The DramaQueen StoryModels

What are story models?

The DramaQueen StoryModels describe fundamental story plots. They guide you through the inner arc of the story — from the initial impulse to the transformation of the main character — and thus provide valuable insights into how a particular story can be told.

The DramaQueen StoryModels…

• are an expression of an internal story logic that develops from a specific initial constellation
• depict narrative progressions that have proven successful in practice
• trace the developmental arc of the main character and thus also imply a B-story and theme

Possible uses:

• Plotting: quickly create a functioning narrative arc
• Rewriting: specifically refine existing stories
• Creative application: individually adapt models, combine multiple models, deliberately vary or break models

Categories:

1. Variations of the classic hero’s journey, adapted to the character of the main figure or the narrative tone:

• Heroine’s Journey (stories about self-discovery, healing, intuition, friendships, solidarity)
• Coming of Age (young main character)
• Mock Hero’s Journey (comic hero/heroine)
• Dark Hero’s Journey (antihero/heroine)
• Chosen One (main character must find and fulfill their destiny)

2. Genres that already dictate the basic plot:

• Crime / Whodunit
• Thriller
• Horror
• Romantic Comedy
• Melodrama
• Tragedy

3. Structure-defining subgenres:

• Psychological Thriller
• Tragicomedy
• Dark Romance
• Dark Academia
• Wish Fulfillment Fiction
• Curse Fiction
• Portal Fiction
• Time Travel Fiction
• Buddy Fiction
• Heist Fiction
• Whydunit

4. Stories based on archetypal figures:

• Cinderella
• Icarus
• Oedipus
• Faust (Deal with the Devil)
• From Rags to Riches

5. Stories about archetypal life situations:

• Fall. Break. Get Up.
• Madness
• Revenge
• Systemic

Classic Hero’s Journey ^

The classic Hero’s Journey describes an archetypal transformation journey in which a character (often a hero) goes through external and internal trials, experiences a profound crisis, and finally returns matured, transformed, and with an “elixir.” The structure is based on a circular movement that leads from the familiar world into a dangerous “underworld” and ultimately to a return to a changed “dayworld.” This journey is not only external but also reflects the inner development process of the main character.

Story curve: The story often follows a pattern of fall and rise or rise – fall – rise: The heroes start in a familiar world, are torn away, experience setbacks and defeats, only to finally return or ascend as mature figures through transformation and courage.

Narrative arc: The story begins with a familiar order and an inner lack. A call to change throws the character off balance. After initial refusal and meeting with a mentor, they cross the threshold into the unknown world. There they encounter threshold guardians, tricksters, allies and shadows, must face severe trials and die symbolically. In the deepest crisis, they experience a transformation and ultimately bring something new and healing back into the world.

Typical application / genres: This story model is found primarily in: fantasy, adventure, quest stories, sci-fi, epic sagas, and animated films. It is ideally suited for stories with a clear dramatic arc, a relatable main character, and a universal message.

Themes: Calling, maturation, courage, self-discovery, identity, and overcoming fear and boundaries. The classic hero’s journey works particularly well in stories that center transformation while exploring symbolic, mythic, or emotional spaces.

Central tropes:
• The reluctant hero – main character initially refuses the call
• Wise mentor (often dying) – supports the hero, provides impulses, and disappears
• Threshold guardian – challenges the hero before they may enter the new world
• Trickster – brings chaos, humor, or surprising twists
• The shadow – the dark side – often a reflection of the hero
• Shape-shifter – characters whose intentions change or remain unclear
• The artifact / elixir – something the hero brings back from the underworld – often knowledge, healing, or truth

Examples:
• Star Wars: A New Hope (Film, USA) – young farmer becomes the savior of the galaxy
• The Lion King (Animated film, USA) – banished prince returns home and takes responsibility
• The Hobbit (Novel, UK) – fearful hobbit grows beyond himself
• Harry Potter (Novel & Film, UK) – boy must defeat evil – and find himself

Heroine’s Journey ^

The Heroine’s Journey is an alternative hero’s journey model that traces the developmental path of the main character beyond classic (masculine) hero types. Unlike the hero’s journey, which leads outward and into adventure, the heroine’s journey emphasizes inner transformation, shedding external expectations, and rediscovering one’s own voice.

Story curve: The heroine’s journey frequently follows the structure rise – fall – rise: Beginning with adaptation and success in the external world, it leads to a breakdown (e.g., burnout, relationship loss, life crisis) before opening a path inward and to oneself. The re-ascent is characterized by integration, new strength, and a changed relationship to the world.

Narrative arc: The character is initially successful or adapted – they fulfill role models, function in the external system (family, career, society). But internally, emptiness or doubt grows. A trigger (crisis, loss, longing) leads to inner breakdown or break with the old world. In the phase of withdrawal, the character encounters femininely coded forces like intuition, vulnerability, connectedness. They experience support through community, often through other women. In the re-ascent, they succeed in uniting external and internal aspects and returning to the world with a new attitude.

Typical application / genres: Family story, feminist narrative, autobiographically inspired material, development stories, coming-of-middle-age, modern fairy tales. Often also found in spiritual or poetic material.

Themes: Self-discovery, wholeness, femininity in tension with patriarchal conditioning, boundaries, integration, collective healing, solidarity, friendship, and intuition. The heroine’s journey is particularly suited for stories about inner maturation, about letting go of external images, and about solidary growth.

Central tropes:
• She’s Got the Power – the character recognizes their inner potential that was long suppressed
• Reclaiming Femininity – femininity is no longer adapted but consciously lived
• Sisterhood of Strength – the power of community helps the character transform
• Integration of Opposites – the character unites apparent opposites (rationality & intuition, strength & softness) into new wholeness

Examples:
• The Hours (Film, USA/UK) – three women interweave across time and literature in a quiet rebellion
• Eat Pray Love (Novel & Film, USA) – woman breaks out and finds herself in three countries
• Where the Crawdads Sing (Novel & Film, USA) – withdrawn girl survives exclusion – and shows her voice

Coming of Age ^

Coming-of-age stories tell of a young person’s transition to adulthood. At the center is the character who grows through life’s challenges – often connected with internal and external conflicts.

Story curve: The emotional core of these stories lies in a sequence of rise – fall – rise or in fall & rise: A youthful departure frequently leads to a crisis (e.g., first major disappointment, loss of innocence, or family breakdown), which ultimately leads to new inner maturity.

Narrative arc: The story often begins in a seemingly carefree childhood or youth world. But first breaks, new feelings, or social tensions cause irritations. The character goes through a phase of experimentation, rebellion, but also first love and vulnerability. A crisis occurs – perhaps through rejection, separation, guilt, or failure. Through new experiences, sometimes also through a mentor, the character begins to take responsibility, set boundaries, and develop their own values. At the end stands a quiet but deep transformation.

Typical application / genres: Youth film, boarding school story, queer initiation, social drama, autobiographically inspired material. Often also integrated as a subplot in other genres (e.g., fantasy, sci-fi).

Themes: Maturation, self-discovery, separation from parents or authorities, identity search, sexual orientation, friendship, death, first love, or bullying. The coming-of-age structure is particularly suited for stories with a strong emotional core and characters who are still searching for their identity.

