Quick note: Most professionals don’t need longform storytelling. They need sharp, high-impact stories that land fast and stick. That’s what V2 of Storytelling: Zero to One delivers: a repeatable system for crafting stories that engage, persuade, and spread. The waitlist gets first access and two exclusive bonuses. I’m pumped to get this upgraded version into the world this Wednesday. If you’re curious, verify your interest by clicking here.

And if you got V1, you’ll get a note this week to access to V2.

In 1991, improv teacher Kenn Adams creates the Story Spine. The structure goes like this:

At first, Adams teaches it to his students but nobody else. Then, in 1997, Pixar employee Rebecca Stockley walks into one of his classes. She loves the idea. So much so that she brings the Story Spine to Pixar, where she teaches it in the company’s improv classes. Writers and directors love it.

(Illustration source: The incredible sketchplanations)

Before long, the Story Spine is ingrained in Pixar’s writing culture. Over the next seven years, Pixar releases some of the most beloved films ever:

Yes, Pixar developed advanced animation tech and a deep understanding of IP, but many believe the Story Spine helped create the incredible consistency in their storytelling.

It became so popular that Emma Coats made it the 4th of her “Pixar’s 22 rules of storytelling.”

So, what can we as Storytellers take away from The Story Spine?

Takeaway 1: The Spine is just the start

The Story Spine is not your story. It’s a building block that lets you build a story on top of it. In fact, Kenn Adams says the most common mistake he sees is “considering the story done once the Spine is complete.”

At that point, he says, you’re about 10% of the way there.

Takeaway 2: Structure needs emotion

A good structure keeps a story from falling apart, but by itself isn’t enough. Andrew Stanton, who wrote Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Wall-E, says the key to a great story is simple:

“Make me care. Please — emotionally, intellectually, aesthetically — just make me care.”

Here's what I love about the Story Spine. You can use it as the foundation for a novel, movie, or even a newsletter. If you scroll up to the story portion of this, you'll see the structure. Consider this the ‘And the moral of the story is’ portion.

For me, It’s structure that frees the creative part of my brain to tackle those goals Andrew hits on.

Takeaway 3: Why story structures work

The Story Spine, like all great story structures, works because it taps into the four tenets of story:

A story without conflict is lifeless. A story without causation is random. A story without transformation is forgettable. And a story without progress feels pointless.

Whether you’re looking at the 3 Act Structure, Hero’s Journey, Save the Cat, or any of the other hundreds of structures out there, they work because they push the Storyteller to use these foundations. That’s the real secret. Not following a formula, but understanding why it works and how to apply it.

If you focus on those four elements, you can structure a story whether you use a famous structure or not.

Have a creative week,

Nathan

PS. The 4 tenets of story structure form the majority of Act 1 in Storytelling: Zero to One, my new course on writing compelling stories from the ground up. Doors open Wednesday morning. Click here to join the waitlist and be the first to get access, launch week discounts, and exclusive bonuses.

Trivia — Sentence I Wish I Wrote

“Your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing.”

Nathan’s Notes

Two notes on writing & story, plus one random one.