Story Patterns & Narrative Design
Story patterns are the DNA of narrative. These time-tested structures, from Ronald Tobias' 20 Master Plots to Christopher Booker's Seven Basic Plots, provide frameworks that resonate with audiences because they reflect fundamental human experiences.
Why Patterns Matter
Every great story follows patterns - not because writers lack creativity, but because patterns work. They tap into deep psychological and cultural expectations while leaving room for infinite variation.
"There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before." Willa Cather
SCRIPTA's Pattern Library
SCRIPTA includes comprehensive pattern libraries based on:
- Ronald Tobias - "20 Master Plots and How to Build Them"
- Christopher Booker - "The Seven Basic Plots"
- Blake Snyder - "Save the Cat" beat sheets
- Robert McKee - "Story" principles
- Joseph Campbell - The Hero's Journey monomyth
Patterns Tab in SCRIPTA
Access the Patterns tab to browse and add story patterns to your project. Each pattern includes structure, examples from literature/film, and key questions to guide your implementation.
Master Plots
Master plots are fundamental story archetypes that appear across all cultures and time periods. Each represents a core human experience or desire.
Quest & Journey Plots
| Plot | Description | Key Question | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quest | Protagonist searches for a person, place, or thing | What are they searching for, and why does it matter? | Lord of the Rings, Finding Nemo |
| Adventure | Journey into the unknown with challenges and discoveries | What will they discover about themselves? | The Odyssey, Indiana Jones |
| Voyage and Return | Travel to strange land, experience it, return transformed | How does the other world change the protagonist? | Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz |
Conflict & Opposition Plots
| Plot | Description | Structure | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pursuit | One character chases another | Flight > Chase > Near Captures > Resolution | Les Miserables, The Fugitive |
| Rescue | Hero must save someone from danger | Capture > Discovery > Pursuit > Rescue | Die Hard, Taken |
| Escape | Protagonist must break free from confinement | Imprisonment > Planning > Attempts > Freedom | Shawshank Redemption, Room |
| Rivalry | Two equal opponents compete | Introduction > Competition > Escalation > Resolution | Amadeus, The Prestige |
| Underdog | The weak overcomes the powerful | Disadvantage > Challenge > Preparation > Victory | Rocky, Erin Brockovich |
Transformation Plots
| Plot | Description | Key Question | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metamorphosis | Physical or fundamental transformation | Does the outer change reveal or hide the inner self? | Kafka's Metamorphosis, Beauty and the Beast |
| Transformation | Internal change through experience | What belief must they abandon to become who they need to be? | A Christmas Carol, Groundhog Day |
| Rebirth | Character trapped in darkness finds light | What sleeping part of themselves must awaken? | Sleeping Beauty, Secret Garden |
Rise & Fall Plots
| Plot | Description | Structure | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension | Rise from humble origins to success | Poverty > Opportunity > Rise > Threat > Triumph | Cinderella, Slumdog Millionaire |
| Descension (Tragedy) | Fall from grace due to fatal flaw | Height > Flaw > Mistakes > Fall > Destruction | Macbeth, Breaking Bad, The Godfather |
| Temptation | Character is tempted to betray their values | Virtue > Temptation > Struggle > Choice | Faust, Wall Street |
Twist Types
Twists are narrative revelations that recontextualize everything the audience thought they knew. A great twist is both surprising and inevitable - surprising when it happens, but obvious in retrospect.
High-Impact Twists
| Type | Description | Setup Required | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity Reveal | Character is not who they appeared to be | Plant subtle clues that can be reinterpreted | Keyser Soze, Tyler Durden, Luke's father |
| Motive Reveal | True reason behind actions is revealed | Show actions without explaining why | Snape's love for Lily, Memento |
| Time Reveal | Events are not when we thought | Avoid explicit time markers | Arrival, The Others, Westworld |
| Location Reveal | Place is not what it appeared | Restrict information about outside world | Planet of the Apes, The Village |
| Morality Flip | Good was evil or evil was good | Show apparent virtue/vice that can be reframed | Gone Girl, Primal Fear |
| Unreliable Narrator | Narrator has been lying or deluded | First person narration with subtle inconsistencies | Fight Club, Atonement |
Twist Checklist
- Is it set up with clues that can be seen in retrospect?
- Does it deepen meaning rather than just shock?
- Does it change how we view earlier events?
- Is it emotionally satisfying, not just clever?
Subplot Patterns
Subplots enrich your main story by providing contrast, reinforcement, or parallel exploration of themes.
| Pattern | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Thematic Echo | Mirrors main theme in different context | Laertes mirrors Hamlet's revenge |
| Thematic Contrast | Presents opposite view of theme | Successful vs failed revenge in same story |
| Comic Relief | Lighter subplot provides emotional breaks | Merry and Pippin in Lord of the Rings |
| Romance in Action | Love story woven through adventure | Han and Leia in Star Wars |
| Villain Humanization | Shows villain's perspective/past | Magneto's Holocaust backstory |
| Ticking Clock | Deadline creates urgency | The bomb that will explode |
| Character B Journey | Secondary character has own complete arc | Sam's journey in Lord of the Rings |
Character Dynamics
Character dynamics define how groups of characters interact and create conflict or harmony.
