Story shapes
Rags to riches
Someone starts with little, rises, loses it all in a crisis, and wins it back for good by growing into who they need to be.
- Time20 to 30 minutes
- People1 to 6 people
- Steps5
What it's for
The important part of this shape is the middle: early success that isn't earned yet, then a loss that forces real growth. That makes it a good fit for founder stories, career stories and the story of a product that found its market the second time round.
Without the crisis, it's a success story. With it, it's a story people believe.
How to run it
The humble start4 min
Where did they begin?
The early rise4 min
What first went well, perhaps too easily?
The crisis6 min
What did they lose, and why?
Growing up5 min
What did they learn or change?
The real success4 min
How did they win it back, for good?
Tips
- The crisis should come from a flaw in the early success, not from bad luck.
- Keep the humble start honest. Audiences notice when it's exaggerated.
Where it comes from
One of the seven basic plots in Christopher Booker's The Seven Basic Plots (2004). Kurt Vonnegut drew a similar shape and called it Cinderella.
Pairs well with
Man in a hole
Someone gets into trouble and gets out of it, ending better off: the story shape people never seem to tire of.
Voyage and return
Someone goes into a strange world, is fascinated, then threatened, and escapes home changed by what they saw.
Hero's journey
The pattern behind many myths and films: a hero leaves the ordinary world, is tested, and returns changed, with something to share.