12.01.2024 – Introduction to Story

Telling stories is an intrinsic part of being human, yet all living beings possess their own communication methods. Narrating a story doesn’t have to be intricate; it could be as simple as recounting an event from an hour ago, constituting a brief story. Stories serve dual roles: societal (shaping our societies) and individual (helping us understand ourselves).

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Context aids memory, and well-crafted stories are more likely to be remembered. Therefore, if you aim to make a powerful statement, refining your story before entering the production phase is crucial.

One enduring structural paradigm is the Three Act Structure:

• Act 1: Set up (Beginning): Establish the world of the protagonist and their challenges. By exerting control over individuals—governing what they think and do—absolute power can shape the future (thesis).
• Act 2: Confrontation (Middle): Confront the protagonist with their opposite and provoke a crisis. Challenging absolute power may lead to its collapse, but the individual could be crushed in the process (antithesis).
• Act 3: Resolution (End): Resolve the conflict. Absolute power can crush the individual, but it cannot control their thoughts, and, therefore, it cannot dictate the future (synthesis).

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Three Act Structure in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”

• Act 1: We meet Harry Potter, unsuspecting protagonist, navigating his mundane life with the Dursleys—his unkind and neglectful relatives. He did not recognize that he is a wizard. The narrative pivots when he receives a letter inviting him to Hogwarts School, setting the stage for the central conflict: Harry’s struggle to reconcile his newfound magical abilities and his confrontation with the dark wizard, Voldemort.
• Act 2: Unfolds as Harry embraces his magical education at Hogwarts, forging friendships with Ron and Hermione. Together, they unravel the mystery surrounding the Philosopher’s Stone, a coveted artifact sought by Voldemort. Facing challenges like the troll in the dungeon, the Forbidden Forest, and a life-sized game of wizard’s chess, they navigate a path of tension, leading to a climactic showdown against Voldemort and his followers in a bid to safeguard the Philosopher’s Stone.
• Act 3: Harry and his friends successfully thwart Voldemort’s sinister plans, preventing him from acquiring the Philosopher’s Stone. Through this ordeal, Harry discovers the transformative power of love and selflessness, earning him recognition and reward. While the story temporarily concludes with Harry’s return to the Dursleys, the promise of more adventures at Hogwarts hints at an exciting continuation.

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Watched a short animated film named ‘El Empleo’ and engaged in a discussion about it:

• Story: A conventional family man goes to work.
• Theme: Exploitation.
• Text: He exploits and is, in turn, exploited.
• Subtext: Our society relies on individuals exploiting one another, but things could be different.

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Character Arc: A character arc represents the transformation or inner journey of a character throughout a story. It signifies that a character begins as one type of person and gradually evolves into a different individual in response to unfolding events.

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• The Inciting Incident: This event confronts the protagonist with the major dramatic question being asked of them. It occurs in the first act, triggers the second act, and is ultimately addressed in the third.
• The Climax: This is the pivotal moment at the end of the second act when the protagonist can no longer avert a crisis. The character flaw becomes unsustainable, and they learn something irreversible about themselves and the world.
• Plot Points: These are events that propel the story forward, precipitating the transition from one act to another.

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As you delve deeper, you enter the realm where theory becomes subjective. Ultimately, these structures serve as lenses for exploring your narrative, acting as tools to refine your stories should you choose to utilize them.