Dan Harmon, John Truby, and a Twist of Joseph Campbell

For those of you that have been with me for some time, you know how I feel about the traditional three-act, Aristotelian storytelling structure: to put it nicely, I don’t feel for it. And as someone who believes that any valuable critique requires a valuable alternative, I’ve been working on my own iteration of the plot cycle. The following marries Dan Harmony’s Story Circle, John Trudy’s narrative crafts, and the cream of the crop, Joseph Campbells Heroine’s Journey.

I want feedback, Folx! Criticism. Compliments. Concerns. I’d love to hear about your own relationship with storytelling as a method and don’t be shy — what’s your style? Your type?

Introducing the Andriani Method – a powerful storytelling framework that combines the best of Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, John Truby’s storytelling principles, and the Heroine’s Journey. This method will help you craft compelling stories that captivate your audience and keep them engaged from beginning to end.

The Andriani Method is built around a circular structure that follows the Joseph Campbells blueprint (see proceeding table), and details the journey of the protagonist as they navigate through challenges and obstacles to achieve their goal. Here are Campbell’s key elements:

1. The Ordinary World – This is where the story begins, and the protagonist is introduced in their everyday life.
2. The Call to Adventure – The protagonist is presented with a challenge or an opportunity that forces them to leave their ordinary world and embark on a journey.
3. Refusal of the Call – The protagonist may resist the call, either due to fear or lack of confidence in their abilities.
4. Meeting the Mentor – The protagonist encounters a mentor or a guide who provides them with the tools, knowledge, and advice they need to face their challenges.
5. Crossing the Threshold – The protagonist takes the first step into the unknown, leaving their ordinary world behind and entering the realm of adventure.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies – The protagonist faces a series of challenges, tests, and obstacles that help them grow, gain allies, and identify their enemies.
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave – The protagonist approaches the most significant challenge of the journey, the inmost cave, where their ultimate goal is located.
8. Ordeal – The protagonist faces their most significant challenge yet, often risking their life, in a battle against their enemy or their fears.
9. Reward – The protagonist emerges victorious from their ordeal, achieving their goal or gaining a valuable insight or knowledge.
10. The Road Back – The protagonist leaves the inmost cave, but their journey is not over yet. They must return to their ordinary world, facing the consequences of their actions.
11. Resurrection – The protagonist faces a final test, where they must use everything they have learned to overcome their final obstacle.
12. Return with the Elixir – The protagonist returns to their ordinary world, having gained a valuable lesson or treasure that they can share with others.

The Andriani Method incorporates John Truby’s principles of character development, plot design, and story structure, which focus on creating complex characters, dynamic plots, and engaging themes that resonate with the audience. This method also incorporates Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, which emphasizes the importance of the protagonist’s emotional journey and the need for a satisfying conclusion.

Whether you’re a writer, filmmaker, or marketer, the Andriani Method can help you craft stories that inspire, entertain, and connect with your audience. So, what are you waiting for? Start using the Andriani Method today and unleash the power of storytelling!

Marrying Dan Harmon and John Truby: Not in the Fluffy, Fanfic Kind of Way!

Building on the Andriani Method, let’s integrate additional storytelling techniques from John Truby to create a more comprehensive approach to storytelling. Here are a few key elements to consider:

1. Complex Characters – Characters are at the heart of any story, and creating complex, well-rounded characters is essential to engaging your audience. To do this, consider giving your characters contrasting traits, values, and desires. Give them backstory and flaws that drive their actions and motivations. John Truby’s approach to character development can help you create characters that are both believable and relatable to your audience.
2. Seven Key Steps – John Truby’s approach to storytelling emphasizes seven key steps that help to create a strong and cohesive plot. These steps include:

• Weakness and Need: The protagonist has a fundamental flaw that they must overcome.
• Desire: The protagonist has a clear goal that they are working towards.
• Opponent: The antagonist presents a significant challenge to the protagonist.
• Plan: The protagonist develops a plan to achieve their goal.
• Battle: The protagonist and antagonist engage in a series of confrontations.
• Self-Revelation: The protagonist learns something new about themselves.
• New Equilibrium: The protagonist returns to a new normal after the events of the story.

