Screenwriting and the Unified Theory of Narrative

Book excerpt: Screenwriting and The Unified Theory of Narrative, Part I provides an advanced investigation of narrative structure for readers who wish to understand cinematic storytelling not in terms of its bits and pieces, but as a comprehensive whole. A great story is not a collection of parts, but a process by which many elements interact to create a single meaningful experience. By seeking the principles of these interactions, this book unites the formerly separate structures of plot, character, and theme to reveal for the first time the single overarching structure by which every successful traditionally-told Hollywood or American Independent film abides, regardless of genre, premise, style, or tone. The unified narrative structure is not a formula. It simply reveals the natural method by which great cinematic stories always have and always will unite their many elements into a cohesive line of action that communicates as well as entertains. Whether it be celebratory story like Star Wars, a cautionary tale like Raging Bull, a tragic narrative like Chinatown, or a cynical film like The Godfather, the interactions between plot, character, and theme remain exactly the same. With its approach, The Unified Narrative Structure comes as close as currently possible to a truly universal model of cinematic storytelling; one that takes into account all three dimensions of narrative and stands applicable to virtually any traditional feature-length film.