TheDramaticSentence:AnIntroductionToBasicStoryStructure
ByPeterRubieandGaryProvost
GaryProvostandPeterRubieweretheco-authorsofHowtoTellaStory:TheSecretsof
WritingCaptivatingTales.ThanktoGary’swifeGailforgrantingpermissiontosharethis
article.
MyfriendGaryProvostandIcreatedwhatweteasinglycalledtheGaryProvostSentence(with
somehelpfromAristotle).Hereitis:
Onceuponatime…somethinghappenedtosomeone,andhedecidedthathewouldpursuea
goal.Sohedevisedaplanofaction,andeventhoughtherewereforcestryingtostophim,he
movedforwardbecausetherewasalotatstake.Andjustasthingsseemedasbadastheycould
get,helearnedanimportantlesson,andwhenofferedtheprizehehadsoughtsostrenuouslyhe
hadtodecidewhetherornottotakeit,andinmakingthatdecisionhesatisfiedaneedthathad
beencreatedbysomethinginhispast.
Thisisclassicdramaticstructure.Itworksbecauseit’sstorytellingthatismostsatisfyingtothe
reader.Aristotledefinedgooddramaasstorytellingthatdefinedcharacter,created
atmosphere,andadvancedtheactionoftheplot.Noonehaseverreallysubstantively
improvedonthisbeautifullysimpleyetprofounddefinition,thoughIthinkNormanMailer
cameclosewhenhesaidinaTVinterview,“Thebestfictioniswhereart,philosophy,and
adventureallmeet.”
Let’sgothroughGary’sparagraphagain.Thistimewe’llstopalongthewayandI’lltalkabout
theelementsofplotting.Onceyouunderstandtheseelementswhetheryou’realiterary
novelistorawriterofnon-fiction,oragenrewriteryou’llbeabletoplotanystoryyoulike.
Onceuponatime...somethinghappenedtosomeone...
Thisiswhatwecalltheincitingincident.Inotherwords,it’swhatcausedthestorytokickin.
SayyourstorybeginsonThursday.Don’tbeginitonWednesday,justtosetthesceneand
introducethecharacters,aclassicamateurflaw.Plungeusrightintotheactionthemomentit
starts.Why?BecausenothingsignificanthappenedonWednesday.You’renotwriting
someone’slife,you’rewritingthestoryofawatershedmomentinthatlife.Thethingthat
happenedtoupsettheequilibriumorthebalanceinhislifeisthethingthatbeginsthestory.
That’stheincitingincident.That’swhereyourstoryshouldstart.
...andhedecidedthathewouldpursueagoal.
There’ssomethingthispersonwants.Whatisit?It’stheprize,thethinghe’stryingtoget
through,allthroughthestory.Whatisitthatyourmaincharacterwants?Inthelongrunwhat
doeshehopetoachieve?
Sohedevisedaplanofaction...
Let’scallthisTheStrategy.Howisourherogoingtogoaboutpursuinghisgoal,orprize?
What’shegoingtodo?What’shisplan?
...andeventhoughtherewereforcestryingtostophim...
Thisistheopposition,theconflict.Conflictisthebasisofalldrama.Ourherowantssomething,
andhe’sfiguredoutawayofgettingit.Somethinghastogetinhisway,somethingor
somebodyhastohaveaconflictinggoal,andaconflictingplanCsomethinghasgottotryand
stophim.Nobody’sinterestedinreadingastoryaboutanguywhowantedamilliondollarsand
gotit.Theywanttoreadaboutaguywhowantedamilliondollarsandhadalotoftrouble
gettingit.Thereareforcescomingagainstourhero,thereisconflict.
...hemovedforwardbecausetherewasalotatstake.
Ah,TheStakes!Whatourherowants,whatplanhe’sdevisedtogetit,andwhatthiseffortwill
costourhero?Inchess,everymoveforwardgainssomething,butitalsolosessomethingas
well.Nothingofanyimportanceinthislifeisfree.Inoneformoranotherwealwayspayaprice
forwhatwemostdesire.Inastorythestakeshavetobeveryhigh.Whataretheyinyour?Life
ordeath,loverslostforever,friendsbecomingimplacableenemies,somethingveryimportant
wecanallrelateto.Youdon’twanttowriteastoryaboutaguywhoisgoingtolosehis
typewriterorhiscomb.It’sgottobesomethingveryimportant,somethingbigenoughto
disrupthislife,tochangehimfromwhathewasintosomeoneelsebytheendofthestory.
Andjustasthingsseemedasbadastheycouldget...
ThisisknownastheBleakestMoment.Thingsaredarkanddrearyforthisperson.Everything
hasgonewronganditseemsasiftheforcesofoppositionarrayedagainsthimhavewon.But
somehow,fromthedarknessofhisdespairanddepression,fromhisfailures,hefindsthe
strengthtopersevereandovercomeagainstoverwhelmingodds.
...helearnedanimportantlesson,
Aha,arevelation.OurprotagonistcomesthroughhisBleakestMomentwithagiftC
understanding.Atlasthesees,heunderstandssomethingaboutlifethathedidn’tunderstand
before.Stories,whetherfictionornon-fiction,areaboutpeoplegrowingandchanging,about
theirinsightsintothehumancondition.Bytheendofthestory,thisnewknowledgehas
changedourprotagonistforthebetter.Heisalittlewiser,andalittlestronger,hehasalittle
morefaithinhimself,orinothers,orinthebountifulnatureoflife.Hehasgrownandlearneda
lesson.
...andwhenofferedtheprizehehadsoughtsostrenuouslyhehadtodecidewhetherornot
totakeit...
HemakesTheDecision.Theimportantthingtorememberaboutthisdecisionisthatwhenhe
makesit,hegainssomething,andhegivessomethingup.Itisn’tmuchofadecisionifsomeone
says,“Hey,hereyouare.Here’samilliondollars,youcantakeitorleaveit.”Butifsomeone
comesalongandsays,“Congratulations,nowyoucangetyourmilliondollars.Butthere’sone
catch:ifyoutakeityou’llneverseeyourdaughteragain.Andifyouwanttokeeponseeing
yourdaughter,you’llnevergetanotherchancetogetyourmilliondollarsyou’vejustearned.”
Thisnow,isanimportantdecisionourheromustmake.
...andinmakingthatdecisionhesatisfiedaneed...
Let’scallthisTheHole.ItistheAenginethathasbeendrivinghimtodostuffthewholeofhis
life,andcertainlyforthedurationofthestory,thoughhemaynotevenbeawareofwhatthat
holeis.
...thathadbeencreatedbysomethinginhispast.
ThisistheimportanceoftheBackstory.Thebackstorysimplymeanshispast,whatever
happenedinhispastrelevanttothestoryyou’retellingaboutourhero.Theneedorholeis
somethingthathappenedtoourherobeforethestorybegan.Somethingperhapsthathaunts
him.TheenigmaticreferencetotheboyhoodsledRosebud,inCitizenKane,forexample.In
somewaytheheroisstillincomplete.He’sbeeninjured,orhe’shadapartofhimtakenaway.
Perhapshe’slosthisfaith,orrejectedlove.Perhapshe’saloner,someonewho’snotgoodat
sharinghimselfwithothers,andhecomesintothisstorycarryingthisthingwithhim,needing
thisholefilled.Andintheprocessofthestory,theholeisfilledashecomestohisrealization.
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