Analyzing and Developing Structure

ANALYZING AND DEVELOPING STRUCTURE

SOME PRACTICE

LIFE STORY VS. THE STORY TOLD


LIFE STORY

  • Definition: Everything about someone's life from birth until death; essentially a biography.

  • Characteristics:

  • Comprehensive, covering all aspects of life.

  • Chronological and linear progression through time.

  • ### THE STORY TOLD

    • Definition: The narrative crafted by the writer that presents selected experiences.

    • Role of the Writer:

    • The writer curates experiences to highlight character development and broad life insights.

    • Focuses on interesting aspects of a character's journey rather than all factual details of their historical life.

    • Selection Process:

    • Only the relevant or essential parts of a character's life are included in the story told.

CONSIDER OUR GOOD FRIEND HARRY POTTER

  • Key Questions:

    • What do we know about Harry Potter?

    • When do we find out crucial aspects of his backstory?

    • Do we ever learn everything about him as a character?

STORY STRUCTURE

  • Definition: The selection of events from character life stories composed into a strategic sequence.

  • Purpose:

    • To arouse specific emotions in the audience.

    • To express a particular viewpoint about life.

  • Example: J.K. Rowling's focus on significant events in Harry's early life.

    • Method:

    • How does Rowling ensure readers root for Harry?

    • Depiction of Harry's life at the moment he is introduced.

STORY EVENTS AND VALUES


EVENT (A.K.A. SCENE)

  • Definition: A moment in a story involving change, significantly affecting characters.

  • Role:

  • Generates emotions, drives dialogue, and incites action.

  • Essential for storytelling; without events, there is no narrative.

  • ### VALUES

    • Definition: Universal qualities of human experience that can transition from positive to negative (or vice versa).

WHEN HARRY GETS THAT LETTER

  • Example of a Story Event (Scene):

    • Analysis:

    • Does the scene involve significant change and affect the characters?

    • Does it generate emotions, dialogue, and action?

STORY EVENTS (SCENES) AND VALUES

  • Necessity of Change:

    • A story needs action involving characters experiencing struggle, tension, conflict, or unfulfilled need.

    • Identification:

    • Readers relate to characters through shared human experiences such as struggle and desire.

  • Importance of Story Values:

    • Recognizing story values in events helps readers see themselves in characters.

STORY VALUES AS BINARIES

  • Examples of Binaries Representing Story Values:

    • life/death

    • truth/lies

    • freedom/slavery

    • courage/cowardice

    • good/evil

    • love/hate

    • loyalty/betrayal

    • strength/weakness

    • wisdom/stupidity

    • right/wrong

WHEN HARRY GETS THAT LETTER

  • Analysis of Story Values:

    • Examining the Hogwarts letter scene:

    • Does it deal with broader life themes and involve significant positive/negative value shifts?

    • Identifying the shift types present in the scene.

CONFLICT

  • Definition:

    • Major events should not be coincidental; a well-crafted story connects events meaningfully.

    • Random or disconnected elements (e.g., a lightning bolt taking out a villain) result in poor storytelling.

  • Role of Conflict:

    • Key to effective story events, where change in character life situations is expressed in relation to values through conflict.

KEY EVENT THAT EXPRESSES VALUES THROUGH CONFLICT

  • Example: Analysis of the Hogwarts letter scene.

    • Did it achieve its narrative goals through conflict?

    • Investigate how conflict frames the character's situation and unfolds the story.

    • Setting:

    • Under the Stairs, Little Whinging, Surrey

PRACTICE

  • Activity 1: Choose a familiar film or story and answer the following prompts:

    1. Identify a main character from the story.

    2. Create the character’s life story (biography): outline from birth to death, filling in key experiences.

    3. Discuss the story told: Select specific events from the character’s biography that are used to construct the story.

    4. Analyze the story structure employed in this narrative.

  • Activity 2: Using the same film or story:

    1. Identify a significant story event.

    2. Explain how the event presents meaningful change in the character's life.

    3. Discuss how it leads to emotions, dialogue, and action.

    4. Identify the central conflict related to this story event.

    5. List the story values reflected in this event and express these values in terms of binaries.