Choose a Narrative Structure

Presentations need structure to hold a message and engage an audience

Quinten Edward Williams Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Narrative structure

Linear and nonlinear narrative Aristotle’s Beginning, Middle, End Gustav Freytag’s Pyramid Freytag’s Pyramid and the Three Act Plot Christopher Brooker’s Meta Plot

Visualizing narrative structure. (2018). Kensy Cooperrider. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from http://kensycooperrider.com/blog/visualizing-narrative-structure Narrative, Story, Plot, Narrative Structure

Story = A series of events. The content. Conflicts. Characters. Settings.

Plot = How the story is put together. It is a structure. How the series of events are set-up and resolved.

Narrative = Story + Plot. It is a specific manifestation of a story. How audience receives the information.

Narrative Structure = A structural framework that underlies the presentation of the narrative

Poynzt, S. (2002). Visual storytelling and narrative structure. Vancouver, BC : Paciﬁc Cinémathèque. Narrative Structure Categories

Interactive Linear Nonlinear Narrative

Plot follows Events are portrayed The user makes chronological order. are not in the original choices which affects Story is presented in chronological order. the plot direction. the order that events The plot does not Story elements are occurred. follow direct interactive. Immersed causality. in the story.

https://www.interactivenarratives.org

Mascolini, J. (2017) The Post Nonlinear Narrative Structure: Introduction. Medium. Retrieved 11 February 2019, from https://medium.com/@jacopomsn/the-post-nonlinear-narrative-structure-introduction-52f6dfe37377 Riedl, M., & Bulitko, V. (2012). Interactive Narrative: An Intelligent Systems Approach. AI Magazine, 34(1), 67. doi:10.1609/aimag.v34i1.2449 Aristotle: Beginning, Middle, End

Plot with Unity of action “Tragedy is an imitation of an action that is complete, and whole, and of a certain magnitude. A whole is that which has a beginning, middle, and end.” (Aristotle, trans. 1895, p. 29)

Aristotle. (trans. 1895). The Poetics of Aristotle. Translated by. S.H. Butcher. London: Macmillan and Co. https://archive.org/details/poeticstranslate00arisuoft/page/2 Gustav Freytag: Five stage story structure / Story mountain

Freytag. G. (1908). Freytag's Technique of the Drama, An Exposition of Dramatic Composition and Art. Scott, Chicago: Forseman & Company. The Freytag Pyramid maps onto the three act plot structure.

Daniel T. de Lill, P. (2019). Plot. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://danieldelill.com/the-blob-blog/f/plot Freytag. G. (1908). Freytag's Technique of the Drama, An Exposition of Dramatic Composition and Art. Scott, Chicago: Forseman & Company. Christopher Booker: Meta Plot (symbolic events)

Anticipation Frustration Nightmare Dream stage Resolution stage stage stage

An introduction There is a first A confrontation All hope seems The hero or to the context, contact and an with the real lost at the heroine is the call to initial success, enemy. There highpoint in victorious. action, and a with a feeling are setbacks. dramatic Union / Escape promise of of invincibility tension. Bold / Destruction / what is to after success. action is Death Wish / come. required. Redemption

Booker, C. 2004. The Seven Basic Plots.New York: Continuum. Tzvetan Todorov: Equilibrium, disruption, resolution

Disruptor vs antidisruptor creates suspense Protagonist

Baseline Disruptor Climax / Quest Re-Equilibrium Equilibrium Event Resolution

Antagonist Recognition. A Attempt to repair. Forces of the Story comes to a force of change Characters respond disruptor and close. New steady disrupts the to disruptor. The antidisruptor play state. Wisdom / existing baseline antidisruptor seeks themselves out. Experience Characters lives equilibrium and to restore a are normal in a makes a new state baseline steady baseline of disequilibrium. equilibrium. equilibrium. Creates a hook.

Todorov T. (1977). The poetics of prose. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Kurt Vonnegut: The Shapes of Stories

Man in a hole Boy meets girl Cinderella Kafka Hamlet Old testament Creation myth

Vonnegut, K. (1995). Kurt Vonnegut on the Shapes of Stories. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP3c1h8v2ZQ Vonnegut: Man in a hole

“Somebody gets into trouble, gets out of it again. It is not accidental that the line ends up higher than where it began. This is encouraging to readers.”