3. Emotional Journey – Dan Harmon’s Story Circle emphasizes the protagonist’s emotional journey throughout the story. This includes identifying the protagonist’s emotional state at the beginning of the story and how it evolves throughout the story as they face challenges and overcome obstacles. Consider how the emotional journey of your protagonist relates to the overarching themes of your story.
4. Themes and Symbols – Themes and symbols are essential elements of any story, helping to create depth and meaning. Consider using symbols that are relevant to the story and themes that resonate with your audience. John Truby’s approach emphasizes the importance of creating a central theme that runs through the story, creating a cohesive narrative that resonates with the audience.

By combining these elements, you can create a powerful storytelling framework that engages your audience, creates well-rounded characters, and delivers a compelling plot. The Andriani Method, enhanced with elements of John Truby’s storytelling techniques and Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, provides a comprehensive approach to storytelling that can help you craft stories that resonate with your audience and leave a lasting impression

The Andriani Method

Let’s enhance the Andriani Method with the aforementioned frameworks storytelling techniques to create a comprehensive storytelling framework. Here are the updated elements:

1. The Ordinary World – This is where the story begins, and the protagonist is introduced in their everyday life. Introduce the protagonist’s fundamental flaw or weakness that they must overcome to achieve their goal, as per John Truby’s approach to character development.
2. The Call to Adventure – The protagonist is presented with a challenge or an opportunity that forces them to leave their ordinary world and embark on a journey. This should align with the protagonist’s desire, as per John Truby’s seven key steps of storytelling.
3. Refusal of the Call – The protagonist may resist the call, either due to fear or lack of confidence in their abilities. This is an opportunity to delve deeper into the protagonist’s fundamental flaw or weakness, as per John Truby’s approach to character development.
4. Meeting the Mentor – The protagonist encounters a mentor or a guide who provides them with the tools, knowledge, and advice they need to face their challenges. This is an opportunity to introduce the protagonist’s plan to achieve their goal, as per John Truby’s seven key steps of storytelling.
5. Crossing the Threshold – The protagonist takes the first step into the unknown, leaving their ordinary world behind and entering the realm of adventure. This is an opportunity to introduce the opponent, as per John Truby’s seven key steps of storytelling.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies – The protagonist faces a series of challenges, tests, and obstacles that help them grow, gain allies, and identify their enemies. This is an opportunity to introduce the battles between the protagonist and the opponent, as per John Truby’s seven key steps of storytelling.
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave – The protagonist approaches the most significant challenge of the journey, the inmost cave, where their ultimate goal is located. This is an opportunity to delve deeper into the protagonist’s self-revelation, as per John Truby’s seven key steps of storytelling.
8. Ordeal – The protagonist faces their most significant challenge yet, often risking their life, in a battle against their enemy or their fears. This is an opportunity to highlight the protagonist’s emotional journey, as per Dan Harmon’s Story Circle.
9. Reward – The protagonist emerges victorious from their ordeal, achieving their goal or gaining a valuable insight or knowledge. This is an opportunity to reflect on the central theme of the story and the protagonist’s transformation, as per John Truby’s approach to storytelling.
10. The Road Back – The protagonist leaves the inmost cave, but their journey is not over yet. They must return to their ordinary world, facing the consequences of their actions. This is an opportunity to explore the new equilibrium, as per John Truby’s seven key steps of storytelling.
11. Resurrection – The protagonist faces a final test, where they must use everything they have learned to overcome their final obstacle. This is an opportunity to use symbols that are relevant to the story and themes that resonate with the audience, as per John Truby’s approach to storytelling.
12. Return with the Elixir – The protagonist returns to their ordinary world, having gained a valuable lesson or treasure that they can share with others. This is an opportunity to create a satisfying conclusion that resonates with the audience, as per Dan Harmon’s Story Circle.

By integrating these elements, the Andriani Method is enhanced into a comprehensive storytelling framework that emphasizes character development, plot design, emotional journey, themes, and symbols. This approach can help you create engaging stories that resonate with your audience and leave a lasting impression