![]() Let’s look at some movies which are an example of a meander structure. Backtrack, change course, but move forward until the end. I Used To Be Famous does this.Įndless variations have come from the wave-shaped story overlayed on a three-act structure, but even more radical derivations are becoming much more prevalent.īecause we’re beginning to see more and more non-traditional forms of narrative especially among long form story TV series, so understanding the process of how to veer away from that ubiquitous three-act structure is imperative. Rise (peak) to stardom, fall from grace, and perhaps redemption and insight at the end. Sports films follow this traditionally-shaped structure almost religiously. The build, peak, sustain and release of story tension to lock in the audience. A wave is like a rounded pyramid the rise and fall tracing an up and down journey. Given what we already know about Syd Field’s paradigm which was somewhat inspired by German playwright Gustav Freytag and called the Freytag pyramid, that tracks. Typical narrative structure viewed as a shape is a wave. And yes, I’m using a ‘circular narrative strategy’ for this. I’ll circle back to this point at the end of the article. I see them as story strategies a way, a pattern, a modus with which to tell a story. I can’t see that the various categories discussed here can be characterized as structure per se. Let’s discuss the merits of these non-traditional narrative designs and how they might be applied to enhance traditional storytelling. The contention is that story narrative can be viewed as a moving geometric shape(s) rather than a linear progression of scenes. Design and Pattern in Narrative by Jane Alison. This is taken from a book Meander, Spiral, Explode. In order for me to make my point, let’s first examine some of the latest thinking on story structures including those used in video game practices. After all, the three-act structure has worked well for storytellers for thousands of years. ![]() But these so-called “New Hollywood Structures” leave me as cold as a caribou’s nose. Okay, so I was wrong about that one – big time. And I tend not to like trends because they mostly don’t stand the test of time. I am a curmudgeonly sort when it comes to change. ![]()
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