Dan Harmon Story Circle: 8 Proven Steps to Better Stories

Have you ever felt like youre stuck in a creative loop You start a script, get halfway done, but because you cant figure out the ending, you abandon it, then start a new one. And then it happens again. And again. So writer, producer Dan Harmon tackled this problem. He took centuries of storytelling principles and turned them into an easytouse guide for building a compelling story. One circle. Eight steps. Understanding good narrative structure wont just make you a better writer. Itll make you a better storyteller. Today, were going to look at Christopher Nolans The Dark Knight, a film with a seemingly complex plot, that we can break down into the 8 steps of the story circle. The theory boils down to three sentences: (1) A character is comfortable (2) but they see something they want, (3) So they head out into uncharted territory to get it (4) but have to change in order to succeed. (5) When they finally grasp it, (6) they pay a hefty price (7) and return to their