How To Write The "Perfect" Story Structure
Summary
TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of story structure in engaging audiences, suggesting that the first 20% should introduce characters and a new world, the middle 50-70% should deepen the plot and character arcs, and the final 70-95% should culminate in a satisfying climax. It uses examples from popular media to illustrate these points.
Takeaways
- 😀 Establish the audience's interest in the first 5% of the story by quickly introducing what they care about.
- 🎬 Story structures should not be rigidly applied; the introduction should be shorter than the climax, and the characters and audience's curiosity should be established early.
- 🌟 The 'insiding incident' occurs around 20% into the story, where the character explores a new world or experiences something different and exciting.
- 💪 The main portion of the story, from 20% to 50%, is where the bulk of the plot unfolds, and the audience gets what they came for, such as the main character learning magic or a superhero meeting the villain.
- 📚 Story structures are not just for books and films; they can be found in YouTube videos, where creators like Mr. Beast master storytelling through clear narratives.
- 🔍 The beginning of a story should make the audience care about the characters and the world, setting the stage for the plot and character development.
- 🔥 From 50% to 70%, the story intensifies as the characters start to change, but their arcs are not complete yet, leading to a turning point that determines the protagonist's fate.
- 🕷️ In Spider-Man: Homecoming, the turning point occurs when the Vulture discovers Peter Parker's identity, changing the trajectory of the story.
- 🌪️ The final battle, from 70% to 95%, is the climax where all built-up tension and character development culminate in a decisive confrontation or performance.
- 🎉 The last 5% of the story should leave the audience satisfied, ideally with a memorable and fun conclusion that reflects the creator's enjoyment in crafting the story.
Q & A
What is the key to establishing a story that the audience will find addicting?
-The key is to quickly establish who and what the audience cares about, and to craft a story that keeps them engaged from the beginning, with a clear structure that builds up to a satisfying climax.
Why is it difficult to apply traditional story structures to visual storytelling?
-Traditional story structures may not make sense visually because each part of the story should not be equal; for instance, the introduction should not be as long as the climax.
What happens in the first 20% of a story according to the transcript?
-In the first 20%, the inciting incident occurs, where the audience gets to explore a new world with the character, experiencing something new and exciting that is slightly uncomfortable.
What is the main purpose of the middle portion of the story?
-The main purpose of the middle portion is to deliver on the promises made in the introduction, where the main character starts to face challenges and the audience gets to enjoy the unfolding plot.
How does the YouTube creator Mr Beast use storytelling in his videos?
-Mr Beast uses storytelling by establishing what the audience should be curious about, setting up challenges, and creating a narrative that follows a clear story structure, even in his videos.
What is the significance of the character's introduction in the beginning of a story?
-The introduction is significant because it allows the audience to get invested in the world and characters, giving them a reason to root for the main character and connect with their journey.
How does the transcript suggest enhancing the story between 50 to 70% of the narrative?
-The transcript suggests making the plot more intense, with the characters starting to change but not yet completing their arcs, and introducing a turning point that keeps the audience engaged and excited.
What is the role of the 'final battle' in the last 70 to 95% of the story?
-The 'final battle' is the climax of the story where all the built-up tension and character development come to a head, providing a culmination of the hero's journey and the resolution of the main conflict.
Why is it important for the final part of the story to leave the audience satisfied?
-Leaving the audience satisfied is important because it ensures a positive reception of the story, making them feel that the journey was worthwhile and encouraging them to engage with future content.
What advice does the transcript give for the 'final battle' section of the story?
-The advice given is to have fun, be creative, and take risks by showing something new and visually interesting, without playing it safe, to make the climax memorable and enjoyable for the audience.
Outlines
🎬 Crafting an Addictive Story Structure
The first paragraph emphasizes the importance of quickly establishing what the audience cares about in the initial 5% of a story. It discusses the challenge of applying story structures visually and suggests that the introduction should not be equal in length to the climax. The speaker shares their insights on story structure after studying numerous narratives, highlighting the 'insiding incident' around the 20% mark, where the character explores a new world. This part of the story should be exciting yet slightly uncomfortable, setting up what the audience is curious about. The main portion of the story, where the plot unfolds, is described as the bulk of what the audience came for, involving key events like the start of a romance or a superhero's first encounter with a villain. The speaker also uses examples from popular culture, such as Mr. Beast's YouTube videos, to illustrate how storytelling is prevalent in various media.
