"Creative writing handbooks are almost an industry in themselves: the fledgling author, dramatist or screenwriter can choose from hundreds of titles, all offering to unlock the secrets of storytelling. These books are of limited utility for literary fiction, where plot is secondary, but if you're writing for the screen or stage, or working on genre fiction, they can be helpful. Commercial, plot-driven storytelling is, this is an inherently formulaic business, and a working knowledge of narrative structure is a crucial foundation for an aspiring writer."
"The five-act framework, Yorke explains, is elegantly conducive to an emotionally compelling journey, with the protagonist typically undergoing a transformative revelation at the story's mid-point. He illustrates this with reference to hit TV programmes such as I May Destroy You, and films including Star Wars and Terminator 2. Yorke then proceeds to meditate on the broader social significance of story structure, touching on politics, philosophy and spirituality."
"He observes that the rhetoric of revanchist populism is built on a specious promise of renewal: Donald Trump's Make America Great Again slogan is a masterclass in condensed narrative. The success of Netflix's Squid Game showed that if you can tap into the reader or viewer's subconscious damage or grievance and from there show a path to healing, then you are mining the most powerful narrative seam of all."
Creative writing handbooks are abundant and most useful for screen, stage and genre fiction, while offering limited utility for literary fiction where plot is secondary. Commercial, plot-driven storytelling operates as an inherently formulaic business and benefits from a working knowledge of narrative structure. The five-act structure (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement) frequently underpins popular films, plays and television, often featuring a mid-point transformative revelation for the protagonist. Narrative shapes broader social phenomena: political slogans, hit shows and organisations can exploit themes of grievance, healing and reinvention to promise renewal or redemption.
#narrative-structure #five-act-structure #plot-driven-fiction #healing-and-reinvention #political-rhetoric
Read at www.theguardian.com
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