Central tropes:
• New Beginnings – first day at a new school, a move, or a new life phase marks the departure
• Loss of innocence – childish ideals break – e.g., through violence, death, or disappointment
• Mentor – a formative reference person offers orientation or contrast
• First love / First time – emotional or physical boundary experiences shape development
• Initiation – symbolic or real rituals mark the transition to adulthood

Examples:
• The Catcher in the Rye (Novel, USA) – teenager wanders through New York and his own confusion
• Tschick (Novel & Film, Germany) – two outsiders experience a wild summer trip
• Lady Bird (Film, USA) – a teenager defies her mother, tests social boundaries, and struggles for self-determination
• Call Me by Your Name (Film, Italy/USA) – one summer, a first great love, an awakening of desire and self-acceptance
• The Center of the World (Novel & Film, Germany) – young man struggles with love, family, and identity

Crime / Whodunit ^

In Crime or Whodunit stories, solving a crime is central. The character – often an investigator or detective – collects clues, questions witnesses, deconstructs contradictions, and follows a network of hints.

Story curve: Crime stories usually follow the structure fall & rise: A murder or crime throws the world out of balance – and only through revealing the truth can order be restored (at least seemingly).

Narrative arc: At the beginning stands the crime, which often occurs in an initially intact or closed world. The character begins investigating: clues are discovered, people questioned, initial hypotheses formed. A phase of confusion follows – suspicions, false leads, personal involvement, or moral dilemmas complicate the search. In the final third, the breakthrough occurs – often through an overlooked detail or intuitive insight – and the perpetrator is exposed. The conclusion shows the restoration of order or at least some form of justice.

Typical application / genres: Detective film, TV crime drama, true crime, cozy crime, legal thriller, police drama. Often also in crossover with thriller or mystery.

Themes: Truth-seeking, deception, morality, guilt, identity, and often social criticism. The appeal lies in the intellectual structure: Who did it? Why? And what does this reveal about humans and the system? Important is skillful construction of clues – and their logical resolution.

Central tropes:
• Red herring – a false clue that deliberately misleads readers or viewers
• Detective character – the central character with analytical sense, often eccentric, morally complex, or vulnerable
• Quirky investigator – a trickster type with unorthodox methods who succeeds through their peculiarity

Examples:
• Miss Marple (Novels & adaptations, UK) – elderly lady solves sophisticated murder cases with sharp wit
• The Name of the Rose (Novel & Film, IT/FR/DE) – monk uncovers deadly secrets in an abbey
• Tatort (TV series, Germany) – investigative teams solve murder cases across Germany

Thriller ^

The Thriller creates tension through a threatening situation in which the character must assert themselves against an overpowering threat – whether it’s an unscrupulous opponent, a global conspiracy, or a fight for survival. Unlike the classic hero’s journey model, the focus is less on inner maturation than on external action, danger, and psychological pressure.

Story curve: The thriller usually follows the curve fall & rise: The character is plunged into a crisis, increasingly loses control – until they finally rally to fight back.

Narrative arc: At the beginning, the character(s) usually live in a seemingly ordered world. Suddenly a threat appears – a crime, a murder, a conspiracy, or an attack. The character becomes entangled in events, falls under suspicion, is pursued, or must rescue someone. With growing escalation, pressure increases: deception, betrayal, violence, and a morally complex fight for justice occur. Time becomes increasingly short. In the final third, a turn or revelation usually succeeds, leading to the final showdown. Order is restored – often at a high price.

Typical application / genres: Action thriller, psychological thriller, political thriller, disaster film, survival thriller, legal thriller. Often in crossover with crime, drama, or sci-fi.

Themes: Escape, self-assertion, identity, truth, deception, moral dilemmas, and system criticism. Thrillers highlight the fragility of human life, which always hangs by a thread. They confront characters with boundary experiences – often under extreme time pressure or in a web of betrayal and power.

Central tropes:
• Pursued innocence – the character is falsely suspected and must prove their innocence
• Wrongly accused – variant with strong perpetrator-victim shift
• Time bomb – time is running out – whether literally or metaphorically
• Race against the clock – the character must act before it’s too late
• Big bad reveal – the true opponent or actual threat is only revealed late

Examples:
• The Da Vinci Code (Novel & Film, USA) – professor pursues a deadly church secret
• The Bourne Identity (Film series, USA) – man without memory becomes a hunted weapon
• The Swarm (Novel & TV series, Germany) – nature strikes back – with deadly intelligence
• Flightplan (Film, USA) – mother searches for her daughter – in a plane she doesn’t know

Psychological Thriller ^

The Psychological Thriller is a tension-filled narrative form in which psychological threat, deception, and perception crisis are central. Unlike the classic thriller, the focus is not on external escape and action, but on the inner disruption of the character.

Story curve: The plot usually follows a fragile sequence of fall – rise – fall, where the character seemingly frees themselves – only to fall again at the end. The truth remains hidden for a long time or is obscured until the end.

Narrative arc: The story begins with an irritating normal state that starts to waver due to small anomalies. The character increasingly doubts their perception, is manipulated, threatened, or pursued – often without the environment acknowledging the threat. They try to approach the truth, only to get even deeper into a web of lies, delusion, or self-deception. Often a seeming liberation or revelation follows – before the final escalation tears the character psychologically or literally into the abyss.

Typical application / genres: Typical genres and applications are mystery, noir, mindfuck thrillers, and arthouse material with psychological focus. They are particularly suited for stories that rely on mental tension, identity crises, or paranoid atmospheres.

Themes:
Psychological thrillers deal with central themes like truth vs. manipulation, identity & reality, control & external determination, or guilt & uncertainty. The character is often under massive pressure – both from outside and within. Truth is rarely clear-cut, moral clarity is dissolved.

Central tropes:
• Unreliable narrator – the narrative voice or perspective is unreliable
• Gaslighting – targeted manipulation of perception
• Red herring – false leads and diversionary tactics
• Mind breaks – psychological breakdown as climax
• Doppelganger, split personality, the enemy within, everyone is lying, locked-in syndrome, lost memory – these tropes reflect the central motif of truth-seeking under difficult, often threatening circumstances
• The hidden conspiracy – main character discovers clues that behind the facade of reality, a hidden system or powerful conspiracy operates – often silently and with far-reaching control

Examples:
• The Game (Film, USA) – a game becomes a nightmare – or liberation?
• The Sixth Sense (Film, USA) – psychologist helps a boy who sees dead people – and realizes he is one of them
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / Millennium trilogy (Novel & Film, Sweden) – journalist and hacker hunt the truth in an old family secret
• The Girl on the Train (Novel & Film, UK/USA) – traumatized woman believes she saw something crucial – and uncovers a deadly truth

Horror ^

The Horror story leads the main character through a downward spiral of growing fear, terror, and supernatural threat to the final confrontation – often with a fatal or disturbing outcome.

Story curve: The curve fall – rise – fall describes typical horror progressions: An initially harmless everyday life tips into horror before the character briefly asserts themselves – and ultimately fails or survives scarred.

Narrative arc: The story usually begins with deceptive normalcy or a mysterious incident. The threat grows insidiously, becomes more tangible and increasingly takes up space – whether psychologically or physically. After an escalation and the apparent overcoming of danger, a dark ending often follows that leaves open whether evil was truly defeated. The character survives – traumatized, changed, or as the last survivor (final girl).

Typical application / genres: Psychological horror, body horror, gothic horror, paranormal horror, splatter, found footage

Themes: Loss of control, madness, death, guilt, isolation, trauma, and fear of the “other” are central themes. The evil often remains inexplicable, supernatural, or irrational – it reflects repressed fears and social taboos. Horror stories question the rationality of human existence. They function as cathartic experiencing of collective or individual trauma.