Vonnegut, K. (2005). A man without a country. New York: Seven Stories Press. Eilam, M. (2012). Kurt Vonnegut - The Shapes of Stories. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://visual.ly/community/infographic/other/kurt-vonnegut-shapes-stories-0 Vonnegut: Boy meets girl

“Somebody, an ordinary person, on a day like any other day, comes across something perfectly wonderful: ‘Oh boy, this is my lucky day!’ … ‘Shit!’ … And gets back up again.”

Receive incremental good fortune, then suddenly lose good standing, only to regain it and more.

Story starts oﬀ with a character in a bad place, and it ends worse.

The story is ambiguous. Like in life, we can not be certain if many of the developments are good or bad.

A deity delivers incremental gifts that build to form the world.

Vonnegut, K. (1994). Palm Sunday: Welcome to the Monkeyhouse. New York: Vintage. Eilam, M. (2012). Kurt Vonnegut - The Shapes of Stories. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://visual.ly/community/infographic/other/kurt-vonnegut-shapes-stories-0 Vonnegut: Old Testament

A deity delivers incremental gifts that build to form the world, and then its taken away abruptly.

Rags to riches - An ongoing emotional rise.

Riches to rags - An ongoing emotional fall.

Man in a hole - A fall followed by a rise.

Icarus - A rise followed by a fall.

Cinderella - A rise-fall-rise pattern.

Oedipus - A fall-rise-fall pattern.

Reagan, A., Mitchell, L., Kiley, D., Danforth, C., & Dodds, P. (2016). The emotional arcs of stories are dominated by six basic shapes. EPJ Data Science, 5(1). doi:10.1140/epjds/s13688-016-0093-1 Computational Story Lab: Patterns

Plot name Pattern Example

Rags to riches Rise Alice’s Adventures Underground

Riches to rags Fall Romeo and Juliet

Man in a hole Fall-rise The Magic of Oz

Icarus Rise-fall Shadowings

Cinderella Rise-fall-rise Through the Magic Door

Oedipus Fall-rise-fall This World is Taboo

Reagan, A., Mitchell, L., Kiley, D., Danforth, C., & Dodds, P. (2016). The emotional arcs of stories are dominated by six basic shapes. Appendices. EPJ Data Science, 5(1). doi:10.1140/epjds/s13688-016-0093-1 Computational Story Lab (CSL): The Ugly Duckling

“Things get generally better for the duckling over the course of the story, but there are flashes of light and dark along the way.” (Quick, 2019)

Complex structure Two man in a hole Overall rags to riches

Quick, M. (2019). Every story in the world has one of these six basic plots. BBC.com. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180525-every-story-in- the-world-has-one-of-these-six-basic-plots Quinten Edward Williams [email protected] Christopher Booker: 7 basic plots + 2 extra plots

Overcoming the monster - Heros set out and defeat an evil.

Rags to riches - Hero has a crisis and then a success.

The quest - Hero learns of a treasure, faces challenges, and succeeds.

Voyage and return - Starts with an aimless wandering, is challenged, ﬁnds a purpose, and grows wiser.

Comedy - Humorous characters, sustained confusion and adverse circumstances, but ﬁnd a happy ending.

Tragedy - Heros set out to defeat an evil but don’t.

Rebirth - Hero changes, is renewed, or is transformed.

Rebellion against the one - Over time hero realises governing force’ right to rule.

Mystery - A riddle is posed that the hero works to solve.

Booker, C. (2004). The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories. London: Continuum. Marouda, Y. (2017, October 21). Order & Chance: Narratives of New Media. Retrieved February 15, 2019, from http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/orderchance-narratives-of-new-media.html Booker: Examples of the nine plots

Plot name Example

Overcoming the monster Odyssey; Lord of the Rings

Rags to riches The Man in the Iron Mask; David Copperfield; The Ugly Duckling

The quest Don Quixote; Raiders of the Lost Ark

Voyage and return Alice in Wonderland; Gulliver's Travels

Comedy Much Ado about Nothing; When Harry met Sally

Tragedy The Picture of Dorian Grey; Romeo and Juliet

Rebellion against the one Brave New World; 1984

Mystery The Hound of the Baskervilles; Murder on the Orient Express

Booker, C. (2004) The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories. London: Continuum. Quick, M. (2019). Every story in the world has one of these six basic plots. BBC.com. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20180525-every-story-in- the-world-has-one-of-these-six-basic-plots Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Joseph Campbell: Monomyth

Separation / Departure - The hero undertakes a movement from the known world into the unknown world.

