The Anatomy of Story

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He comes up with a plot and a scene sequence based on one question: What happens next? Often he sends his hero on a physical journey. He organizes his plot using the three-act structure, an external imprint that divides the story into three pieces but doesn't link the events under the surface. As a result, the plot is episodic, with each event or scene standing alone. He complains that he has "second-act problems" and can't understand why the story doesn't build to a climactic punch that moves the audience deeply. Finally, he writes dialogue that simply pushes the plot along, with all conflict focused on what is happening. If he is ambitious, he has his hero state the theme directly in dialogue near the end of the story. Worksheet 2 will help you focus in on your main character’s arc, from their weaknesses and needs at the beginning, to the new equilibrium of the universe at the end. You’ll start to think about aligning your main character’s arc with the arc of the story, so that they’ll be working together, instead of at cross purposes. Well it's February 5th and I'm still slogging through this thing. I like it even better without changing any of the above opinions. I swear to the allmighty that I'm really almost finished with this. It's too bad I'd like to keep it around as a reference since it's become kind of an albatross and I'd really like to tear it to shreds once I'm finally done. More later... In fairness to Mr. Truby, I have to say that I believe that he truly believes his system is the only right way to write stories. In fairness to me and everybody else, I have to say that he is wrong. His elaborate 22-step system is, to me, both artificial and awkward, and while he can impose it on certain stories (his favorites are The Godfather, Casablanca, and Tootsie), it's very like Aristotle basing his entire theory of drama on Oedipus Rex and thereby forcing generations of high school students to find Hamlet's fatal flaw. (Hint: he doesn't have one.) Truby insists that his formula is not a formula, but a formula is exactly what it is, just at a structurally deeper level than "boy meets girl." He also doesn't understand symbolism or irony, and he's somehow made a quite successful career as a script doctor without ever running into the idea that other people may write stories differently than he does and still have them come out okay.

I’ve learned that I write better, and have more fun doing it, if I have a roadmap. And using a roadmap like Truby’s, which offers up the reassurance that I can make my story stronger by thinking about all of its elements in a calculated way in advance of writing it, is particularly useful to me. I find that because Truby is written for screenwriters, the book’s tone is very direct in a way that many books for fiction writers aren’t. Truby believes that there is a method to writing a good story, and that the method can be taught. The Anatomy of Story book has been translated into multiple languages and is available in many different countries. The book has been translated into French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Book Editions All in all, I'd say this book was good. It wasn't great, it wasn't poor, it was just plain good and not much more. Each of the fourteen major genres can be broken down into subgenres, and we will discuss the most important. For example, the Caper (Heist) story is a popular form of Action and Crime. These subgenres diversify into hundreds of sub-subgenres, but the main beats are the same.The book starts by discussing the three essential ingredients in every story: character, action, and setting. The author then goes on to discuss the different ways these ingredients can be used to create different types of stories. The beginning is all about introducing the reader to the characters and the world they inhabit. The middle is where things start to go wrong for the characters and they must struggle to overcome obstacles. The end is where everything comes to a resolution, either good or bad. Details of The Anatomy of Story Book Book KEY POINT: Each subsystem of the story consists of a web of elements that help define and differentiate the other elements.

Surely, this is where the expression “blown away” was born. Yes, I was watching Star Wars for the first time. And while it played, the strangest thing happened. I experienced a feeling of pure delight. In 95 percent of stories, I could predict what would happen three beats ahead. But not with Star Wars. Here was one story beat after another I didn’t see coming. This was nonstop excitement. The Anatomy Of Story is concrete and practical without resorting to simplistic 'Three Act Structure' screenwriting clichés. It will be an indispensable guide to writing your first great script. Then, the perfect survival manual to help you negotiate the often confusing, contradictory and cutthroat world of professional screenwriting." -- Larry Wilson, co-writer /co-producer of BEETLEJUICE and co-writer of THE ADDAMS FAMILY KEY POINT: Seeing the world through the prism of story marks a revolutionary change in how we look at the world, and it’s the reverse of what we’ve been taught.

"Always tell a story about your best character."

Drama is a code of maturity. The focal point is the moment of change, the impact, when a person breaks free of habits and weaknesses and ghosts from his past and transforms to a richer and fuller self. The dramatic code expresses the idea that human beings can become a better version of themselves, psychologically and morally. And that's why people love it. For example, Truby suggests that writers should think about the overall journey their characters will take before they even start writing. This journey should be divided into three stages: the beginning, the middle, and the end. Television drama shows a number of characters in a minisociety struggling to change simultaneously. Action is about being successful, not morally right.Myth represents a journey to understand oneself and gain immortality.Memoir is not about the past; it’s about creating your future.Fantasy is about finding the magic in the world and in ourselves to turn life into art.Detective fiction shows us how to think successfully by comparing different stories to learn what is true.Love stories reveal that happiness comes from mastering the moral act of loving another person.As we struggle to make sense of our place in the world, we think we have a clear grasp of the problems. But the problems we face today are based on how the world appears to work. Plato referred to these appearances as shadows. When we don’t understand how the world truly is—its deep structure—how can we fit into it? These beats are also why people choose to read or watch a particular genre again and again. If these classic plot beats are not present, the story will not be popular. Period. For example, a Love story without the “first dance” beat will have Love story fanatics up in arms.

Myths also give us social structures. An epic is classically defined as the story of an individual or family whose actions determine the fate of a nation. Homer’s epic poem the Iliad shows how monarchical rule combined with personal alliances and jealousies caused a ten-year war that destroyed everyone caught in its grinding slaughter. It's always bad when a book you've highly anticipated opens with a series of statements that run completely counter to your own experience. Or in the case of this book, just don't make sense. Truby starts in with the approach of many advice books, by saying what's wrong with most sources of advice and how his will be different. In contrast to many other authors making statements like this, his assessment of things is just plain wrong. For example, he says "Terms like 'rising action,' 'climax,' 'progressive complication,' and 'denouement' ...are so broad as to be almost meaningless." Except that I know exactly what those words mean and I find them extremely helpful in structuring a story. A comprehensive guide to writing stories of all kinds, Truby's tome is invaluable to any writer looking to put an idea to paper.” — Booklist

Additionally, Truby offers seven key story structure steps, which are the major stages of a story’s development and of the dramatic code under its surface. The Anatomy of Story is a step-by-step guide to constructing the best story possible—be it a screenplay, short story, or novel. Storytelling influences every aspect of a person’s life. Consider how business runs through advertising. Everything we buy and sell is part of a story. Parenting is full of storytelling. We tell stories to our kids at bedtime. We tell stories to our teenagers to prevent them from doing drugs. And we need to be better storytellers than the others who try to influence them. So far I would say this has some interesting ideas in it. On the other hand, it's funny how many of these books could really use a re-write. And I think re-writing is not a skippable part of the process to becoming a "master". He mentions you should make your main character endlessly fascinating. In theory, I could see why that would be a good idea. But Truby gives one example on how to do this and then moves on. I guess it's that easy? I'll update more later. Once we understand that all of human life is a form of story, the next step becomes clear: genres are the portals to this world.