Central tropes:
• Pursued innocence – a usually innocent character is hunted by an inexplicable or overpowering force
• Abandoned house – isolation and past condense in eerie places
• Cut off from the world – no help from outside, complete isolation
• False security – seemingly safe spaces or people prove to be threats
• Let’s split up – classic bad decision where characters separate and make themselves vulnerable
• Innocents die first – often the first victim to establish threat and seriousness of the situation
• Final girl / lone survivor – usually female survivor who asserts herself against evil
• Going mad / seeing things – perception and reality blur, character threatens to break psychologically
• Locked-in syndrome – character is physically completely unable to act, with clear consciousness, but cannot communicate – or only through minimal signals (e.g., eye movement)
• The killer is not dead – seemingly defeated opponent is still alive
• False ending – viewers are briefly lulled into security before horror strikes back
• Final scare – last shock moment after the supposed end

Examples:
• It (Novel & Film, USA) – demonic clown hunts children and their repressed fears
• The Therapy (Novel, Germany) – missing girl, a father – and a deadly game
• Get Out (Film, USA) – visit to the in-laws becomes a racist nightmare
• The Shining (Novel & Film, USA/UK) – a hotel, a father, madness – and a dark echo
• REC (Found footage film, Spain) – reportage becomes a journey to hell in an infected apartment building

Romantic Comedy (RomCom) ^

The Romantic Comedy (RomCom) tells of two people’s journey to each other – full of wit, misunderstandings, and emotional turbulence.

Story curve: The classic rom-com follows the pattern rise – fall – rise: A promising approach is disrupted by external or internal conflicts before the lovers find each other in the end.

Narrative arc: The story begins with an encounter (often a so-called “meet cute”) and initial approach. Despite sympathy, tensions arise or external circumstances lead to crisis or separation. In the final act, a realization, reversal, or brave gesture occurs that leads to reconciliation. The story almost always ends with a happy ending – or at least a hopeful new beginning.

Typical application / genres: Love comedy, culture clash, teen romance

Themes: Relationship change, emotional development, finding identity through love. The romantic comedy believes in love’s victory over all obstacles and social barriers. It addresses closeness and distance, fear of injury, self-doubt – and the courageous commitment to love. Rom-coms often work with reflections (mirror characters, mirror scenes), double meaning (misunderstandings, subtext, irony), and social norms (gender roles, expectations of relationships and marriage).

Central tropes:
• Enemies to lovers – opposites clash before love emerges
• Friends to lovers – long-standing friendship develops into romantic relationship
• Meet cute – charmingly quirky first encounter, often coincidental or under unusual circumstances
• Missed kiss – made up for later – romantic climax shifts for emotional maturity
• Love triangle – the main character stands between two romantic options
• Second chance for love – old relationship rekindles after setbacks or years
• Opposites attract – personalities or life plans collide and still attract each other
• The wedding interruption – classic scene where a character prevents a (wrong) wedding at the last moment
• The grand gesture – public, exaggeratedly romantic declaration of love

Examples:
• Pride and Prejudice (Novel, UK) – she is clever, he is proud – and both must grow beyond themselves
• Notting Hill (Film, UK/USA) – bookstore owner falls in love with the world’s biggest star
• Bridget Jones’s Diary (Novel & Film, UK) – chaotic woman seeks love and finds herself
• Cyrano de Bergerac / The Most Beautiful Girl in the World (Verse drama, France & Film, Germany) – eloquent outsider loves a girl – and lets others speak for him

Dark Romance ^

Dark Romance explores the dark, often destructive sides of love. The relationship is marked by passion, dependency, and moral ambivalence.

Story curve: The story often tells a rise & deep fall: What begins as intense attraction increasingly develops into obsession – with tragic, dangerous, or disturbing consequences.

Narrative arc: The story begins with a magnetic, often forbidden attraction. The main character is captivated by the dark fascination of the love interest. Initially, the relationship seems to fill a void, but soon toxic dynamics, power games, or psychological abysses emerge. The plot steers toward a destructive turning point – often connected with a loss or the realization that love does not save. Some dark romances end with a bittersweet or openly tragic conclusion.

Typical application / genres: Romantasy, erotic thriller, psychological love drama, toxic love relationships

Themes: Dependency, self-loss, obsession, healing longing, trauma bonds, manipulation, boundary experiences. Dark romance is particularly suited for material that makes emotional abysses and psychological dependencies experiential – but should be told reflectively and responsibly.

Central tropes:
• The dangerous love interest – love partner with dark past or threatening charisma
• Beauty and the beast – love between innocence and internally broken character, often with transformation
• Obsession love – emotional dependency, desire for control, intrusive closeness
• Hurt/comfort – one character is injured or traumatized, the other offers comfort – often with closeness through vulnerability
• Forbidden love – love against social, moral, or personal resistance
• Love redeems the monster – love heals or “redeems” a supposedly lost, dark character
• Possessive lover – jealousy and control are romanticized
• Dark past – hidden guilt or previous violence shapes love behavior
• Taming the beast – dark character “becoming tame” through closeness to the beloved
• Toxic but magnetic – relationship is destructive but simultaneously fascinating and erotically charged

Examples:
• Basic Instinct (Film, USA) – police officer falls for charismatic main suspect in a murder case
• Twilight (Novel & Film, USA) – girl falls in love with vampire – between desire and danger
• Fifty Shades of Grey (Novel & Film, USA) – young woman gets into an obsessive relationship with dominant billionaire
• The Reader (Novel & Film, Germany) – young man discovers that his first great love was a former concentration camp guard
• 365 Days (Film, Poland) – mafia boss kidnaps a woman to force her love / Stockholm syndrome develops into toxic love fantasy

Dark Academia ^

Dark Academia combines an elite, aestheticized educational world with dark themes like guilt, obsession, and moral decay.

Story curve: The model usually tells a rise and fall: The character strives for knowledge, belonging, or brilliance, experiences a moment of power or self-empowerment – and ultimately falls over their own boundaries, moral errors, or guilt.

Narrative arc: The beginning often features entry into an exclusive academic world: an elite university, boarding school, or intellectual circle. The character is usually an outsider, fascinated by beauty, education, and recognition. Approach to a group follows, introduction to secret rituals, and beginning moral erosion. A turning point reveals guilt or truth that was repressed – or leads to confrontation with a shadow from the past. The story culminates in downfall: through revelation, despair, isolation, or loss. The return to the “normal world” is hardly possible.

Typical application / genres: Literary drama, psychodrama, mystery, bildungsroman with dark twist, campus thriller, closed systems (boarding school, elite university)

Themes: Moral complexity, tension between beauty and corruption, education as obsession, truth-seeking & moral decay, decadence, fascination with knowledge, aesthetics, exclusivity, guilt, repression, group pressure, identity conflicts, intellectual hubris. Dark academia is excellently suited for stories about lost ideals, dangerous longings, and failure due to excessive demands in an intellectually charged microcosm.

