Kurt Vonnegut's Story Shapes

Last time I wrote about Dan Harmon’s Story Circle. The geometry of same got me thinking about Kurt Vonnegut’s Story Shapes concept.

Often spuriously reported as his failed Master’s thesis, the story shapes are more a means of literary critique than a writing tool, per se. I do think they have some utility though for planning or consideration of a story’s literal arc, though Vonnegut himself explains how many stories, often ones considered great, don’t let themselves be easily bent to this technique, which is telling in its own way.

You can watch a full video of him explaining the concept here if you find the excerpt below intriguing. You can also check out this Big Think article, which draws out a few variations not included in the video.