not the specifics. It taps into what makes us human irrespective of personal identities and worldviews. For this reason, it is often referred to as the climax – it is the most engaging dramatic unit. If not for the Dilemma, storytelling wouldn't cut across cultural boundaries. Storytellers would be forced to use politics, nostalgia, and cultural references to foster any sympathy with their characters – which is exactly what some are doing today because they do not understand the importance, the utter necessity, of the Dilemma.
If you do not have a Dilemma, you do not have a Scene, you do not have an Act, you do not have a Story. Lack of dilemma leads to a feeling that character is not explored.
keywords: this or that, choose, this but that, why, how, suspense, wait, if-then, limbo, weigh options, debate...
Paradox
“Why does the lamb love Mary so?”
the eager children cry;
“Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know.”
the teacher did reply.
A Paradox is two concepts that violate each other yet combine. A Paradox cannot exist without a Dilemma. A Paradox is a change in the outer world, inner beliefs, inner emotions, or outer actions that make it impossible to continue in the Dilemma and is the end of the Story or sends you towards a new Premise.
The Paradox is the “goal” of Story. It is the vibrating string that makes music. The other signposts are, if we carry the analogy farther, the selection of the instrument (Premise), the readying of the bow (Problem), and the pulling and release of the string (Dilemma). Likewise if there is no vibration (Paradox) there is no music.
A Paradox is surprising and subversive but Surprise and Subversion on their own do not make a Paradox. These, along with “Deus Ex Machina” are the most common counterfeits. The false Paradox ignores the Problem and Dilemma and presents a solution that has an anachronistic tension:
“1 + 1 = chicken” – This is a false Paradox, which is not one at all. It may get a reaction at its absurdity but it quickly fades away. It has no substance.
“1 + 1 = 11” – This is a true Paradox. One can say “yes” or “no”, both are correct in a way. This vibrates – you can keep pondering it (I say ponder because this is a logical rather than emotional Paradox).
keywords: impossible, supernatural, synthesis, unfathomable, inevitable, loophole, bittersweet, contradiction...
In closing, the Paradox is...
the logic defying ouroboros... the end is the beginning and the beginning is the end... infinity... eternity... Why does the lamb love Mary? Mary loves the lamb. But why does Mary love the lamb? The lamb loves Mary....
It is to believe a lie... to betray a friend... to love your enemy.
...hidden in plain sight – “The stone which the builders refused has become the head stone of the corner”... or an open secret – “The emperor has no clothes”
...strength in few, weakness in numbers... to enjoy grief... an intense nonchalance...
It is to live by dying... to take by giving... to find by losing – as in Pickpocket when Michel, just imprisoned, tells Jeanne:
“Oh, Jeanne, to reach you at last, what a strange path I had to take.”
Thank you.
Examine the story structures of the following breakdowns:
RealScenesvsFakeScenes
12 Angry Men
Blade Runner 2049
MyNeighborTotoro
more coming soon