Central tropes:
• Aesthetic obsession – excessive fixation on beauty, style, and intellect as means of belonging or superiority
• The secret society – elite, secret communities as stage for power games, exclusion mechanisms, or guilt
• Corrupt mentor / fallen idol – admired teachers or role models turn out to be morally failed or dangerous
• Toxic friendship – intense friendships that turn into manipulation, dependency, or rivalry
• Intellectual arrogance – hubris through excessive self-perception as elite or moral exception
• Repressed guilt – suppressed guilt feelings that slowly surface and internally corrode the character
• Fall from grace – social, moral, or personal downfall from a privileged or idealized position
• The naive outsider – a new character who enters the system naively and is gradually corrupted
• Too late for redemption – the moment of possible reversal comes too late – guilt, truth, or insight do not lead to salvation
• Beautiful mask / rotting core – behind the stylized facade hide emptiness, abysses, or violence – a classic symbol for appearance and reality

Examples:
• Saltburn (Film, UK/USA) – outsider becomes part of an elite – until abysses open up
• Save (Novel series, Germany) / Maxton Hall – The World Between Us (TV series, Germany) – elite boarding school, big emotions, and social divides
• The Secret History (Novel, USA) – elite student group commits murder – and breaks apart from guilt

Melodrama ^

Melodrama emphasizes emotional extremes, relationship conflicts, and tragic blows of fate. It usually leads the character through a phase of emotional repression toward a cathartic release.

Story curve: The typical progression corresponds to the curve fall – rise – fall: After a painful crisis, the main character reaches an apparent breakthrough – but emotional liberation often has its price.

Narrative arc: An emotionally suppressed initial state is shaken by external circumstances or interpersonal tensions. An emotional collapse follows, a (often intimate) truth confrontation, and finally a liberating insight or decision. The ending oscillates between hope and tragedy; the character usually pays a high price for their emotional truth.

Typical application / genres: Love drama, family drama, social drama, women’s literature, classical tragedies, period pieces

Themes: Suppressed feelings vs. emotional expression, shame, guilt, love, self-sacrifice, familial or social pressure, moral expectations, and breaking through taboos. Emotional catharsis is central and is often told with physical expressions like crying or breakdowns. Melodrama is particularly suited for characters who are internally “frozen” and only find truth through pain.

Central tropes:
• Forbidden love – emotional bonds that are morally or socially ostracized
• Self-sacrifice – the character puts others’ happiness above their own
• Emotional freeze – emotional suppression as inner state
• Tearful confession – a central confession, usually through tears
• The weeping moment – the emotional valve finally opens
• Public shaming / emotional exposure – feelings or weaknesses become publicly visible
• Suffering leads to truth – only suffering enables insight and emotional clarity

Examples:
• Effi Briest (Novel & Film, Germany) – young woman fails due to social norms and inner unhappiness
• Love Story (Film, USA) – couple defies all resistance – until early death ends everything
• Revolutionary Road (Novel & Film, USA) – married couple breaks apart over the dream of free life
• Amour (Film, France/Austria) – old man cares for his dying wife – until the last act of love
• The Notebook (Novel & Film, USA) – a lifelong love that even dementia cannot extinguish

Tragedy ^

Tragedy depicts the inevitable downfall of the main character, triggered by inner weaknesses, moral failings, or an overpowering fate. Often it is based on a fatal character flaw (hubris, self-deception, control mania, etc.) or an irresolvable inner or external conflict.

Story curve: The story curve traces a deep fall: From apparent happiness or success, the action moves irreversibly toward a catastrophic endpoint. The height of the fall increases with each step, often accompanied by tragic recognition at the last moment – too late for salvation.

Narrative arc: A seemingly strong or idealistic starting point is undermined by arrogance, guilt, or delusion. The character makes decisions that lead them into a spiral of doom, guilt, isolation, and downfall. Often tragic insight follows too late – and the fall ends with death, madness, or total loss.

Typical application / genres: Classical drama, horror, historical film, war film, dark romance, psycho-drama, Shakespeare adaptations

Themes: Height of fall, guilt and innocence, determinism vs. free will, moral decay, downfall through one’s own weaknesses or external constraints. Tragedy lets the hero perish because they rebel against divine providence or the ruling system. It shows the destructive side of humanity – and powerlessness against fate or inner abyss.

Central tropes:
• Innocently guilty – character becomes victim of circumstances despite not acting culpably
• Deep fall – descent of a once admired or beloved character
• Inevitable fate – outcome is inescapable from the beginning, but not predictable for the character
• Tragic hubris – overconfidence, pride, or megalomania lead to self-destruction
• Truth recognized too late – character recognizes their guilt or doom only at the moment of catastrophe

Examples:
• Antigone (Play & Adaptations, Ancient Greece) – young woman defies the law from moral duty – with deadly consequence
• The White Ribbon (Film, Germany/Austria) – in a village, children grow up in strictness – until violence becomes an outlet
• Requiem for a Dream (Novel & Film, USA) – four characters seek meaning – and lose themselves in destructive illusions
• Macbeth (Play & Adaptations, UK) – Scottish nobleman kills from lust for power – and plunges into ruin
• Woyzeck (Play & Adaptation, Germany) – poor soldier breaks from exploitation, jealousy, and madness
• Blue Valentine (Film, USA) – a great love shows itself in flashbacks – while it actually falls apart

Tragicomedy ^

Tragicomedy combines the tragic with the comic – often in a quiet, melancholic, or absurd way. It shows quiet, broken, unspectacular characters in everyday or existential conflicts, whose pain and lostness permeate with surprising warmth or irony.

Story curve: The action follows an episodic or open structure with setbacks, small victories, and often a bittersweet or open ending.

Narrative arc: The characters experience breaks, disappointments, inner and outer crises – but instead of clear catharsis, there are small shifts, new perspectives, quiet hopes. Tragicomedy moves between failure and dignity, between resignation and departure.

Typical application / genres: Social drama, family story, indie film, arthouse, everyday grotesque.
In tragicomedy, cheerful, comic, dramatic, melancholic, and tragic moments mix. The dialectical tension between laughter and crying, empathy and distance creates an emotional rollercoaster and catharsis.
The intended effect of tragicomedy is to empathize with the characters’ suffering in order to then open the view to the grotesque social circumstances responsible for it. In its portrayal of human dignity as an inviolable good, it gives the viewer hope and provides comfort.
The contrast between tragedy and comedy can either be contrasted in a side-by-side and opposition or merged into an identical togetherness in tragicomedy. In the synthesis of “laughing in crying,” comic and tragic effects mutually reinforce each other: empathy and distance occur in permanent alternation up to paradoxical simultaneity, where they can no longer be separated from each other.

Themes: Failure, aging, loneliness, humanity, everyday absurdities, the search for meaning in the seemingly meaningless. Ideal for fragile characters and narrative undertones. Tragicomedy insists on the inviolability of human dignity in a grotesque world and thus sets a sign of hope and reconciliation. It opens space for compassion without drifting into melodrama – it sees the comic in pain and the tragic in the everyday. Comedy arises from embarrassment, through embarrassment, insecurity, humanity. Unlike comedy, tragicomedy therefore requires deeper character characterization, since tragedy only occurs with the character of an innocently guilty character in connection with a socially substantial conflict.

