Classical Storytelling and Contemporary Screenwriting

Twenty-TwoStructure Revisited

Filling in the Gaps

“The parts of Tragedy which must be treated as elements of the whole have been already mentioned. We now come to the quantitative parts—the separate parts into which Tragedy is divided.”

(Poetics, Part XII)

Now that we’ve discussed Aristotle’s observations and advice on story, structure, and character, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and dive into how these three crucial elements work together to help us further develop our screenplay.

Once more recall that Aristotle says the process requires us to:

“First sketch its general outline, and then fill in the episodes and amplify in detail.”

(Poetics, Part XVII)

By crafting the BIG PICTURE of our story, defined by a hero’s pursuit of a ...