Dan Harmon's Story Circle

I like to collect various writing ideas from writers I look up to. As with all things creative, none of these should be taken as the only way to approach writing. Still, it’s cool to see how different writers think about the craft and these can also serve as inspiration when you’re stuck.

In the video clip below, Dan Harmon, creator of Community, Rick and Morty, and my favorite, Acceptable TV, talks about his story structure, The Story Circle. This structure works especially well for sitcoms or episodic series where each episode ends with a return to the status quo but where the characters have still gone through a change.

The examples he gives are from Rick and Morty, but my brain also pictures Star Trek being imposed easily on this circle.