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Story Structure Architect: A Writer's Guide to Building Dramatic Situations & Compelling Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt (also author of 45 Master Characters), categorizes stories into 55 Dramatic Situations, as well as giving some detail on genres, storyforms, and the possible forms of conflict in a story. Here is a summary of Schmidt's ideas:
According to Schmidt, the main character's goal can end in any of the following ways:
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- The main character succeeds.
- The main character is defeated.
- The main character abandons his goal.
- The main character's goal is undefined.
- The reader creates the goal.
That last one applies to games and interactive fiction of various sorts. However, it doesn't apply to all games, since the more linear games have the goal already set out for you, and the only variation is whether or not you succeed (or abandon the game).
Schmidt also notes that a character might start with one goal, abandon it, then find a new goal and see it through to completion - so it's okay to mix these up a little. For example, the character might begin without any real goal, then find a goal, fail at it, abandon the goal, find a new goal, and succeed.
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Say that Bob wants to go on a date with Alice. Here are six ways to make it difficult for him:
- Relational Conflict (Mutually Exclusive Goals)
- Bob and Alice just don't get along.
- Or, Bob discovers that Alice is already in love with Bob's younger brother, Chuck.
- Social Conflict
- Bob is Jewish and Alice is Muslim. Their parents would never approve.
- Or, class warfare: Bob's a bum and Alice is rolling in the millions.
- Situational Conflict
- Bob was all set to confess his love to Alice when Alice got kidnapped.
- Or, there's a tornado come to town, and there's no time to think what with all the running for cover.
- Inner Conflict
- Bob is shy around girls and just Can't Spit It Out.
- Or, Alice has some character traits that Bob isn't sure he could live with (e.g., sleeping around).
- Paranormal Conflict (supernatural or cybernetic, etc.)
- Bob is chasing Alice through a virtual reality world that keeps changing and disorienting him.
- Or, Alice is a robot, and Bob is debating the morality of programming her to like him.
- Cosmic Conflict (fate, destiny, or God)
-
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- Bob saw the future, where he dies sad and alone, and he's desperately trying to change that.
- Or, Bob seems plagued by bad luck, and he believes it's because he ran over Alice's dog and never owned up to it.
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Schmidt puts Social Conflict at the end, but it seems more useful to compare it to Relational and Situational.
Also, I'm not entirely sure that those examples are appropriate for the categories I've listed them in.
Schmidt offers the following genres, some cut into even finer categories:
- Action
- Adventure
- Children
- Comedy
- Creative Nonfiction
- Crime
- Diary / Journal
- Drama
- Fantasy
- Historical / Epic
- Horror
- Inspirational
- Musical
- Mystery
- Suspense / Thriller
- Gothic
- Political
- Persuasive
- Romance
- Science Fiction
- Western
Schmidt goes into great detail on these. You know the three-act action illustration that looks like an upside-down checkmark, with the high point at the climax in the third act? Each Master Structure here has its own form of that illustration, and they are quite distinct from each other. Get the book from the library for that alone.
According to Schmidt, the first six structures are more traditional (three-act structures), while the next two are 'based on structure content rather than structure design' and vary in how they're developed. The last three 'are somewhat anti-structure in design.'
- Roller Coaster
- Replay
- Fate
- Parallel
- Episodic
- Melodrama
- Romance
- Journey
- Interactive Fiction
- Metafiction
- Slice of Life
Starting with Georges Polti's Thirty Six Dramatic Situations, Schmidt combined a few of the overlapping situations (e.g., Rivalry of Kinsman and Rivalry of Superior and Inferior got stuck in the same Competition category). Then she:
was able to see that the original thirty-six situations were very masculine and somewhat violent in nature as well as very plot driven.. with this in mind, I decided to put on my 'feminine glasses' and take another look at these situations. It became clear to me that there was a feminine, nonviolent, more character-driven side to each situation that hadn't been explored.
Hence, she took each of the categories, gave it a flip side, and thus ended up with the following list. Each entry has a specific set of necessary characters and goes into detail on the three-act structure and the various ways in which conflict can occur.
