Here’s the original plot diagram (found on page 115 of Freytag’s Technique): Gustav Freytag originally formulated Freytag’s Pyramid in his 1863 book Freytag’s Technique of the Drama, and over the last more than 150 years, it has become one of the most commonly taught dramatic structures in the world, finding its way into thousands of classrooms and writing workshops. The pyramid, sometimes called Freytag’s Triangle, is best visualized in the following diagram: These two halves create a pyramid or triangle shape containing five dramatic elements: introduction, rising movement, climax, falling movement, and denouement or catastrophe. He theorized that effective stories could be broken into two halves, the play and counterplay, with the climax in the middle. ![]() What is Freytag’s Pyramid?įreytag’s Pyramid is a dramatic structural framework developed by Gustav Freytag, a German playwright and novelist of the mid-nineteenth century. Modern Dramatic StructureĮxample of Freytag’s Pyramid: Romeo and Julietīonus: Writing Quotes from Freytag’s Techniqueįreytag’s Pyramid Creative Writing Exercise What is Dramatic Structure?ĭramatic structure is an idea, originating in Aristotle’s Poetics, that effective stories can be broken down into elements, usually including exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, and that when writers are constructing a story they should include these five elements. It helps writers like you make their plot better and write books readers love. We'll also look at how to use Scapple, a great piece of book writing software, to structure your stories based on Freytag's Pyramid.įirst, though, if you want to learn more about plot and how to structure your story, check out my new book, The Write Structure, on sale for $5.99 (for a limited time!). I'll share what it is, give examples of how to use it, and share whether it would be helpful to use as you structure the plot of your own stories. In this article, we’re going to look at Freytag’s Pyramid. Developed by Gustav Freytag in the mid 19th century, this structure has become so ubiquitous, many of the best writers have used it to write their own stories, even if they didn’t know it was called Freytag’s Pyramid. That's where Freytag's Pyramid can help.įreytag's Pyramid is one of the oldest dramatic structures. Even if you go back and analyze your favorite books and films, it can still be hard to structure your own stories. When you’re getting started with writing, understanding how the structure works is difficult. Most great stories, whether they are a Pixar film or a novel by your favorite author, follow a certain dramatic structure.
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