Central tropes:
• Sad clown – characters hide their pain behind irony or smiles
• Bittersweet ending – no redemption, but a breath of acceptance or new perspective
• Life goes on – life continues even when nothing is resolved
• Existential banality – deeper truths in the seemingly trivial

Examples:
• Jakob the Liar (Novel & Film, GDR/FRG) – Jewish man in the ghetto invents hope – to save lives
• About Schmidt (Novel & Film, USA) – newly retired widower wanders through life – and discovers quiet insight
• Life Is Beautiful (Film, Italy) – father protects his son from the horror of concentration camp – with fantasy and wit
• A Man Called Ove / Otto (Novel & Film, Sweden / USA) – bitter widower plans to end his life – new neighbors burst into his world
• Birdman (Film, USA) – failed actor struggles with career, family, and inner madness – between megalomania and redemption

Chosen One ^
The story of the chosen one shows a character who is destined by fate, gift, or prophecy to become a heroine or hero – whether they want it or not. The path to inner maturity often stands at the center.

Story curve: The character undergoes a pure ascent – from “nobody” to savior of the world –, or a rise – fall – rise: The chosen ones must first accept their role, experience crises, but ultimately grow beyond themselves.

Narrative arc: An initially inconspicuous individual is confronted with a special destiny. The call is often initially rejected. Trials, losses, and doubts lead to maturation. Through sacrifice or a central decision, the fate is fulfilled. The character grows beyond themselves – through responsibility, not power.

Typical application / genres: Fantasy, young adult, dystopia, sci-fi, superhero stories, coming-of-power, spiritual journey, modern fairy tales

Themes: Destiny, self-discovery, calling, otherness, responsibility, maturation, light & shadow, leadership, faith in oneself. Ideal for epic narratives and relatable characters in transitional phases. Often powers or gifts symbolize inner potentials – the true transformation is spiritual or characterological.

Central tropes:
• Chosen one – a person is destined to defeat evil or save a world
• The prophecy – an ancient prediction announces the hero’s fate
• Secret heir – true origin or descent is hidden but meaningful
• Inherited power – special abilities or tasks are passed down
• Mentor dies – central reference person disappears, accelerating maturation

Examples:
• Dune (Novel & Film, USA/UK) – young man becomes messiah – in a world between politics, power, and myth
• The Matrix (Film, USA) – hacker realizes: the world is an illusion – and he is the chosen one
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Novel & Film, UK/USA) – orphan discovers magic – and his destiny
• The Golden Compass / His Dark Materials trilogy (Novel series & Film, UK) – girl becomes savior of all worlds – against an overpowering order
• The Hunger Games (Novel & Film, USA) – a teenager unwillingly becomes a revolutionary
• The Boy Must Get Some Fresh Air (Autobiography & Film, Germany) – child discovers his gift: making others laugh
• Moana (Animated film, USA) – girl follows call of the ocean to save her people

Magical Premise / Wish ^

These stories begin with a protagonist’s wish being magically fulfilled – usually at the first plot point – turning the character’s life upside down. Often a life lesson or recognizing the true value of things is at the center.

Story Arc: The story arc follows either a pure ascent – with fulfilled wish or magical transformation – or an ascent – fall – ascent: The wish leads to complications, but in the end there’s a matured self or valuable insight.

Narrative Arc: The protagonist expresses a wish or is torn from their everyday world through magical circumstances. The new world initially appears enticing or entertaining, but soon brings unexpected challenges or consequences. Through inner transformation – usually insight, remorse, or responsibility – the character can break the spell or return to reality, matured and changed.

Typical Application / Genres: Fantasy, Comedy, Magical Realism, Fairy Tales, Children’s and Family Films

Themes: Wishes, self-discovery, responsibility, values, identity, change. Ideal for moral or playful narratives – especially when external magic mirrors inner development. Perfect for stories about longing and maturation, with a light or fairy-tale tone.

Central Tropes:
• Be Careful What You Wish For – wishes are fulfilled in unexpected, often problematic ways
• What If? – an alternative reality shows how differently life could unfold
• Wishing Makes It So – fantasy becomes reality
• Wish Gone Wrong – a wish leads to chaos or loss of control
• Magical Realism – magic appears in the middle of everyday life, without explanation
• The Gift Comes with a Price – the wish has its cost
• The World Through Children’s Eyes – often connected with coming-of-age motifs or naivety

Examples:
• Aladdin (Animated Film, USA) – street boy finds magic lamp – and becomes a prince with moral dilemmas
• Big (Film, USA) – boy wishes to be grown up – and must live with the consequences
• Der Wunschpunsch (Novel, Germany) – a magical duel on New Year’s Eve decides whether the world will end

Magical Premise / Curse ^

These stories are based on a supernatural curse, enchantment, or spell that changes the life of the protagonist – and can usually only be lifted through self-sacrifice, purification, or solving a riddle.

Story Arc: The plot often unfolds as ascent & deep fall, in which an apparent advantage reveals itself as a dangerous curse.

Narrative Arc: The character falls under a curse through guilt, ignorance, or an external trigger. Initially this is ignored or underestimated, but soon the threat escalates. The character must confront the cause, often accompanied by inner transformation, recognition, or sacrifice. Depending on genre or narrative tone, the story ends in liberation or downfall – or ambivalently.

Typical Application / Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Gothic, Horror, Psychodrama, Fairy Tales, Tragicomedy

Themes: Curse, guilt, atonement, repression, purification, external control, transformation. Perfect for stories about psychological or social patterns that must be broken.

Central Tropes:
• Breaking the Curse – the search for redemption or a counter-spell
• The Marked One – the character bears a sign or inheritance that haunts them
• Eternal Recurrence – the curse repeats across generations
• The Price of Magic – a previous magical act demands its tribute
• Becoming the Monster – the character gradually transforms
• Unraveling the Past – the key to freedom lies in the past
• Cursed Object / Haunted Inheritance – a cursed object or place is the trigger
• Transformation Through Suffering – inner change through external horror

Examples:
• Sleeping Beauty (Fairy Tale & Films, international) – a curse brings a princess’s life to a standstill until true love breaks it
• The Ring (Film, Japan/USA) – cursed videotape brings death – unless the riddle is solved
• Beauty and the Beast (Fairy Tale & Film, FR/USA) – cursed prince can only regain his humanity through love

Portal ^

The portal story lets a character enter another world through a real or symbolic gateway – usually at the first plot point. There they experience trials, discover new truths, and return – matured or changed. The outer journey becomes a metaphor for inner transformation.

Story Arc: The plot often runs as ascent – fall – ascent: Crossing the portal, the character experiences wonder, freedom, and new possibilities, before dangers and threats dominate and finally balance can be restored in both parallel worlds.

Narrative Arc: The protagonist discovers or enters a portal – e.g., a wardrobe, mirror, painting, tunnel, book – a threshold object that leads them into another reality. This can be a parallel world in space or time. Initially, fascination, curiosity, and euphoria dominate in the face of this new world with its magical rules and inhabitants who provide guidance – or challenge them. But soon cracks appear: the new world is threatened or out of balance. In the crisis, they must either sacrifice something or accept a painful truth – they recognize their responsibility. Now they make a courageous decision: to actively intervene, no longer to flee. The decisive act follows, which not only saves or heals the parallel outer world, but also marks an inner transformation. With this new maturity, they return to “their” world – perhaps to the same room as at the beginning, but no longer as the same person. They bring a “gift” from the other world – insight, courage, truth, friendship – and can now see or shape the real world differently.

Typical Application / Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Magical Realism, Children’s/Young Adult/All-Age stories, Series, Animated Films, Modern Myths

Themes: Identity formation, maturation, escapism, transitions, dream and trauma, self-empowerment. Often readable as a coping narrative – loss, alienation, inner conflicts are mirrored and transformed in the portal world: The journey into/through the other world changes perspectives, relationships, and often self-understanding.

