Narrative Structure

Story: Story is not a synonym for narrative. The plot gets told, but can change a lot overtime.

Narrative: How we decided to tell the story.

Agent: The key driver for the narrative.


3 acts narrative structure: Begging, Middle and End.

5 act classic Hollywood structure:

Exposition: Key characters and locations.
Development: You get to know the characters better.
Complications: When something negative happens.
Climax:When the problem/problems get resolved.
Resolution: Happy ending.

Linear: When the story is told in the 5 acts of classic Hollywood structure. (Little Miss Sunshine, Fight  Club, Se7en, Lord of the Rings, American Beauty etc...)
Non-Linear: All the 5 stages happen but they're not in order/jumbled up. (Pulp Fiction, Slumdog Millionaire, The Prestige, Sin City, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Oldboy, Kill Bill, City of God, The Usual Suspects, Forest Gump)



Little Miss Sunshine Linear Diagram:















Pulp Fiction Non-Linear Diagram:




















Pulp Fiction Storyline Breakdown Graph: