Parts of a Story

By Karah Parks

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

Lets review:

A good story has

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

The spine
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 storys conflict.
Stanton cites his own character Woody, from
Toystory, whos spine is that hes driven to
be the top toy the most important toy
the boy owns. It is this motivation that
causes the action in the story.

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
isnt an option.
Antonio del Pollaiolo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Promise
This is what Andrew
Stanton says will make
someone care.
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
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scottchene/7702773622

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 VJ day in Times Square Alfred Eisenstaedt". Via Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Typical western Plot Structure

Now, consider:

Digital Storytelling

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 http://www.tirfonline.org/community/interviews/dr-polina-vinogradova-2/

The 7 elements of a Digital Story, #1

Point of view from whose perspective is the story

told
What thoughts and feelings does this person have.
A good story wont tell viewers this information directly, but
will reveal it as part of the telling process.

(from Lambert, Joe. "Digital Storytelling Cookbokoand Travelling Companion." May 2003. Center for Digital
Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 <http:// www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf > )

7 Elements of a Digital
Story, #2
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 2003. Center for Digital
Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 <http:// www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf > )

7 Elements of a Digital
Story, #3
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 2003.
Center for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 <http:// www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf> )

7 Elements of a Digital Story, #4

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 2003. Center
for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 <http:// www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf > )

7 Elements of a Digital
Story, #5
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 2003. Center for Digital
Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 <http:// www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf > )

7 Elements of a Digital
Story, #6
The Power of Soundtrack Music helps support
the emotional content of your story.

"Cat piano 1883" by La Nature - http://superhamburgeramerica.tumblr.com/post/145131183/invention-of-the-katzenklavier-or-cat-organ-is.

Licensed under Public Domain via Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cat_piano_1883.jpg#/media/File:Cat_piano_1883.jpg

7 Elements of a Digital
Story, #7
Pacing Choosing the right rhythm in music and
image transitions to keep your viewers interest.

"2-year-old-jogging(2)" by Valentin Shustov - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons https://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 2003. Center for Digital Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015
<http:// www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf> )

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 their audiences than if you
just make something up.
By Wang Ximeng ( ) (http://guoxue.zynews.com/XianFeng/2008/2202.html)
[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Summary
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

Finally.

Enjoy the
process!

Inspired by.
Stanton, Andrew. The clues to a great story
February 2012. TED Talks. 06 November, 2015
<https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clu
es_to_a_great_story/transcript?language=en>
Lambert, Joe. "Digital Storytelling Cookbokoand
Travelling Companion." May 2003. Center for Digital
Storytelling. 04 Nov 2015 <http://
www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf

Thank you for watching ~