What is a Story Spine?
A story spine is a concept created by Kenn Adams in the book “How to Improvise a Full-Length Play: The Art of Spontaneous Theater.” It is a simple outline with prompts that assist a storyteller develop a structure for their narrative. This 9 part structure can help develop a story to have 3 simple acts.
Story Spine Structure
3 Act Narrative Story Spine Structure
You will use the story spine as the foundation for your 3 act narrative structure.
Act 1 – The first 3 parts of the story spine
This act sets the scene, introduces characters, shows how the world works. The act leads up to having have the rising action of “But, one day…”
- Once upon a time…
- Every day…
- But, one day…
Act 2 - The Journey or the “Because of that…” Sequences
Show the journey of the character and how they overcome obstacles that they encounter. Often includes a low point of the character’s journey. Hardship comes to the character as they experience a low point. A series of challenges is presented that lead to the climax or a fork in the road where a decision must be made. After this decision is made that there is often no going back.
- Because of that…
- Because of that…
- Because of that…
Act 3 - Heading toward the climax and resolution
The characters must make a choice to overcome the obstacles of Act 2. This the “Until, finally…” climatic moment of the story arc. This moves the story toward conclusion and resolution. The character demonstrates learning and growth. This often demonstrates the moral of the story.
- Until, finally…
- And, ever since then…
- And the moral of the story is ….