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Supplication and Benefaction
Deliverance and Sojourn
Vengeance for a Crime and Rehabilitation
Vengeance Taken for Kindred Upon Kindred and Appearance of a New Kinsman
Flight and Pursuit
Disaster and Miracle
Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune and Becoming Fortunate
Revolt and Support
Daring Enterprise and The Healing Journey
Abduction and Reunion
Enigma and Invention
Obtaining and Letting Go
Enmity of Kinsman and Hero to Kinsman
Competition and Concession
Adultery and Fidelity
Madness and Genius
Imprudence and Caution
Crimes of Love and Sacrifice for Love
Slaying of Loved One and Conviction
Self-Sacrifice and Self-Preservation
Discovery of Dishonor of Loved One and Discovery of Honor of Loved One
Obstacles to Love and Unconditional Love
Conflict with a God and Supernatural Occurrence
Mistaken Judgment and Intuitive Judgment
Remorse and Empathy
Loss of a Loved One and Rescue of a Loved One
Odd Couple and Fish Out of Water
Blank Situation Template
This last one is Schmidt's concession to the understanding that she, like Polti, probably didn't collect the definitive set of dramatic situations that can never be added to. She encourages writers to use the Blank Situation Template if they are very certain that they can't use one of the other Dramatic Situations for their story.
This is a summary of Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schmidt; published by Writer's Digest Books (www.writersdigest.com), 2005.
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Build a timeless, original story using hundreds of classic story motifs!
It's been said that there are no new ideas; but there are proven ideas that have worked again and again for all writers for hundreds of years.
Story Structure Architect is your comprehensive reference to the classic recurring story structures used by every great author throughout the ages. You'll find m..more
It's been said that there are no new ideas; but there are proven ideas that have worked again and again for all writers for hundreds of years.
Story Structure Architect is your comprehensive reference to the classic recurring story structures used by every great author throughout the ages. You'll find m..more
Published July 26th 2005 by Writer's Digest Books (first published January 1st 2005)
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People will undoubtedly criticize two things about this book: it's formulaic and the author uses movies examples. What people are clearly forgetting is that the book's intent is to discuss 'formulas' for storytelling, which it does admirably well and in great detail, and the book isn't about *books*. It's about *stories* and how to tell them. Stories largely transcend the medium in which they appear so the author's use of the movies make sense for her background (which was film studies, if I'm n..more
Dec 16, 2010Michael rated it it was ok
This book is a deconstruction of the major themes and plots behind most western story telling. The author, Victoria Schmidt, is a graduate of film studies, explaining why most of the references and examples are films rather than books. However, storytelling is storytelling, no matter what the medium.
The first two chapters were the most useful from a writer's perspective, outlining and defining the three acts most familiar to western thinkers, planning and development of plot and character. I fel..more
The first two chapters were the most useful from a writer's perspective, outlining and defining the three acts most familiar to western thinkers, planning and development of plot and character. I fel..more
Feb 25, 2014Anthony rated it it was amazing
Actually, full disclosure: I finished this book years ago. I have found this an absolutely indispensable tool in constructing any story that I write. Every type of story, plot and situation is fully explained complete with familiar examples for each one. If you write, whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting, I strongly recommend this for your library. I further recommend this book to be within arm's reach at all times.
Jul 28, 2009Heidi rated it did not like it
I found this book very confusing and was particularly turned off when I discovered that all the examples came from movies, not books. But the final straw was when, under the chapter of 'Imprudence and caution' she gives this definition of 'Little Women': 'Jo waits too long to decide to marry long-time friend, Laurie, and eds up losing him to her younger sister.'!!!!!
I was just trying to learn more as a writer, boring!
Apr 08, 2019StarMan added it · review of another edition
Tedious and detailed, but possibly useful if you're into such (instead of lighter, more inspirational books on writing technique).
Probably NOT a great book for the beginning/novice writer. Maybe OK for those who are interested in 40+ different types of plots, and can read about such in detail without falling asleep.
VERDICT: At least 2 stars, purely for depth. Let's call it about 2.8 stars. Round to 3 if you must.
Probably NOT a great book for the beginning/novice writer. Maybe OK for those who are interested in 40+ different types of plots, and can read about such in detail without falling asleep.
VERDICT: At least 2 stars, purely for depth. Let's call it about 2.8 stars. Round to 3 if you must.
Run into a rut? Want inspiration? Comparison for other plot types?
This book has it all. It's a must read for writers of all levels of experience.
It gives a detailed description on how to write what types of plots and how to write them and gives examples just in case you're curious.
This book has it all. It's a must read for writers of all levels of experience.
It gives a detailed description on how to write what types of plots and how to write them and gives examples just in case you're curious.
