Harmonizing Your Story with Dan Harmon's Story Circle

Dan Harmon's Story Circle is a narrative structure that is widely used in modern television and film writing. It is a simple and effective way to structure a story into eight distinct parts, creating a cohesive and engaging narrative. In this post, we will explore the key elements of Dan Harmon's Story Circle and provide examples of how it has been used in film and television.

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The narrative structure was developed by Dan Harmon, a writer and producer known for his work on television shows such as Community and Rick and Morty. Harmon developed the Story Circle as a tool for structuring his own writing and helping other writers in his writers' room.

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In an interview with Wired, Harmon described the origin of the Story Circle as a combination of his own writing experiences and his studies of other narrative structures. Harmon said he had been struggling with a script and realized that he needed to create a clear narrative structure in order to make progress. He started to sketch out a circle on a piece of paper and began to fill in the different parts of the structure.

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Harmon also drew inspiration from other narrative structures, such as Joseph Campbell's monomyth (also known as The Hero's Journey) and the work of screenwriter and author Christopher Vogler. He incorporated elements of these structures into his Story Circle, while also simplifying and streamlining the process.

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Since its development, Dan Harmon's Story Circle has become a popular tool for writers and storytellers in television, film, and other mediums. Its simplicity and effectiveness have made it a valuable tool for creating compelling and engaging stories that resonate with audiences.

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The eight parts of Dan Harmon's Story Circle are as follows:

1. You: The protagonist is introduced, and the audience learns about their ordinary world and the status quo.
2. Need: The protagonist realizes that they need something, often due to a change in their circumstances or a disruption of the status quo.
3. Go: The protagonist sets out on a journey or quest to achieve their goal.
4. Search: The protagonist faces a series of challenges and obstacles as they try to achieve their goal.
5. Find: The protagonist finds what they were looking for, often through a revelation or discovery.
6. Take: The protagonist takes possession of what they were looking for, but faces consequences or unexpected challenges.
7. Return: The protagonist returns to their ordinary world, but has changed or transformed in some way.
8. Change: The protagonist has undergone a transformation, and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion.

Examples of Dan Harmon's Story Circle in Popular Stories:

1. Breaking Bad: In Breaking Bad, Walter White is introduced as a high school chemistry teacher who is diagnosed with cancer. He realizes that he needs to provide for his family after he dies, and sets out on a journey to become a methamphetamine manufacturer. He faces numerous challenges and obstacles along the way, and ultimately finds what he was looking for. However, he takes possession of his newfound wealth at a great cost and returns to his ordinary world transformed.
2. The Lion King: In The Lion King, Simba is introduced as a young lion prince who is destined to rule over the animal kingdom. When his father is killed by his uncle Scar, Simba realizes that he needs to reclaim his rightful place as king. He sets out on a journey, facing challenges and obstacles, and ultimately finds what he was looking for. However, he takes possession of his throne at a great cost and returns to his kingdom transformed.
3. Toy Story: In Toy Story, Woody is introduced as a toy who is the favorite of his owner, Andy. When a new toy, Buzz Lightyear, arrives on the scene, Woody realizes that he needs to maintain his status as Andy's favorite toy. He sets out on a journey to keep Buzz away from Andy, but faces challenges and obstacles along the way. Ultimately, he learns to share Andy's affection with Buzz and returns to his ordinary world transformed.

Dan Harmon's Story Circle is a powerful narrative structure that has been used in modern storytelling to create compelling and engaging stories. By following the eight-part journey of the protagonist as they embark on a quest, face challenges and obstacles, and ultimately are transformed, writers can create stories that resonate with audiences. Whether it's in modern television shows like Breaking Bad or classic films like The Lion King and Toy Story, Dan Harmon's Story Circle continues to be a popular and effective tool for structuring a story.

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