Central Tropes:
• The Hidden Door / The Secret Portal – entrance to another reality (mirror, wardrobe, tunnel…)
• Threshold Between Worlds / Crossing the Threshold – courageous step into the unknown
• Fish out of Water – the character doesn’t know the rules of the new world
• Sense of Wonder – amazement & magic as the story’s driving force
• Dangerous Paradise – the world’s beauty deceives, price for magic
• Mirror World – the other world reflects fears, desires, or shadow aspects
• Trial by Fire – test or battle leading to inner maturity
• The Portal Closes – the way back is blocked, everything is at stake
• Gift from the Other World – ability, insight, or new power after return
• The Two Worlds Touch – real and magical worlds merge at the end

Examples:
• Alice in Wonderland (Novel & Film, UK/USA) – girl falls through a rabbit hole into a surreal world
• The NeverEnding Story (Novel & Film, Germany) – boy dives into a book – and becomes part of Fantasia
• The Chronicles of Narnia (Novel & Film, UK/USA) – four children step through a wardrobe into a magical kingdom
• Coraline (Novel & Film, USA) – girl discovers door to seemingly perfect parallel world – which turns out to be a deadly trap
• Spirited Away (Animated Film, Japan) – girl gets lost in the spirit world – and must save her parents
• Pan’s Labyrinth (Film, Spain/Mexico) – girl escapes the horror of war into a mythical underworld
• Dark (TV Series, Germany) – a small town discovers a time travel portal – and a dark family web

Time Travel ^

In the Time Travel model, a technical, magical or inexplicable means transports a character or group to another time — either past or future, either once or repeatedly. This movement through time not only alters external events but also confronts the character with themselves: with lost opportunities, unresolved traumas, or possible futures. The time travel becomes a catalyst for a profound inner transformation.

Story Arc: The structure often follows a Rise – Fall – Rise pattern: The character initially experiences the euphoria or wonder of time travel, followed by disillusioning consequences or paradoxical dangers – until they recognize a personal truth and consciously choose whether or not to interfere with the course of time.

Narrative Arc: The story often begins with a restlessness, a loss, or a desire for correction. The time travel is triggered by a device, a ritual, a natural phenomenon, or an emotional extreme. In the new time period, the character encounters not only unfamiliar circumstances, but often themselves – as a younger self, as a parent, or as a future version. At first, the opportunity to correct past mistakes or influence fate is enticing. But it soon becomes clear: time is a delicate fabric. Interference creates new problems, shifts relationships, or reveals uncomfortable truths. The character faces an ethical or emotional dilemma: Do they remain an observer or intervene? The turning point lies in the realization that it’s less about changing external circumstances and more about acceptance, remorse, or responsibility. The return – often difficult or delayed – does not simply mark an ending, but a new attitude toward the present.

Typical Applications / Genres: Science fiction, drama, mystery, romance, tragicomedy. Time travel stories increasingly permeate serialized formats and literary works with psychological or philosophical depth.

Themes: Transience, guilt, forgiveness, second chances, the irreversible, self-acceptance. Time travel becomes a stage for existential questions: Who would I have become if…? Am I allowed to interfere with the course of time? Or: What makes my present valuable?

Key Tropes:
• Back to the Past – returning to a decisive point in one’s life story
• Future Shock – the self encounters a frightening or exaggerated future
• Grandfather Paradox – altering the past creates new dilemmas
• Multiple Timelines – parallel versions of events or lives
• Time as Mirror – the past reveals what has been repressed
• The Price of Change – tampering with time comes at a high emotional cost
• Personal Redemption – the leap through time serves healing
• Loop of Regret – repeated attempts to “make it right”
• Return with Wisdom – new knowledge transforms the present
• The Timeless Choice – in the end, it’s not about causality, but about attitude

Examples:
• Back to the Future (film series, USA) – a teenager travels to the past and future to resolve family conflicts
• 12 Monkeys (film & series, USA) – a man travels through time to prevent a pandemic – and gets lost in the chaos of causes
• Donnie Darko (film, USA) – a young outsider discovers he’s part of an unstable timeline whose collapse affects him personally
• The Time Traveler’s Wife (novel, film & series, USA) – bittersweet love drama about a couple repeatedly torn apart by involuntary time travel
• Source Code (film, USA) – sci-fi thriller about a soldier reliving the same train bombing to find the perpetrator – until he begins to question reality itself
• About Time (film, UK) – a young man uses time travel to perfect love and life – until he learns to live in the moment
• Interstellar (film, USA) – space-time journeys lead to an existential separation between father and daughter, until one decision changes everything

Time Loop ^

The time loop model describes stories in which a character is trapped in a temporal endless loop – they experience the same day, the same situation, or the same event over and over again. The narrative appeal lies in the repetition and the resulting changes.

Story Arc: The structural arc usually unfolds as fall & ascent: Being trapped in the time loop usually triggers a major crisis for the protagonist, leading them to develop personally and mature morally, for which they are rewarded at the end with liberation from the time loop.

Narrative Arc: The story begins with normality, which is shattered by the first experience of the time loop (usually at the first plot point). Initially, the character reacts with confusion, discovering new possibilities, escape attempts, frustration, and finally resignation. Over time, they begin to change within the repetition, apply new knowledge, or mature emotionally. Resolution occurs when they gain a central insight, transform themselves, or perform a specific action – thereby breaking the loop.

Typical Application / Genres: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Comedy, or metaphysical dramas. Time loops are particularly suitable for stories about personal transformation, negotiating philosophical questions, the power of small decisions, or the theme of time as a touchstone for the self.

Themes: Self-change, remorse, morality, redemption, letting go, causality, fate and freedom. Often a spiritual or moral lesson is at the center.

Central Tropes:
• Groundhog Day Loop – again and again the same day
• Butterfly Effect – small changes with big impact
• Repeat Until Correct – the loop only ends with an inner or outer correction
• Stuck in Time – at the mercy of a higher logic
• Redemption Loop – self-improvement as the key to resolution
• Time as Metaphor – the loop reflects an emotional or psychological blockade

Examples:
• Groundhog Day (Film, USA) – cynical weatherman relives the same day over and over – until he breaks the cycle through empathy, self-reflection, and genuine change
• Run Lola Run (Film, Germany) – three alternative versions of the same day show how small decisions can change everything – until Lola finds a solution in the last loop that saves lives
• Source Code (film, USA) – sci-fi thriller about a soldier who relives the same train bombing over and over to find the perpetrator – until he begins to question reality itself
• Edge of Tomorrow (Film, USA) – inexperienced soldier dies repeatedly in battle against aliens – and uses the time loop to save humanity through training and willingness to sacrifice
• The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle (Novel, UK) – man wakes up daily in another guest’s body and must solve murder case; only when he chooses justice does he escape the time loop
• Russian Doll (TV Series, USA) – woman dies repeatedly on her birthday – the loop forces her to confront her past, relationships, and traumatic experiences until she can allow genuine closeness

Mock Hero Journey ^

The mock hero journey tells of an unsuitable, overwhelmed, or reluctant character who gets into a classic hero situation in an absurd, comic, or tragicomic way. But instead of heroic qualities, bad luck, failure, and contradictions dominate – and that’s exactly what makes them touching.

Story Arc: The plot usually unfolds as fall & recovery, in which failure is not the end, but the key to change.

Narrative Arc: The story begins with a seemingly unsuitable or completely unwilling character who is sent on a kind of journey through external circumstances or absurd coincidences. They stumble through challenges, are underestimated, fail embarrassingly – but it’s precisely in these moments that empathy arises. Through a series of misunderstandings, small successes, quirky encounters, and inner growth, they find an unexpected form of “heroism.” In the end, there’s no great deed, but a small yet meaningful change – for themselves or others.

Typical Application / Genres: Tragicomedies, social grotesques, indie comedies, culture-clash stories, or narratives around antiheroes. Satires and absurd dramas also use the structure to break with the myth of the hero’s journey – often lovingly, sometimes bitterly.

Themes: Thematically, the mock hero journey revolves around identity, self-deception, failing at grand aspirations – and humanity in small things. The *hero* is often out of place, too weak, too quirky, too emotional – but that’s exactly what makes them relatable. Transformation happens reluctantly, unwillingly, or becomes visible in retrospect. Often it shows that greatness lies in small deeds – or that a character changes something in others through their imperfection.

Central Tropes:
• Reluctant Hero / Unfit Hero / Accidental Hero – the character doesn’t want to, can’t, or doesn’t even understand that they’re in a hero story – but still becomes the central force of change
• Laughable Underdog – someone who is ridiculed due to weaknesses, naivety, or embarrassment – but still or precisely because of this grows beyond themselves
• Fish Out of Water – the character is in a completely foreign world – socially, culturally, or emotionally – and causes conflicts through misunderstandings and friction, but also insights
• Heroic Bumbler – a clumsy klutz who stumbles through the story without a plan, but accidentally does the right thing or moves other people
• The Fool with a Heart of Gold – a seemingly naive, quirky, or childlike character whose goodness and honesty ultimately have a healing effect on others
• Hero by Accident / Stumbled Into the Plot – the story doesn’t begin with a goal, but with an error, coincidence, or misunderstanding – that unwillingly catapults the character into the center of the action
• The Great Misunderstanding / Misunderstood Genius / Mistaken Identity – the character is taken for something they’re not – such as a hero, savior, or genius – and continues to play the role (out of necessity) until they actually change
• Embarrassing Low Point / Comedic Failure – a moment of total failure, usually social or emotional – often comic, but also touching – marks the turning point of the story
• Too Dumb to Fail – the character doesn’t fail because they’re particularly clever or skilled – but because they understand so little that they unintentionally master obstacles or escape dangers
• Triumph Despite Clumsiness – success at the end is not the result of planning or strength, but of humanity, warmth of heart, or pure persistence – sometimes also luck
• Small Act, Big Impact – a small, inconspicuous step by the character – such as a conversation, gesture, or decision – has unexpected effects on others or the world
• Earned Smile – at the end there’s no triumph, but a smile – honestly earned after much failure, pain, and change. A quiet moment of dignity and recognition

Examples:
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Novel & Film, UK) – ordinary guy stumbles through an absurd universe and becomes a survivor against his will
• Forrest Gump (Film, USA) – naive outsider influences historical events through his innocence
• The Big Lebowski (Film, USA) – lethargic stoner gets caught up in a criminal plot – and stays true to himself
• Little Miss Sunshine (Film, USA) – a quirky family fails their way to happiness
• Napoleon Dynamite (Film, USA) – outsider becomes a hero through quirkiness
• Toni Erdmann (Film, Germany) – eccentric father breaks through his daughter’s emotional rigidity with absurd humor
• Fleabag (TV Series, UK) – self-ironic, broken woman stumbles through her life – and grows from it

Dark Hero Journey ^

The journey of an ambivalent, torn, or power-driven character whose moral abysses become the driving force. The transformation of a hero in a dark, morally ambivalent world.

Story Arc: Typical are the arcs ascent – fall or fall – ascent – fall: The character follows a path of power or success, but hubris, moral transgressions, or inner emptiness lead into a deep, often fatal abyss.

Narrative Arc: The character begins in a vulnerable or inconspicuous position, often with a feeling of powerlessness or lack. An external conflict or temptation awakens hidden powers or ambitions within them – often power, influence, or revenge. On the path to success or self-empowerment, they increasingly cross moral boundaries. The ascent is accompanied by inner brutalization or isolation. In the second half of the story, it becomes clear that the price for power is high: The character becomes alienated, hurts others – or themselves. The end often brings downfall or bitter self-recognition. In some cases, the character survives outwardly but has lost everything inwardly.

Typical Application / Genres: Psychodrama, Tragedy, Neo-Noir, Thriller, Gangster Film, Character Study, Anti-Biopic, Postmodern Series Formats

Themes: (Fascination with) power and moral decay, guilt, descent, rebellion, selfishness vs. responsibility, dark side of self-empowerment. The dark hero journey reverses the classic hero’s journey: The character often consciously chooses their path against the “good” – or is driven into morally complex situations by external pressure. The transformation is not purification, but often self-destruction or conscious transgression.

Central Tropes:
• Fall from Grace – moral or social downfall
• The Path of No Return – conscious choice for the dangerous path
• Power Corrupts – power increasingly corrupts the character
• Crossing Moral Lines – repeated transgressions of ethical boundaries
• Sympathy for the Devil – audience feels empathy despite everything
• No Redemption – no salvation or purification possible
• Evil Is Not Born, It’s Made – the character is shaped by circumstances
• Karmic Downfall – the consequence follows inevitably

Examples:
• Fight Club (Film, USA) – nameless man destroys the consumer world – and himself
• Breaking Bad (TV Series, USA) – chemistry teacher becomes drug kingpin
• Joker (Film, USA) – outcast snaps – and becomes an icon of chaos
• The Golden Glove (Film, Germany) – alcoholic deteriorates into serial killer
• Nightcrawler (Film, USA) – unscrupulous video reporter builds career on others’ misery
• House of Cards (TV Series, USA) – power-hungry politician rises – through betrayal and murder

Fall. Break. Get Up. ^

This story model, also known as “Man in a Hole” (term coined by Kurt Vonnegut), describes a story in which the protagonist falls into a severe, often personal and existential crisis in the first part of the plot – usually at the first plot point – and works their way out through their own strength (or with a little help).

Story Arc: The plot curve follows the pattern fall & recovery: The characters experience an existential breakdown – whether personal, professional, or emotional. After the lowest point, there’s no heroic triumph, but a quiet, often inconspicuous, yet all the more meaningful turn. The ascent is quiet, matures from within, and leads to a new attitude – not back to the old, but forward with more humility, clarity, or compassion.

Narrative Arc: The character initially lives in a seemingly functioning everyday life – with routines, relationships, or successes that appear stable. But a crisis – a loss, illness, failure – plunges them into an emotional or existential hole. In this dark phase, withdrawal, powerlessness, or self-doubt threaten. But from the depths grows a new perspective: through self-reflection, human closeness, or small steps of change. The character begins to slowly regenerate – not through external success, but through new clarity, acceptance, and self-responsibility. The recovery is quiet but authentic – often characterized by inner peace, new meaning, or the ability to accept life again.

Typical Application / Genres: Drama, Comedy, Psychodrama, Thriller, Midlife, Character Piece, Recovery Story, Quiet Hero’s Journey

Themes: Inner crisis, self-discovery, depression, search for meaning, remorse, isolation, maturation, identity, everyday overwhelm, creative crisis, loss, healing. This model is particularly suitable for stories about human weakness, about failure – but also about resilience, small steps of hope, and genuine emotional development.