Sep 18, 2017Debra Daniels-zeller rated it liked it
This is either the writing book you've been waiting for, or it isn't. It's a complex book and a lot went into writing it. Many interesting questions are raised but, I found the book confusing--5 dramatic throughlines, 11 dramatic structures, 21 generas and 55 situations--this book seemed consumed by numbers. And numbers don't make for the most compelling reading. The dramatic situations taken from George Polti's book from 1945 and expanded on and if you can find the situations from the book you'..more
Dec 14, 2007Sherry rated it really liked it
Shelves: books-that-live-with-me, reference, writing-and-creativity
I love this book. Some readers have commented that they found it too formulaic - but of course it's formulaic, it's offering an insight into the many ways that one structure and organise a story. And it's strength is that in offering one a whole host of options, it defies being formulaic because it demonstrates what a wide range of options there are. If anything, this book has opened my eyes and broadened my horizons and helped to kick my brain out of being a little too predictable in my own sto..more
Jul 15, 2012Hunter rated it really liked it
A reference guide to plot structures, and 54 different dramatic situations. I read a library copy quite quickly (admitting that Section 3 which contains the 54 dramatic situations can be an eye glazer) but am glad I picked up a free ebook version for my Kindle library last NaNoWriMo, as the book will provide some browsable ideas when I'm stuck in a writing phase. Section 4 on research seems an un-necessary tagon, as the book isn't really a writing craft how-to write a story at all.
As a referenc..more
As a referenc..more
Great breakdown showing over 50 'situations' most novels/movies use as a format - either in plot, sub-plot or situation. A useful resource once you have a clear idea of what you are going to write about. Helpful by listing questions in each 'situation' for the beginning, middle and end that will enhance your characters.
There's a lot to think about after reading this book. It wasn't what I was looking for, exactly, but I have no doubt I'll be flipping back through it from time to time. I wish she could have used more literary examples and less movies but *shrug* what're you going to do? Odds are I'd still have only read a fraction of them (as it is, most of the movies are familiar to me in name only).
May 19, 2017Tara Calaby added it
This book is very good at looking nice and pretty good at describing some of the common plots and situations. I don't think it would be a great deal of use, personally, though, because if I used its suggestions it would lead to a MORE generic story rather than a less generic one.
Feb 08, 2016Michelle Pickett rated it really liked it
This review was originally posted on Michelle K. Pickett
This was a good writing tutorial. The author packed a lot of information into the short book. The first two chapters were of particular interest to me, covering the three-act story and outlining. As the book progressed, types of stories, plots and situations are discussed. Example of the “Romance” chapter:
This was a good writing tutorial. The author packed a lot of information into the short book. The first two chapters were of particular interest to me, covering the three-act story and outlining. As the book progressed, types of stories, plots and situations are discussed. Example of the “Romance” chapter:
Definition of the romance plot structure.Breakdown of the types of romance structures: The Cinderella Structure..more
Dec 14, 2012Syahira rated it really liked it
Story Structure Architect is an interesting book to read even if you aren't a storyteller. Like its name, the book detailed about the basic blocks that constitutes in making a story. This includes novels, novellas, screenplay, video games, choose your own adventures and etc. So technically, if you are looking for a read that detailed on each of these things, you wont get any but if you want to see things more clearly about the structure of a story (either its Final Fantasy 7 or Skyrim or 50 Shad..more
Feb 11, 2017John Jemar rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Advanced, technical, and useful in a writer's tool chest
Feb 06, 2014Elfscribe rated it liked it
Victoria Schmidt details 11 master plot structures such as romance, the journey, the slice of life and then goes through 55 dramatic situations such as vengeance for a crime and rehabilitation or falling prey to cruelty or misfortune. For each situation she discusses the type of characters involved. For example in falling prey there is the unfortunate person and a master who has control over them. She then asks questions that the author should consider in the beginning of the story, for example..more
super-geeky reference work, well-organized and and concise. takes polti's well-known 36 plots The Thirty Six Dramatic Situations and illustrates/reworks/updates them. gives lots of sample situations and lists a couple published examples for each plot. the latter are all from movies, but i don't see that as a problem; story is story no matter what the medium.
my only quibble is that there is some blather about 'feminine' versus 'masculine' journeys with implications that women are special snowflak..more
my only quibble is that there is some blather about 'feminine' versus 'masculine' journeys with implications that women are special snowflak..more
Sep 11, 2012Amy rated it liked it
This is nicely organized resource for writing. I especially enjoyed the chapter on the six types of conflict. Schmidt asks a series of open-ended questions to help with story-planning, and it helped me to get through some of the brainstorming for one of my story outlines.
In terms of examples, I agree with other reviewers that the focus on film is one-sided and does not always translate well to other media such as novels. I prefer Blake Snyder's overview of genres, and I prefer TVTropes.com for a..more
In terms of examples, I agree with other reviewers that the focus on film is one-sided and does not always translate well to other media such as novels. I prefer Blake Snyder's overview of genres, and I prefer TVTropes.com for a..more
Got it to mainstream my writing. Mainly for Western writing, it covers common plot and structure elements in movies (here applied to fiction) . However she gets some points wrong under the genre section like supernatural elements in science fiction or a musical using songs to tell the story (I guess stories about bands, singers or anything regarding the music business applies under the musical label here). Her fantasy section was very lacking. There are many subtypes she missed.
