Story structures
Story spine
Eight sentence starters, from "Once upon a time" to "And ever since then", that give any story a beginning, a turn and an end.
- Time15 to 30 minutes
- People1 to 8 people
- Steps4
What it's for
The story spine is the fastest way to get a story into shape. Each starter does a job: the first two set up a normal world, "until one day" breaks it, the "because of that" lines link cause to effect, and the last two resolve it. Filling it in shows at once whether your story has a turning point and consequences, or just a list of events.
Use it for a case study, a product launch, a project update or a talk. Then cut it down and tell it in your own words.
How to run it
Agree the story3 min
What is this story about, and who is it for?
Build the story15 min
Add a note to each beat, in order. Keep each to a sentence.
Check the chain5 min
Read it aloud. Does each "because of that" really follow from the one before?
Tell it5 min
Tell the story in your own words, without reading the starters.
Tips
- The turn ("until one day") is the heart of it. If it's weak, the story is.
- A finished spine is a skeleton, not the story. Add detail, a person and a moment people can picture.
Where it comes from
Created by the playwright and improv teacher Kenn Adams in 1991 as an improvisation exercise. It reached Pixar through improv classes, and Emma Coats included it in her widely shared list of Pixar story rules in 2011.
Pairs well with
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.
And, but, therefore
Context joined with "and", a problem introduced with "but", and a consequence with "therefore": a story in one sentence.
Three-act structure
Set-up, confrontation and resolution, with two turning points that move the story from one act to the next.