Ensemble Patterns
| Pattern | Description | Typical Roles | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Fellowship | Diverse skills united for common goal | Leader, Warrior, Wise One, Scout, Heart, Comic Relief | LOTR Fellowship, Avengers |
| The Heist Crew | Specialists with unique roles | Mastermind, Tech, Muscle, Con Artist, Driver | Ocean's Eleven, Money Heist |
| Found Family | Outsiders become closer than blood | Parent Figure, Older Sibling, Baby, Black Sheep | Firefly, Guardians of the Galaxy |
| Love Triangle | Three with romantic tension | Protagonist, Safe Choice, Dangerous Choice | Twilight, Casablanca |
| Mentor Chain | Master who was once student | Old Master, Current Mentor, New Student | Star Wars Jedi, Kung Fu Panda |
| Foil Pair | Contrasting characters illuminate each other | Protagonist, Foil | Holmes/Watson, Kirk/Spock |
Stakes Escalation
Great stories escalate stakes progressively. What starts as a personal problem becomes increasingly consequential.
| Pattern | Progression | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Personal to Global | Personal Loss > Community Threat > World at Risk | Harry Potter series, Star Wars |
| Physical to Spiritual | Survive > Protect Others > Save Soul | Lord of the Rings, The Matrix |
| Reversible to Permanent | Can Undo > Harder to Undo > Permanent | Breaking Bad, tragedy structure |
| Self to Others | Own Life > Loved Ones > Strangers > Future Generations | Die Hard, Interstellar |
Opening Hooks
The opening sets expectations and hooks the audience. Different hooks serve different purposes.
| Hook | Description | Effect | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| In Medias Res | Start in middle of action | Immediate engagement | The Odyssey, James Bond films |
| Mystery Question | Open with unanswered question | Curiosity drives reading | "Who killed X?" |
| Unusual World | Establish different rules immediately | Wonder, establishes genre | 1984's first line |
| Character in Trouble | Protagonist faces immediate problem | Sympathy, investment | Cinderella, Oliver Twist |
| Before/After Contrast | Show ending then flash back | "How did we get here?" | Breaking Bad, Sunset Boulevard |
Ending Patterns
How you end shapes the entire meaning of your story. Choose your ending pattern deliberately.
| Ending | Description | Satisfaction | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closed | All questions answered, full resolution | High | Most fairy tales, Lord of the Rings |
| Open | Ambiguous, reader decides meaning | Variable | Inception, The Lady or the Tiger |
| Circular | Returns to beginning, but transformed | High | The Wizard of Oz, Fight Club |
| Bittersweet | Victory achieved but at great cost | High | Casablanca, Logan |
| Twist | Final revelation changes everything | High if earned | The Sixth Sense, Planet of the Apes |
| Eucatastrophe | Sudden turn from disaster to joy | Very high | Eagles in LOTR (Tolkien's term) |
| Tragedy | Hero's flaw leads to downfall | Cathartic | Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet |
Emotional Sequences
Emotional sequences are proven patterns of feeling that create satisfying arcs.
| Sequence | Beats | Effect | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hope-Despair-Hope | Hope > Building Hope > Crushing Despair > Glimmer > Triumph | Classic satisfying arc | Most hero journeys |
| Trust-Betrayal-Forgiveness | Trust > Betrayal > Anger > Understanding > Forgiveness | Redemption arc | Prodigal son stories |
| Fear-Courage-Triumph | Fear > Reluctance > First Step > Growing Courage > Triumph | Empowerment | Coming of age stories |
| Love-Loss-Acceptance | Love > Threat > Loss > Grief > Acceptance > Growth | Cathartic grief processing | Love stories with death |
| Pride-Fall-Humility | Arrogance > Success > Hubris > Fall > Humility > Wisdom | Character growth through failure | Greek tragedy, redemption arcs |
Genre Hybrids
Genre hybrids combine conventions from multiple genres to create fresh experiences.
| Hybrid | Base Genres | Key Rules | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Mystery | Fantasy + Mystery | Magic has rules, clues involve magic | Dresden Files, Rivers of London |
| Space Western | Sci-Fi + Adventure | Frontier justice, scarce resources | Firefly, The Mandalorian |
| Gothic Romance | Romance + Horror | Dangerous lover, dark secret | Rebecca, Crimson Peak |
| Horror Comedy | Comedy + Horror | Horror rules played for laughs | Shaun of the Dead, Tucker and Dale |
| Sci-Fi Horror | Sci-Fi + Horror | Isolation, unknown threat | Alien, Event Horizon |
Combining Patterns
Great stories often layer multiple patterns. Here's how to combine effectively:
Pattern Layering
- Main Plot + Subplot Pattern - Quest main plot with Thematic Echo subplot
- Master Plot + Character Dynamic - Rescue plot with Heist Crew dynamic
- Emotional Sequence + Twist - Hope-Despair-Hope with Identity Reveal at the turn
Example: Star Wars (A New Hope)
- Master Plot: Rescue (save the princess) + Quest (destroy Death Star)
- Character Dynamic: Mentor Chain (Obi-Wan > Luke)
- Subplot: Romance in Action (Han/Leia seeds)
- Stakes: Personal to Global (Luke's aunt/uncle > entire Rebellion)
- Emotional Sequence: Hope-Despair-Hope (Obi-Wan's death > Luke trusts Force)
- Ending: Closed with Eucatastrophe elements
Further Reading
- Ronald B. Tobias - "20 Master Plots and How to Build Them" (1993)
- Christopher Booker - "The Seven Basic Plots" (2004)
- Blake Snyder - "Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need" (2005)
- Robert McKee - "Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting" (1997)
- Joseph Campbell - "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" (1949)
- Christopher Vogler - "The Writer's Journey" (1998)