Initiation - The hero undertakes a series of trials and rites of passages in the unknown world which transforms the hero into their true selves.

Return - The hero is victorious and can return to the know world, but with the new wisdom.

Harris, R. 2017. http://www.yourheroicjourney.com Campbell, J. 1949. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Princeton: Princeton University Press Monomyth: The classic plot

Sundberg, I. (2013). What is Arch Plot and Classic Design?. Ingrid Sundberg. Retrieved 11 February 2019, from http://ingridsundberg.com/2013/06/05/what-is-arch-plot-and-classic-design/ The Monomyth is very prevalent

Vogler, C. (1998). The writer's journey: Mythic structure for writers. Studio City, CA: M. Wiese Productions. Example of the Monomyth

Takes audience on a journey Shows the benefits of the risks Shows the development Demonstrate the learning and wisdom

BLACK. (2013). My journey to yo-yo mastery | BLACK. YouTube. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnuFrtTNUTc&feature=youtu.be 8 Classic storytelling techniques for engaging presentations | Story Telling Methods. (2018). Sparkol. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.sparkol.com/en/Blog/8-Classic-storytelling-techniques-for-engaging-presentations Duarte: The Audience Journey

“There must be some kind of conflict or imbalance perceived by the audience that your presentation resolves.”

“Clearly contrast who the audience is when they walk into the room (in their ordinary world) with whom they could be when they leave the room (crossing the threshold into a special world).”

Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences. (pp.35) New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Dan Harmon: Simple Story Circle

You A character is in a zone of comfort, Need But they want something. Go They enter an unfamiliar situation, Search Adapt to it, Find Get what they wanted, Take Pay a heavy price for it, Return Then return to their familiar situation, Change Having changed.

Harmon, D. Story Structure 101: Super Basic Shit. (2019). Channel 101 Wiki. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://channel101.fandom.com/wiki/Story_Structure_101:_Super_Basic_Shit Harmon: The structure of Rick and Morty

The Rhythm of Biology

The Rhythm of Psychology

The Rhythm of Society

Not Just a Movie. (2014). #44: Story Structure: Dan Harmon Story Circle, Vol. 1. Not Just a Movie. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://notjustamovie.com/2014/08/13/ep44 The Dan Harmon Story Circle: What Authors Can Learn from Rick and MortyReagan, • Reedsy. A. (2018).(2016) Reedsy. The emotionalRetrieved 10 Februaryarcs of 2019, storiesfrom are https://blog.reedsy.com/dan dominated by six basic-harmon shapes.-story-circle// p. 3 Harmon: The structure of The Dark Knight

Studio Binder. (2018). Dan Harmon Story Circle: 8 Proven Steps to Better Stories. YouTube.Reagan, Retrieved A. 10(2016 February) The emotional 2019, from arcs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= of stories are dominated by six basic-XGUVkOmPTA shapes. p. 3 Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Nested Loops

Embed a suggestion within another story

A story within a story within a story, with the cliffhanger effect. Start with your first story. Build up to a climax, but don’t resolve it. Start the second story. Build up to a climax, but don’t resolve it. Tell a third story beginning to end. Resolve the second story.

Start Story Start Story End Story End Story Resolve the first story. Suggestion 1 2 2 1

Freeth, P. (2008). NLP in Business. Warwickshire: CGW. Nested Loops: Explanation

Creates an experience for the audience. Good to transition audience from one mindset to another mindset. Explaining the process of how you were inspired/ came to a conclusion. Can be used to explain or impart knowledge. You are using analogies to explain a central concept. Showing how a piece of wisdom was passed along to you. Non-linear story. Can be difficult to follow.

Examples: Hamlet, Titanic, The Notebook

8 Classic storytelling techniques for engaging presentations | Story Telling Methods. (2018). Sparkol. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.sparkol.com/en/Blog/8-Classic-storytelling-techniques-for-engaging-presentations Ferreira, M. (2016). Storytelling, techniques for bloggers | Presslabs. Presslabs. RetrievedReagan, 10 A. February (2016) 2019, The from emotional https://www.presslabs.com/how arcs of stories are-to/storytelling dominated-techniques by six-for basic-bloggers shapes.-infographic/ p. 3 Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Nancy Duarte: The Presentation Form

Clear beginning, middle, and end.