Used in conjunct..more
Used in conjunct..more
Apr 18, 2008Bec rated it really liked it
Cookbook style guide to story structures which provides lists and descriptions of various dramatic throughlines, conflicts, and genres. Designed to give the beginning reader and overview of nearly a dozen master story structures and 55 dramatic situation, the book's strength is in showing how the simplest story structure can yield a complex and satisfying experience for the writer when dramatic situations are employed. Although limited to screenwriting and writing for adults, many of the princip..more
It was good in the beginning, but then it slowly dwindled off. There are so many different forms of plot structure and this book made it almost overwhelming. Sure the movie references helped to give the imagery that they were hoping to explain with each chapter/segment, but it just became too much in the end. I recommend it for a fun look at all the different types of plot structure, but don't expect to learn too much from it because you'll just be overwhelmed by everything and probably won't re..more
The author is a movie buff, so the book is replete with movie analogies to explain her various points. As I don't go to movies very often, her points were frequently lost on me. Some of the story types were geared more toward movies than books, so I felt as if I were reading something written for people who want to write screenplays, more than for people who want to write books. Parts of it provided food for thought, though. I'm not sorry I read it, but I am sorry I bought it.
Nov 30, 2011Carrie Rolph rated it it was ok
This was offered as a free Kindle download during Nanowrimo, so I grabbed it. It's mostly summaries of dramatic throughlines, conflicts, and genres that can be used in fiction.
As someone who's severely plot structure challeged, I found it semi-useful. It was enough to get me started thinking about potential ways to structure a story, but not enough for me to get something workable down on paper.
As someone who's severely plot structure challeged, I found it semi-useful. It was enough to get me started thinking about potential ways to structure a story, but not enough for me to get something workable down on paper.
Giving this book four stars was easy for one simple reason. I learned something. It is indeed simplistic and after reading several related books, it still has value. If I didn't learn anything new (which I did) then I could at least take away from it the reenforcement of old ideas and ingrain them deeper into my subconscious. Other points of view and encouragement are always needed for a fledgling writer like myself.
Sep 06, 2011Alicia Gregoire rated it really liked it
Shelves: books-on-writing, favorites, read-in-2011
This book effectively breaks down plot by explaining dramatic throughlines plus the different type of plots that can be used aside from the traditional 3 act structure.
This would've received 5 stars if it wasn't for the section on the 55 situations that can be used. As someone not familiar with Ploti, I was confused on some of the terminology and the best way to incorporate. I felt like that section could've been expanded a bit.
Even with that drawback, this was an excellent resource.
This would've received 5 stars if it wasn't for the section on the 55 situations that can be used. As someone not familiar with Ploti, I was confused on some of the terminology and the best way to incorporate. I felt like that section could've been expanded a bit.
Even with that drawback, this was an excellent resource.
Jul 15, 2013Bill rated it really liked it
I usually place many of these how-to books about writing on the same moral plane as chain letters: they offer no verifiable content, urge you to buy more, and threaten disaster if you don't follow them to the letter. That said, I found much of this book useful and helpful in my current wrangling with fiction. Analytic but not pedantic. It does lean on film more, but I suspect that's to provide recognizable examples in this post literate age. One I will come back to.
Sep 03, 2015Alina rated it liked it
Actual rating: 3.5
As some other reviewers have mentioned, the first two chapters of this are well done: I found them easy to read, engaging, and gave further insight into certain aspects of the writing process. However, in the following section that had 55 different situations, many of them felt repetitive and were quite dry to read in one sitting. If used as a reference guide as opposed to a read-through, this would be a pretty good reference book.
As some other reviewers have mentioned, the first two chapters of this are well done: I found them easy to read, engaging, and gave further insight into certain aspects of the writing process. However, in the following section that had 55 different situations, many of them felt repetitive and were quite dry to read in one sitting. If used as a reference guide as opposed to a read-through, this would be a pretty good reference book.
This book and I just weren't meant to be together. It was informative and educational, but it was just too formulaic for me. Yes, yes, I know! It is meant as a guide to plot formulas! That's why I say that we just didn't mesh: I just couldn't love the approach to this book, even though I knew what to expect.
Jan 21, 2009Dominic rated it really liked it
Shelves: resource
This is an invaluable resource for the aspiring writer. It maps out plot shapes and asks basic question for many different types of plot structures. Although it is very useful for starting to weave your story, it is somewhat difficult to navigate, and some of the information comes off as completely erroneous. Overall, B+
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