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The four different Story Types (Recap)
There are only four Story Types that differ from each other in one or two ways:
- Every story is either a Comedy or a Tragedy.
- Every story takes place in either a Cruel or Kind Universe.
These Story Types are the only four options and they are basically inversions of each other. All four of these Story Types follow the same structure but have small character variations and require a slightly different approach. But in all of them, you, the writer, should make your story a lesson about what you think of the world, or better; how you think the world works or could work. There are only four ways of doing this:
- Show how, in your universe, an underdog Hero can, against all odds, achieve their wildest dreams. Write a Kind Comedy! This is the mother of all Story Types. The foundation. The most common one, but for good reason: it's a classic. (But you know this already) - Think Ratatouille (Bird, 2007) and In Bruges (McDonagh, 2008)
- Show how, in your universe, a selfish Villain's evil plan will get thwarted by a brave Hero. Write a Kind Tragedy. I sometimes, lovingly, call this the basic-bitch of Story Types. The blueprint for Superhero movies and LifeTime films alike. This one needs the most plot twists to make up for its thematic simplicity. But that doesn't mean they can't be thrilling and inventive (or better yet box-office hits and cash cows). - Think Scream (Craven, 1996) and The Social Network (Fincher, 2010).
- Show how, in your Universe, a well-meaning Hero, despite being given all the help they can get, is no match for the cruelty of the society they live in. Write a Cruel Tragedy. This type of story often requires a more sophisticated (or masochistic) audience and writer. The universe is a mess and you are about to tell us why! - Think Sicario (Villeneuve, 2015) and The Prestige (Nolan, 2006).
- Show how, in your universe, a flawed Hero's only way of survival is to shed their last bit of humanity; If you can't beat them, join them. Write a Cruel Comedy. This is the rarest of Story Types, probably because it is the most advanced and complicated one and can be a bit of a mind-fuck to write. The Cruel Universe Comedy has a particularly bleak outlook on life and humanity. - Think Nightcrawler (D. Gilroy, 2014) and Whiplash (Chazelle, 2014).
Every lesson-teaching story (which I think are the most emotionally satisfying ones for the audience and thus also have the potential to be the most successful) falls in one of these four categories. So before you write anything, you should make that one decision; what Type of story do I want to write?
In the full Tale Spinning course, I will walk you through all four of these Story Types. We will start by developing your Protagonist and THE Theme. We then add two more essential characters to your story, completing the Trifecta, and we clearly define the Story World. Once that is all done, we will walk your Protagonist through eight sequences consistently heading for their Heaven on Earth. The ending will not be happy every time, but it will always be satisfying.
So what are you waiting for? Join me and let’s Spin some Tales!
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