The Nine Steps of Story Structure by Doug Stevenson

What do the Star Wars, Jason Bourne, James Bond, Shrek and the Matrix movies all have in
common? Story structure. Theyre all the same story told in a different way. Practically every movie
youve ever seen follows a similar pattern or story structure. Joseph Campbell, the American
mythologist, writer and lecturer, calls it the heros journey.
Basically, youve got a lead character, male or female, that sets out on a journey to accomplish
something. It doesnt matter whether its a love story, a thriller or an action adventure flick; the story
structure is the same. The lead character has a goal or task to accomplish. He or she sets out to
accomplish it, meets interesting characters along the way, and encounters a number of obstacles
that have to be overcome. In the end, there is a resolution that either makes us feel good, bad, or
just plain confused, depending on the skill of the director.
In other words, youve got a knight in shining armor, a fair maiden in distress, and a dragon. The
knight has to slay the dragon in order to rescue the fair maiden. Consider Angelina Jolie, in the
movie Salt. Shes been framed to be a bad guy and has to prove her innocence. Shes the knight in
shining armor; the people who frame her are the dragon; and her good name / reputation is the fair
damsel in distress.
While the situations and characters change, its all the same story. When you understand this
classical story structure, you can use it to your advantage when crafting your stories for a business
audience.The Nine Steps of Story Structure, below, are explained in greater detail in the
book, Doug Stevensons Story Theater Method. He has also created a You Tube video where you
can see where each of the Nine Steps occurs while hes telling one of his signature stories about
leadership. The link is: You Tube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ3BDkMN1LY
The Nine Steps of Story Structure
1.

Set the Scene

Go back in time and create the context within which this event takes place. Consider...

Time: year, month, day, time, season, holiday...

Place: city, state, country, home, school, office, bedroom, market, beach...

Atmosphere: sunny, rainy, gloomy, tense, joyous, comfortable, uncomfortable...

Event: board meeting, wedding, vacation, dinner, soccer game, seminar, movie...

Relationship: sister, boss, spouse, son, supervisor, teacher, friend, tour guide. . .

Data/Statistics: relevant trends and facts...

2.
Introduce the Characters
(Not necessarily Step 2) Describe the main characters visually. Start with physical characteristics,
age and clothing. Next, describe their personality and style. Describe anything pertinent about your
relationship with that person. Introduce characters in the natural sequence that they arrive in your
story. Example: Wendy was a middle-aged woman with long black hair that she wore pulled back in
a braid. She always wore fashionable clothesthe latest styles and fancy shoes. She had a habit
of always being late for meetings. She also had a tendency to apologize for things, even when she
wasnt responsible for the situation. I think she had a lack of self-esteem, and maybe thats why
she wore fancy clothesto make up for it.
3. Begin the Journey
The journey is the task, objective or activity to be accomplished. It is what you are attempting to do
before something goes wrong or you encounter an obstacle. Example: Going on vacation to
Greece; waiting in line for tickets; meeting a friend for lunch; negotiating a contract; planning the
annual meeting; riding a bicycle.
4. Encounter the Obstacle
The obstacle is the challenge. It is a problem, dilemma or question. It may be a person, something
to be overcome, or something to be learned. Its who or what gets in the way of accomplishing the
journey. Define the obstacle in your story. Example: a flat tire, a delayed flight, an abusive boss, a
lack of self-esteem, a misunderstanding...
This is the how-to step in the Nine Steps of Story Structure. It is the most critical step because it
teaches the lesson on a subliminal level. You may choose to perform parts of this step as an IN
moment such as talking to yourself (self talk) as you consider your options and come to a
conclusion or new awareness.
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For this step, Overcome The Obstacle, there are two options:

Overcome the obstacle correctly, thereby teaching the correct behavior.

Overcome the obstacle incorrectly. Make mistakes.
Show people through your thoughts and behavior what you dont want them to do.
Then, use the story as a spring board to discuss the correct or desired behavior.

Describe, in a linear sequence, each step in overcoming the obstacle. Think incrementally in little
steps, not broad strokes. What came first: a thought or an emotion? Then what? Did you go into
avoidance mode or take immediate action? Tell the truth. The magic is in the details.
5. Resolve the Story
This step is relatively easy. Go back through your story script and look for details that need to be
resolved. Ask yourself, What will my audience be wondering about if I dont tell them? How did
things work out in the end?
6. Make the Point
After resolving the story, use a Bridge Statement leading into the Point. Examples: What I learned
from that experience was... or What that experience taught me was
Make the Point in a simple and concise manner. What is the ONE point that your story makes
above all other points?
7. Ask The Question
The question formally transfers the learning point to each audience member. It asks them to take
personal accountability in relation to a specific question. It is a YOU question that forces them to
consider how the lesson of the story applies to them. Example:How about you? What do you need
to do to lead by example?
8. Repeat the Point / The Phrase That Pays
Re-state or repeat the point verbatim. Use the exact same words you used the first time you made
the point. Memorize the sentence or Phrase That Pays.
Crafting your story using The Nine Steps of Story Structure will give you the foundational
architecture of a great story. Your audience will be better able to follow the sequence of your story,
and remember your profound message! With the Nine Steps as your "bones", you can now flesh
out your story with acting and comedic techniques to make it amazing.

merthe@tiemensma.com

www.tiemensma.com