Beginning - Setting the context of what is Call to Adventure - Turning point to separate begging from middle / an imbalance Call to Action - Turning point to separate middle from end / a way to resolve End - A resolution of where things can be

Oscillate between what is, and what could be. Back and forth, feels like events are unfolding.

Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences. (p.39) New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Duarte: What is / What could be

Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences. (pp.36-37) New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Examples: What is / What could be

Zander, B. (2008). The transformative power of classical music | Benjamin Zander. YouTube. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LCwI5iErE&feature=youtu.be King, M.L. (I963). Have a Dream, Martin Luther King Jr. Full Speech. YouTube. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARvrvJV4th4 Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

In Medias Res

“Into the middle of things”

Start story in the middle / heat of action Creates a hook to know beginning and ending

Beginning Middle End

Duarte, N. (2010). Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences. (p.39) New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. In Medias Res: Examples

Engages audience Focus attention on pivotal moment Creates a hook Flashbacks Has flexibility Can be distracting Can be confusing

Examples: Memento, Forest Gump, Donnie Darko, The Odyssey, Raging Bull, The Double and the Gambler

Ferreira, M. (2016). Storytelling, techniques for bloggers | Presslabs. Presslabs. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.presslabs.com/how-to/storytelling-techniques-for-bloggers-infographic/ 8 Classic storytelling techniques for engaging presentations | Story Telling Methods. (2018). Sparkol. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.sparkol.com/en/Blog/8-Classic-storytelling-techniques-for-engaging-presentations Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Plot device: MacGuﬃn

This is an object or device in a ﬁlm or a book which serves as a trigger for the plot, but has little or no narrative explanation as to why it is important.

Is the nature of the object or device interchangeable? Is the nature of the item irrelevant to the plot?

Ferreira, M. (2016). Storytelling, techniques for bloggers | Presslabs. Presslabs. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.presslabs.com/how-to/storytelling-techniques-for-bloggers-infographic/ MacGuffin - TV Tropes. (2019). TV Tropes. Retrieved 11 February 2019, from https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Macguffin MacGuffin: Example

Tech tutorials and DIY tutorials Educational and didactic Makes reader focus on objective Gives definitive solution to problem Only shows a limited amount of ways to solve the problem Depends on relative understanding o subject Relies on personal experience

Examples: The Big Labowski rug; Cassablanca letters of transit; Citizen Kane Rosebund; Star Wars Death Star plans; Montey Python and the Holy Grale

Ferreira, M. 2016). Storytelling, techniques for bloggers | Presslabs. Presslabs. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.presslabs.com/how-to/storytelling-techniques-for-bloggers-infographic/ Perno, G. (2018). The Ten Most Important MacGuffins in the History of Cinema. Cinelinx.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019, from https://www.cinelinx.com/movie-stuff/item/12631-the-ten-most-important-macguffins-in-the-history-of-cinema.html Mc:Lean, I. (2017). The Universal Rules of a MacGuffin – The Writing Cooperative.. The Writing Cooperative. Retrieved 11 February 2019, from https://writingcooperative.com/the-universal-rules-of-a-macguffin-c18f888a5952 Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Branching

Main story is divided into story nodes. Story nodes are presented one at a time. Story ends when all nodes are presented. There can be a different or common conclusion.

Simple branching Diamond branching Petal branching

Story divides in two or more nodes. Each node ends differently.

Story nodes diverge, but then converge. Shows how different people came together. Shows how something came together. Shows the course of a development. Shows how symbiotic relationships formed.

