Parts of a Story By Karah Parks

A good story has… Let’s review:

Context  Where is the story happening? What is the year? What time(s)?  Setting a clear context helps make the story more real to the viewer.  The context here is medieval Europe, in an open field, in the middle of the day. Raphael [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Characters  Protagonist – the main character in the story. Some stories might have more than one.  Antagonist – the villain or “bad guy” in the story. Sometimes this is more than one person as well. By of the paintings - Unknown. Of the book, Albert von Le Coq. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 According to Andrew Stanton, every good character in a story has a “spine” – this is both a strength and a weakness that drives this character, often into the story’s conflict.  Stanton cites his own character Woody, from Toy Story, who’s spine is that he’s driven to be the “top toy” – the most important toy the boy owns. It is this motivation that causes the action in the story. The spine

Theme  This is the central idea of the story. It is also known as the main message the story is illustrating.  The theme in this story could be: “It is better to become a tree, than to give into an unworthy man.” Or “when simply breaking up isn’t an option.” Antonio del Pollaiolo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Promise  This element is what Andrew Stanton says will “make someone care” about what happens in your story.  Good stories start with an interesting beginning – something that promises the viewer that the story will be be worth watching. Henry Scott Tuke [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Conflict  The conflict is the main problem the characters face. It is what Andrew Stanton calls the “tension.”  It is related to the central theme. If our theme is “Hard work leads to success” then the conflict might be the laziness of the main character.  If there is no conflict, there is no story. laziness-is-a-skill-19 by TRF_MR_HYDE

Resolution  This is the solution to the conflict.  This does not mean the story needs to have a happy ending.  The resolution re-affirms the main theme of the story, which should be present, even if not obvious, throughout the story. "Legendary kiss V–J day in Times Square Alfred Eisenstaedt". Via Wikipedia -

Typical Western Plot Structure

Digital Storytelling Now, consider:

What is Digital Storytelling?  “Digital stories are narratives that have main characters in the plot, introduce the series of events that develop logically and/or chronologically, and can be interpreted by the audience based on the combination of verbal, visual, and musical cues. Moreover, the authors use a variety of visual techniques such as photographs, cartoons, and short [2-4 minute] videos, sometimes combining them within one digital story.” – Polina Vinogradova, Ph.D. TESOL, Russian Image from

 Point of view – from whose perspective is the story told  What thoughts and feelings does this person have.  A good story won’t tell viewers this information directly, but will reveal it as part of the telling process.  (from Lambert, Joe. "Digital Storytelling Cookbokoand Travelling Companion." May Center for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 ) The 7 elements of a Digital Story, #1

 Dramatic question – this is the tension in the story caused by the conflict.  Examples of dramatic questions include: Will the girl get the boy? Will the student finally graduate? Will the lost child find her mother?  Dramatic questions are part of the tension described last lesson. They make you want to listen to the whole story to find out the answers. (from Lambert, Joe. "Digital Storytelling Cookbokoand Travelling Companion." May Center for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 ) 7 Elements of a Digital Story, #2

 Emotional content – a good story not only has good information, but it helps the viewers emotionally relate to the content.  Music, pacing and the structure of the story can all play a role here. (from Lambert, Joe. "Digital Storytelling Cookbokoand Travelling Companion." May Center for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 ) 7 Elements of a Digital Story, #3

 The Gift of your Voice – this is a powerful element to your story, even if it may feel a little awkward at first.  You can carry the mood and message of the story in the tone of your voice.  This is the hardest part for many students. Be brave. This is actually one of the most powerful parts of storytelling, and it adds interest to your story. (from Lambert, Joe. "Digital Storytelling Cookbokoand Travelling Companion." May Center for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 ) 7 Elements of a Digital Story, #4

 Economy – The ability to tell just the right amount of detail in your story. This is an art.  Too many details can be boring and take away from your impact.  Too few details can leave your listeners confused.  Note: Sometimes, it is what storyteller DO NOT say that is most powerful. (from Lambert, Joe. "Digital Storytelling Cookbokoand Travelling Companion." May Center for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 ) 7 Elements of a Digital Story, #5

 The Power of Soundtrack – Music helps support the emotional content of your story. "Cat piano 1883" by La Nature - Licensed under Public Domain via Commons Elements of a Digital Story, #6

 Pacing – Choosing the right rhythm in music and image transitions to keep your viewer’s interest. "2-year-old-jogging(2)" by Valentin Shustov - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - jogging(2).gif#/media/File:2-year-old-jogging(2).gifhttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2-year-old- jogging(2).gif#/media/File:2-year-old-jogging(2).gif (from Lambert, Joe. "Digital Storytelling Cookbokoand Travelling Companion." May Center for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 ) 7 Elements of a Digital Story, #7

Final notes  Creating a story is an art. There are some formulas, but the execution takes practice.  Tell stories that reflect values and experiences you have actually had, even if metaphorically. This makes them more meaningful to the audience than if you just make something up. By Wang Ximeng ( 王希孟 ) ( [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 A good story has:  A clear context  Characters with “spines”  A theme  A promise  Conflict  A resolution  A plot structure Summary

 A good digital story has:  Point of view  Dramatic question  Emotional content  The Gift of your Voice  Economy  The Power of Soundtrack  Pacing Summary

Finally…. Enjoy the process!

 Stanton, Andrew. “The clues to a great story” February TED Talks. 06 November, 2015  Lambert, Joe. "Digital Storytelling Cookbokoand Travelling Companion." May Center for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 < Thank you for watching ~ Inspired by….