Both structure and content inform each other as a story unfolds. Structure consists of the storyboard of scenes that drive a story to its conclusion. It is the framework, the scheme, the scaffolding for the decisions of what to present. The content consists of actions that characters perform in particular environments. These are the events that bring life to relationships and suspense to structure.
To build an engaging and satisfying story, layer a myth as a superstructure. It will act as mile markers on a highway. Below is an example from the Caucus consisting of thirteen movements of a powerful and ultimately satisfying story of hubris and punishment. It predates the Greek legend of Prometheus, who stole fire and was chained to a rock.
While fighting evil spirits in his search for a bride, his two brothers were killed and Amirani attempted suicide, only to discover to his dismay that he had come back to life. Thereafter, Amirani abandoned his search for a bride and, with the power of the Supreme God, faced another Giant. He is swallowed by the Black Dragon. Amirani cuts the dragon’s belly and climbs out, and then he himself confronts the supreme god. In response to his insolence, God punished him in three stages: he tied Amirani to a post sunk deep into the earth, second, God, buried him in chains under a mountain pass, which formed a cave-like dome over him. ; and third, for one night each year, the mountain opened to reveal Amirani suspended in midair where a human tried in vain to free him, and the mountain closed again as a result of the woman’s excessive chatter.
In this example, the first movement of the story is ‘While fighting evil spirits in his search for a bride, his two brothers were killed.’ The story he is writing should reveal the evil spirits: are they bad cops, criminals, corrupt officials, etc.? Who or what is the bride? – a woman, a good career, a happy life, money, etc.? Who are her two brothers and how were they killed?
Filmmakers remove movement from stories by filming locations and interviewing actors. They are drawing the settings and the characters. For the scenarios, I consider the mood and the places accessible to me for visits. For the characters, I use models of people I’ve met and adapt them to emphasize a particular characteristic. To make the settings and characters more real, I download images and build collages. I give them a speech writing on any given day where they are introduced to another character.
Collages and sketches report events, and events are organized into scenes and chapters.
