The Design Principle A book review of The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller (2007) Written by Kenneth Ting1,2 1 Department of Immunology 2 Alumunus of Victoria College, University of Toronto
The Design Principle The design principle is the most novel story-telling concept that John Truby has introduced in his book. Not surprisingly, it is also the most difficult concept to understand due to the abstract nature of its definition. In The Anatomy of Story, the design principle is defined as the presentation of the story, in which the presentation itself is the essence of the story. In other words, it is how the story is being presented, in which the method of presentation is the heart of the story. For example, in the movie, Manchester by the Sea, Kenneth Lonergan has used unannounced flashbacks extensively to demonstrate Lee’s horrifying backstory throughout the movie. The use of unannounced flashbacks here is more than just a style of story presentation. It demonstrates the essence of the story, which is the concept that broken people constantly experience disruption in their present lives from their tragic memories. This concept is demonstrated by analogously disrupting the audience visual experience on a constant basis with the use of unannounced flashbacks. While not all great movies will have a design principle, if a movie has one, it will be a great movie. In the case of Manchester by the Sea, the effective use of unannounced flashbacks has earned its place in winning the Best Original Screenplay from the Academy Awards in 2016.
Reverse Chronology In The Anatomy of Story, reverse chronology refers to the process of constructing a story by starting from the end of it. While this concept is not particularly unique, John Truby has highlighted its importance throughout his book because it ensures the writers know by the end of the story if the hero has accomplished his or her goal (outer journey) and how that relates to the hero’s self-revelation (inner journey). In fact, a common mistake that can often be found in the works of professional writers is that they are unable to genuinely connect the hero’s inner and outer journeys. This can be attributed to the fact that some writers place so much emphasis on the hero’s inner journey that they neglect the progression of the outer journey. This often becomes a problem, especially near the end of the story, when both journeys must intertwine. At this point, these writers often have no choice but to connect their well-crafted inner journeys with unrealistic outer journeys to foster a sense of unity. For instance, in Mean Girls, Cady’s inner journey is so well crafted that her outer journey is neglected. Therefore, her self-revelation is intertwined with an unrealistic outside story, in this case, during the state championship. Specifically, the writers of the film expect the audience to believe that Cady’s rapid response during the sudden death round is more than sufficient for her to reflect on her life and gain a self-revelation, while at the same time determining the correct answer for the math question. As John Truby described, the success of a story depends on the quality of the hero’s self-revelation. While Mean Girls is a successful teen comedy, the story could be significantly improved if Cady’s inner and outer journey were intertwined in a more genuine fashion. Screenwriters’ Perspectives Vol. 1 No. 1 2020
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