🔥 The Turning Point and Climax in Storytelling
The second paragraph delves into the turning point of a story, typically occurring between 50% to 70% of the narrative. This section is crucial as it determines whether the protagonist will fulfill their desires. The speaker uses examples from the 'Spider-Man' movies to illustrate how a reveal or a twist can change the trajectory of the story, adding a new layer of tension while still maintaining the core conflict. The 'final battle' from 70% to 95% is described as the climax where all built-up tension is resolved. This part of the story should be the most enjoyable for both the creator and the audience, encouraging creators to take risks and innovate. The last 5% of the story should leave the audience satisfied, wrapping up the narrative in a way that feels complete and rewarding.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Story Structure
💡Inciting Incident
💡Character Arc
💡Turning Point
💡Climax
💡Redemption Arc
💡Relatability
💡Investment
💡Pacing
💡Finale
💡Engagement
Highlights
Establishing who and what the audience cares about is crucial in the first 5% of a story.
Story structures should not be equal in each part; the intro should not be as long as the climax.
Characters and audience's curiosity should be established as quickly as possible in the beginning.
The best way to structure a story involves studying hundreds of different stories.
The inciting incident happens around 20% into the story, where the character explores a new world.
The main portion of the story, where the bulk of the plot unfolds, is crucial to deliver on what was promised.
Story structures are evident in YouTube videos, such as those by Mr. Beast, who has mastered storytelling.
The beginning of a story lets the audience get invested in the world and characters.
The turning point from 50 to 70% of the story should feel different to avoid audience fatigue.
The final battle from 70 to 95% of the story is the climax where everything built up should be paid off.
Having fun during the final battle is important as it reflects the writer's or creator's enjoyment.
The last 5% of the story should leave the audience satisfied.
Story structures exist everywhere, not just in traditional narratives but also in modern media like YouTube videos.
Relatable character arcs, such as regret and failure, help the audience connect with the main character.
The turning point in a story can be a reveal that changes the trajectory, such as in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
The climax should be a culmination of all the hard work and lessons learned by the hero.
Encouraging creators to take risks and show something new in the final battle can make the story more engaging.
Transcripts
in the first 5% you need to quickly
establish who and what the audience
really cares about and if you want to be
able to craft a story whether that's a
book a YouTube video or a film that's
addicting then you got to keep on
watching story structures are actually
really hard to apply to your story
visually it just doesn't make sense for
each part to be equal because they
shouldn't be like the intro shouldn't be
as long as the climax ideally the
characters and what the audience should
be curious about should be established
right in the beginning as quickly as
possible possible I figured out the best
way to structure a story by studying
hundreds of different stories and this
is what I came up
with so up to 20% is where the insiding
incident happens and this is where we
get to go along with the character to
explore a new world something is
different and we get to enjoy seeing
whatever that is so whether it's the
start of a budding romance in a romcom
or the characters dropped in a new
fantasy world it's something new and
exciting it'll be slightly uncomfortable
because you know anything new comes with
a little bit of Comfort like fighting
out you have superpowers it can be very
unnerving but undoubtedly exciting and
this is what this part of the story is
All About you're starting to set up what
you know the audience came for so the
next part is the main portion of the
story this is the actual plot the bulk
of the story and what the audience came
for so now you have to deliver on what
you promised this is where the main
character starts to learn magic and cast
spells or when the superhero meets the
villain for the first time and gets to
fight them I've been using a lot of
generic examples that every everyone
knows you know fantasy and superhero
movies they all have fighting and follow
a hero so it's really easy to sense the
structure there but what if I told you
story structures exist
[Music]
everywhere like for example YouTube
videos are all structured in similar
ways I mean why do you think Mr Beast
gets so many views yes he is a YouTube
genius but he's mastered storytelling
perfectly my favorite video of his has
got to be the one where Mac faces his
biggest fears I even though Mr Beast
doesn't fake any of his videos there is
a clear narrative going through this
video and it follows that same story
structure in the very beginning he
quickly establishes what we should be
curious about my friend Mac is about to
experience the scariest moment of his
life then we immediately get to see what
kind of challenges Mac is going to have
to
face it isn't too challenging for Mac in
the first few ones and then it starts to
lamp up and we get to see what we came
here for Mr BEAST's amazing set does
designs and challenges that he comes up
with and this story line goes even
