When you are working on deadline, story frames can help you quickly write clear and easy-to-follow stories. Here are a couple of key story forms.
Tried and True: Setting, Complication, Resolution, Summary
This story frame is easy on viewers’ eyes and ears because the structure is so familiar. You probably heard it in stories when you were a child.
- Once upon a time … (the setting)
- Suddenly … (the complication)
- Fortunately … (the resolution)
- As it turns out … (the closing/summary)
Upside Down: The What, Background, Main Action, Conclusion
But sometimes, great stories can turn the old traditional story frames on their heads. They can look like this:
- As it turns out … (what happened)
- Once upon a time … (the background)
- Suddenly … (the main action of the story)
- Fortunately … (conclusion)
Taken from Reporting, Writing for TV and the Web: Aim for the Heart, a self-directed course by Poynter’s Al Tompkins at Poynter NewsU.
