A few writers have mentioned recently that the Simple Story Chart has become an oft-used part of their story building toolkit, so I thought I’d highlight it today in case it’s not yet part of yours.
I originally wrote about it here, using Bridesmaids as an example. But since I’ve been working on a close analysis of Top Gun: Maverick, I’m including that example below as well.
Using the simple story chart in analysis mode
When you see charts and examples of movie analyses like these, I think it can seem like they’re put together for the sole purpose of “proving” that a movie adheres to a template or certain set of rules. But that’s not the case. I actually find it really useful to chart out a story when I’m trying to understand it — how it works, how all the pieces combine to create its effect, what meaning it delivers and how it does so.
So I break down the movie (or script) piece by piece, then examine the structure and think through the character arc and theme, at the very least. And I use tools like the major plot points, springboards & sequences, the simple story chart, etc. All things you’ve seen me talk about before. 😊 They’re not just helpful for story creation, but for story understanding too.
The Top Gun: Maverick simple story chart
I have to admit, I enjoyed this movie on first viewing but wondered if maybe I was missing something. It seemed to have two endings (bothersome), and I didn’t have quite the enthusiasm for it that everyone else did.
But after viewings two and three, I’m a confirmed fan. 😂 So it was a pleasure to really dive into it and look at all the emotional and character stuff the writers layered in. I still prefer the original but I think I get the appeal of Maverick now, and I do think it’s a great example to study.
Here, I’ve added a column to the “template” simple story chart so you can see the Maverick example right alongside it. (And I know the text is tiny, so if you prefer you can click on the chart and download a full-size PDF.)
Keep in mind, this chart is a work in progress that shows you my thought process as I’m breaking down an existing movie and figuring out how it works.
When you’re looking at a movie this way — to learn from an effective story how and why it’s effective — a big part of the process is figuring out what’s signal and what’s noise. Discerning which components are contributing what, which ones are doing the heavy lifting in the plot and character and creating meaning.