Ferreira, M. (2016). Storytelling, techniques for bloggers | Presslabs. Presslabs. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.presslabs.com/how-to/storytelling-techniques-for-bloggers-infographic/ Storytelling: Story Structure. (2002). Cs.cmu.edu. Retrieved 11 February 2019, from http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~jparise/research/storytelling/structure/ Branching types: Petal

Can show interconnectedness of process Can draw the audience into the relationships Can relate several scenarios to one base idea Can be confusing

Examples: City of God; Lost Highway

Ferreira, M. (2016). Storytelling, techniques for bloggers | Presslabs. Presslabs. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.presslabs.com/how-to/storytelling-techniques-for-bloggers-infographic/ Storytelling: Story Structure. (2002). Cs.cmu.edu. Retrieved 11 February 2019, from http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~jparise/research/storytelling/structure/ Branching : Nonlinear

No direct causality Portraying events out of chronological order. Good for debates and discussions Good for going through many diﬀerent ideas Can be very confusing Could lead to no conclusion

Examples: Momento, Lost, The Abominable Bride

Ferreira, M. (2016). Storytelling, techniques for bloggers | Presslabs. Presslabs. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.presslabs.com/how-to/storytelling-techniques-for-bloggers-infographic/ Mascolini, J. (2017) The Post Nonlinear Narrative Structure: Introduction. Medium. Retrieved 11 February 2019, from https://medium.com/@jacopomsn/the-post-nonlinear-narrative-structure-introduction-52f6dfe37377 Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Plot twist

Disrupt your audience expectations with a shift in the direction of the story through a plot device.

False start and that is reversed before the real conclusion is given.

Beginning Middle End

Makes audience pay more attention to your key message Good to show innovation through failure Good to show creative problem solving Can be misleading Not direct and can waste time

Examples: The Sixth Sense; Fight Club; Planet of the Apes; Memento; The Sixth Sense; Se7evn

Minto Pyramid Structure

Beginning, middle, end Introduction, body, conclusion MECE: Mutually Exclusive Collectively Exhaustive Problem-Solution SCQA

Can have different data sources and stories within this structure.

Minto, B. (2003). The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking and Problem Solving. Minto International. Ranadive, A. (2013) The Pyramid Principle – Lessons from McKinse. Medium. Retrieved 11 February 2019, from https://medium.com/lessons-from-mckinsey/the-pyramid-principle-f0885dd3c5c7 Minto Pyramid: Very direct form to relay information.

SCQA:

Minto, B. (2003). The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking and Problem Solving. Minto International. Powerusersoftwares. (2016). https://www.powerusersoftwares.com/single-post/2016/07/31/Give-a-brilliant-structure-to-your-presentations-with-the-Pyramid-Principle Quinten Edward Williams [email protected]

Nonﬁction work as narrative

Raw data and sequences of past events can be represented in many diﬀerent ways.

Like fiction, nonfiction has plots. Plotting events in different ways creates diverse perspectives.

Nonﬁction places past events into a causal plausible sequence: places raw data into a plot through diﬀerential selection.

Nonﬁction motivates audience to take an interest, through the creation of tension.

The theme of the story emerges as tension is released.

Diﬀerential selection of data and events points audience attention to chosen details, but can distort world.

Grant, L. (2007). The Veils of Clio: Dimensions of a Behavioral Narratology. The Analysis Of Verbal Behavior, 23(1), 57. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2774612/ Example: Nonfiction and narrative in a multimedia news story

Branch, J. (2012). Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek. Nytimes.com. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/index.html#/?part=tunnel-creek Example: Nonfiction and narrative in a multimedia news story

Panetta, F., Poulton, L., Purcell, A., Moss, S., Shabbir, N., & Brazier, L. (2019). A global guide to the first world war - interactive documentary. the Guardian. Retrieved 10 February 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2014/jul/23/a-global-guide-to-the-first-world-war-interactive-documentary EXERCISE

Design a presentation using a narrative structure.

(Individual work - but help each other with the learning content.) Create a presentation / story using a structure.

Consider what you have been doing in your design project, and your research activity in it. What about the project can you identify as having the potential for a strong message? What information would you like to relay about that context? What story would you like to tell? Which elements interests you? Which elements will create interest in the audience? What are the critical points that you would like to relay? How should this story be told?

Then, employ a narrative structure to make a story about an aspect of the design work. How will you relay the story through a plot? Therefore, come up with a sequence of events using your information and data according to any presentation structure.

For instance, you could employ Todorov’s narrative structure: Equilibrium, Disruption, Quest, Resolution, and a New Equilibrium. Or you could use Duarte’s Presentation Form: “What is, and what could be”. Or you could use the Minto Pyramid Structure problem-solution format. And so forth.

Later we will look at creating buy-in specific choices in how the content is weaved through the structure, and how you undertake the presentation.

Reagan, A. (2016) The emotional arcs of stories are dominated by six basic shapes. p. 3