In my consults this week we’ve talked a lot about story structure and, in particular, finding the math of a story. I’ve mentioned “story math” before; it’s just my term for how various parts of the story relate to each other.
Understanding those relationships helps you go beyond “This plot point goes here, right??” to really knowing what needs to happen at any point in the story. When you understand how the math of a story works, you understand the how and why – the function of each part of the equation. It’s like structure+.
The Inciting Incident relates to the Break into Act 2. The character setup relates to the thematic lightbulb moment in Sequence 6. The Break into Act 2 relates to the Climax.
There are a lot of ways we can check the math of your story before you even have it fully outlined. We can do this with the major plot points. We can talk through the big picture arc of the story, checking the various elements that need to relate to each other for the story math to work out.
(It’s honestly one of my favorite things to do.)
Since I’ve talked about major plot points quite a bit, let’s look at a basic story arc template that you might find useful as you’re working out your story and double-checking the math to make sure it all holds together.
A story template (more powerful than it looks)
You know a story essentially boils down to “who wants what, what’s stopping them, and what do they do to get it,” or something along those lines.
If we told that story in very simple terms, it would go something like this:
-
- This type of person…
- Is suddenly confronted with this problem (or opportunity)…
- And must deal with it or else…
- So he decides to… even though he’s up against…
- And he then pursues that goal actively and consistently despite ongoing and escalating opposition.
- What he experiences also challenges the character’s defining characteristic…
- Until it becomes impossible to ignore the realization…
- And the character re-commits to his goal…
- Employing new strategies and informed by his new knowledge, until he achieves resolution.
Wait, here it is in a chart:
As I say with so many screenwriting tips, don’t dismiss it just because it seems simple. These “obvious” things are essential to your story yet they are often overlooked. And if these things aren’t in place, you’re building your screenplay on a weak – maybe even crumbling – foundation.
Story template example: Bridesmaids
Let’s use Bridesmaids as an example:
If we lay out the basic story in our chart, it would look something like this:
And we can see how the parts that should relate to each other, do. The story holds together. There’s a certain dramatic logic to it.
(You can download a PDF of these grids here.)
Can we get more granular with the story? Add in more major plot points, break down Act 2 into smaller, more manageable-to-write chunks? Definitely. But this chart gives you a way to look at the story as a whole. To check whether all of the pieces are in place for a satisfying story, before you put more work into creating each part and detail.
A script might have all the “right” plot points in all the “right” places, but if the parts of the story don’t relate to each other to create meaning, the script will feel empty. It won’t move us. In a good story, the sum is greater than the parts.