further because this is a Redemption Arc
for M after he lost the last one losing
him a couple hundred thousand of dollars
now you might think this is all
intuitive or like I'm overthinking or
something like that let me show you why
this is actually so important the main
portion of the video doesn't actually
work as well without the whole structure
set up in the very beginning because in
the beginning we get to see a reason why
we should care about this character
which is Mech same as any other Story
the intro lets us get invested in the
world and the characters and give us a
reason to root for that main character
in this case we get to see Max
reluctance but also determination to win
that money and redeem himself from the
last time now it doesn't sound too
relatable at first clance like who is
going around missing out on the
opportunity to win hundreds of thousand
dollars like that doesn't really happen
to your day-to-day life but what we can
all relate to is regret and failure
failure failure failure failure
anyone can see a little bit of
themselves in that and that's what you
want for a character that is the lens to
your story and you want the audience to
be able to connect and relate to the
main character because that is how we're
going to perceive this world that you've
created but you can see what I mean now
right the beginning of the story lets
the audience feel the characters and the
world while the plot lets the audience
enjoy said characters and world now from
50 to 70% it's not too different from
the previous section we did continue
watching the plot unfold and get more
interesting but everything is more
intense the characters are starting to
change but their character arcs aren't
completely finished yet this is the
turning point this determines whether or
not the protagonist is going to finally
fulfill his desires again it will feel
very similar to like the whole plot
section but there has to be some kind of
difference it has to at least feel
different or El the audience will start
to get fatigued and get bored it's like
eating a meal you know when you're
eating eating pasta and like you're
eating a bunch of noodles but then you
like eat a meatball when you get bored
you know like you have to spice it up a
little bit or like when you're eating a
burger and like it's it's a good ass
burger but you need to like put fries in
there or something just to like you know
swish it up a little bit it's the same
concept you know every bite of the story
feels different but the whole meal
itself is still cohesive that is what
we're aiming for I think a great example
of this is the MCU Spider-Man movies and
Spider-Man homecoming the vulture
finally pieces together that Peter
Parker is Spider-Man and like this is a
huge turning point of the story
obviously because Spider-Man's hidden
identity is a huge part of his identity
if you know what I mean so like the fact
that the vulture knows now completely
changes the plot moving forward doesn't
really change much in terms of the plot
because Spider-Man's still going to have
to like fight vulture and everything
it's like the same concept but the scene
perfectly Blends the two parts together
gives us a new thing to worry about
which is vulture revealing Spider-Man's
real identity which is Peter Parker
while also still being invested in
Spider-Man stopping vulture similar
thing in F home MJ figures out Peter
Parker is Spider-Man except this scene
serves as a turning point because this
is where Peter figures out that Mysterio
tricks him and he's actually a villain
and again this reveal changes the
trajectory of the story Peter still has
to struggle with the same thing he did
with the whole movie balancing his
desire to be Peter Parker and his
responsibility as Spider-Man but now the
movie has an entire shift in tone we're
now curious to see what happens when he
finds Mysterio and what's going to
happen after that that's the goal to
start ramping things up and getting the
audience excited for the next part who
are you the
past the next part is what I call the
final battle which is the last 70 to 95%
everything that has been built up should
be paid off now this is the climax this
is what everybody's been waiting for and
this is called the final battle cuz
that's literally what it is in an action
movie it's literally the final battle
between the main hero and the main
villain and we see this in every genre
with any element of action and if there
isn't physical fighting it will be a
different kind of battle like it could
be if it was like a music movie it would
be the final dance competition whatever
it is it is the culmination of all the
hard work and all the lessons learned
that the hero had to go through and this
is everything bundled together for the
last final performance
there's many ways to go about this but I
think the most important thing is to
have fun as cheesy as it sounds I mean
this is the most fun part for any writer
or Creator isn't it this is probably
what you thought of when you first came
up with the idea and if you're having
fun the audience is probably having fun
too show something that hasn't been done
before don't play safe please make them
fight in a really visually interesting
location lean into the gimmicks that
that might bring just have fun just get
out of your
element you want
[Music]
me done listening to
you the last 5% should leave the
audience satisfied so if you satisfied
at all leave a like and watch the next
one
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