LogoWorld Builders
StoryWork Course
Newsletter Crash Course
Authors
Login
Try it
LogoWorld Builders

Story Structure

How great stories are built: the Hero's Journey, Vonnegut's shapes of stories, Pixar's story spine, promises and payoffs, plot twists, endings and more, with examples from books and film.

Suspense & Tension

+1

Story Twists

May 8, 2025

•

7 min read

Story Twists

Surprising yet inevitable

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

Why Great Stories Sometimes Start at the End

Apr 20, 2025

•

6 min read

Why Great Stories Sometimes Start at the End

A key story decision nobody talks about

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

The Story Spine

Mar 16, 2025

•

5 min read

The Story Spine

Once upon a time...

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

Intention & Obstacle

Jan 26, 2025

•

5 min read

Intention & Obstacle

The two ingredients to Aaron Sorkin's 'drive shaft of drama'

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

Rate of Progress

Sep 9, 2024

•

6 min read

Rate of Progress

7 down, 1 to go

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

The 4 Pillars of Story Structure

Jul 21, 2024

•

7 min read

The 4 Pillars of Story Structure

4 patterns seen across great stories

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

3 Types of Promises

Jun 18, 2024

•

7 min read

3 Types of Promises

A 63-second masterclass in storytelling promises from George Lucas

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

I Open at The Close

Dec 16, 2023

•

5 min read

I Open at The Close

One counterintuitive piece of storytelling advice to help you build a more powerful story

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

20 Classic Story Themes (from Rap)

Dec 9, 2023

•

13 min read

20 Classic Story Themes (from Rap)

Build narratives like a rapper

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

6 Shapes of Stories

Dec 3, 2023

•

7 min read

6 Shapes of Stories

A team of researchers identified 6 core emotional arcs from a data set of 1300+ novels

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

Gamify Your Storytelling

Nov 25, 2023

•

7 min read

Gamify Your Storytelling

3 strategies to gamify your storytelling

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

The Psychology of The Hero's Journey

Oct 9, 2023

•

10 min read

The Psychology of The Hero's Journey

Going beyond the 12-step process to talk about Archetypes, Rites of Passage, and Conflict

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

The 8 Shapes of Stories

Aug 28, 2023

•

8 min read

The 8 Shapes of Stories

Kurt Vonnegut’s failed thesis is a masterpiece in understanding story

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

100 Timeless Plot Archetypes

Aug 5, 2023

•

15 min read

100 Timeless Plot Archetypes

Proven storytelling structures you can use to take the reader on a similar, but different, journey

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

Timeless stories

Jun 9, 2023

•

4 min read

Timeless stories

The 3 keys to tell stories that last

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

+1

In Medias Res

Jun 2, 2023

•

3 min read

In Medias Res

Starting your story "in the midst of things"

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Suspense & Tension

+1

Chekhov's Gun

May 13, 2023

•

7 min read

Chekhov's Gun

If you mention something in your story, make it intentional

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

Signposts

May 6, 2023

•

6 min read

Signposts

A simple yet effective cognitive trick to not lose your audience

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

Tragedy & Triumph

Mar 14, 2023

•

8 min read

Tragedy & Triumph

The 6 crucial elements of a Tragedy, according to Aristotle

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

Open Endings

Feb 25, 2023

•

7 min read

Open Endings

Christopher Nolan’s go-to technique to end a story

Story Structure

But, Therefore

Feb 4, 2023

•

5 min read

But, Therefore

A sneaky powerful lesson in storytelling from the creators of South Park

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

Questions & Answers

Jan 28, 2023

•

7 min read

Questions & Answers

If your story doesn't answer these 5 questions, you don't have a story

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Suspense & Tension

+1

Promises & Payoffs

Jan 21, 2023

•

5 min read

Promises & Payoffs

A powerful lesson on framing from Lord of the Rings

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

Creativity Inc

Oct 29, 2022

•

7 min read

Creativity Inc

Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling (Part 3)

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh

Story Structure

Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling (Part 2)

Oct 22, 2022

•

7 min read

Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling (Part 2)

The principles powering the most successful creative company of the last half century

Nathan Baugh
Nathan Baugh
World Builders

World Builders

The newsletter to make you a smarter storyteller. Join 79,000+ writers, creators, and founders for free.


Home

Posts

Authors

Try StoryWork

StoryWork Course

Newsletter Crash Course

Newsletter Crash Course

© 2026 World Builders.
beehiivPowered by beehiiv