Central Tropes:
• Loss of Innocence – naivety or lightness gives way to reality
• Break the Cutie – a lovable character is broken by life
• Darkest Hour – lowest point of emotional, personal crisis
• Wounded Hero – inner wounds as the story’s driving force
• Getting Back Up – no happy ending, but growth, insight, new attitude
• Quiet Triumph – small but significant change
• Life Kicks You Down – But You Walk On – tragicomic perseverance

Examples:
• The Pursuit of Happyness (Autobiography & Film, USA) – man loses job and wife, fights through homelessness and setbacks with his son – his perseverance leads to a new life as investment banker
• Head-On (Film, Germany/Turkey) – two uprooted people plunge into a sham marriage to escape their own emptiness – after drugs, violence, and loss, a quiet new beginning develops
• Rust and Bone (Short Story & Film, France) – two damaged people find each other – and healing
• The Tobacconist (Novel/Film, Austria) – young man experiences love, loss, and political violence during the Nazi era – and finds inner maturity through pain
• The Wall (Novel/Film, Austria/Germany) – woman is cut off from the world by an invisible barrier – her withdrawal becomes an existential test and gradual self-discovery in complete solitude

Rags to Riches ^

In this classic success model, the protagonist rises from modest, often precarious circumstances to fame, wealth, or social recognition. The focus is not only on external but also personal transformation.

Story Arc: Here the pure ascent dominates from bottom to top – through hard work, clever action, or luck. Setbacks are usually brief, the focus is on overcoming and ascent as self-realization.

Narrative Arc: The story begins on the social or emotional sidelines: The character grows up in poverty, disadvantage, rejection, or invisibility. However, they carry a dream or talent within them that initially no one recognizes – sometimes not even themselves. Through an encounter, a chance, or a courageous decision, a path upward begins. The character works hard, overcomes obstacles, and grows with each challenge. The breakthrough comes through performance, attitude, or perseverance – often against resistance. At the peak stand success, recognition, or social advancement. In the end, the character looks back – and realizes that wealth or fame are not decisive, but the identity they found on the way there.

Typical Application / Genres: Biopic, Music Film, Fairy Tales, Sports Film, Entrepreneur Story, Success Drama, Feel-Good Film, Motivational Film

Themes: Justice, talent, equal opportunity, social mobility, self-confidence, determination, self-realization. The model often idealizes the capitalist dream – but can also be told in a broken or ironic way (see e.g., “The Wolf of Wall Street”).

Central Tropes:
• Underdog to Star – an underestimated character grows beyond themselves
• The Big Break – the moment that changes everything
• Make It Big – from bottom to top
• Rags to Riches – from misery to success
• The Long Climb – hard but consistent path upward
• Talent Will Out – true ability prevails
• Bittersweet Fame – success has its price (optional)

Examples:
• Rocky (Film, USA) – simple boxer gets unexpected chance and grows beyond himself
• 8 Mile (Film, USA) – young rapper from difficult circumstances fights his way into the music scene
• Slumdog Millionaire (Film, UK/India) – street boy answers TV quiz questions from his life and finds love and justice

Cinderella ^

The Cinderella model tells of an overlooked, underestimated, or oppressed character who finally finds recognition, dignity, or happiness through inner strength, hope, and transformation.

Story Arc: Typical is the course ascent – fall – ascent: The character first experiences an improvement in their situation or a moment of visibility, briefly loses this again – and then finds their way to themselves strengthened and to a lasting, self-determined ascent.

Narrative Arc: The story begins in a state of exclusion, disregard, or poverty: The character lives in a humiliating, unseen, or marginalized role – such as a servant, outsider, or underestimated talent. Often they are shaped by family, social, or inner restrictions. But they carry a quiet hope, an inner glow, or hidden potential within them. A first turning point – perhaps through a mentor, an invitation, or a special moment – lets them briefly flourish, gives hope, or opens new possibilities. But this is often followed by a setback: The external glow breaks down, success seems to have been only borrowed. In this crisis, the character decides on self-empowerment. They begin to stand up for themselves from their own strength, discover their inner strength, and find a way to show their true self in the world. In the end, they are seen, recognized – and return transformed: not through magic or external help, but through courage, dignity, and self-assertion.

Typical Application / Genres: The model is typical for romantic comedies, empowerment films, fairy-tale stories, and romantasy – often with a female character. It also appears in children’s films, sports dramas, or artist biographies.

Themes: Thematically, the model revolves around longing, self-worth, transformation, and social injustice. It gives weight to marginalized voices and shows that recognition can be earned – through dignity, not through origin. The fairy-tale structure is often ironically or modernly broken.

Central Tropes:
• Ugly Duckling to Swan – an inconspicuous character becomes the radiant protagonist
• Evil Stepmother – oppression by a dominant caregiver or social order
• Still Waters Run Deep – underestimated characters possess inner greatness
• Magical Makeover / Makeover Montage – transformation through external and inner change
• Cinderella Transformation – sudden flourishing, often through symbolic help
• Moment of Glory – the character gets to be completely themselves once and shine
• Fairy-tale Turn – life rewards courage and authenticity

Examples:
• Cinderella (Fairy Tale Adaptations) – archetypal example of the model
• Jane Eyre (Novel & Film, UK) – from despised governess to respected woman
• Pretty Woman (Film, USA) – modern fairy-tale variant with classic structure
• Billy Elliot (Film & Musical, UK) – working-class child follows their dream of dancing

Icarus ^

The Icarus model tells of a character who rises rapidly (or has already risen) – whether through talent, daring, or vision – and finally falls through arrogance, overestimation, or a deep inner emptiness.

Story Arc: The story arc follows an ascent & deep fall – or just a deep fall: The phase of admiration, euphoria, or success is followed by the crash – often tragic, sometimes self-inflicted, sometimes inevitable.

Narrative Arc: The dramatic arc begins with the character’s ascent, who draws attention through talent, ambition, or outsider status. They gain influence, fame, or power – but their flight is not stable: Inner emptiness, repressed wounds, megalomania, or social pressure lead to wrong decisions or transgressions. The fall is deep – whether through scandal, illness, isolation, or death. The end holds no redemption, but the failure of a dream – sometimes as a warning, sometimes as a melancholic elegy.

Typical Application / Genres: The model is frequently used in artist biographies, gangster films, social or coming-of-fame dramas. It’s particularly suitable for antiheroes, torn geniuses, or idealists whose conviction turns destructive.

Themes: Hubris, fall from heights, self-destruction, but also the striving for meaning, the longing for love or truth – and the question of what success really costs people. Often the view remains ambivalent: The character fails, but they also shone.

Central Tropes:
• Genius & Madness – brilliant characters who break under themselves
• Self-Destruction – destructive patterns that intensify despite success
• Burning Out on Success – fame or power doesn’t lead to fulfillment, but to doom
• Fall from Heights – the higher the ascent, the deeper the fall
• Hubris – the character believes themselves above human limits
• Tragic Genius – great talent without life balance

Examples:
• The Great Gatsby (Novel, USA) – self-made climber breaks on his illusion
• Christiane F. – We Children from Bahnhof Zoo (Film, Germany) – a young girl’s descent into drug addiction
• Amadeus (Film, USA) – Mozart’s genius is destroyed by his brilliance and envy
• Whiplash (Film, USA) – music student risks everything – including himself – for perfection
• Requiem for a Dream (Film, USA) – four characters dream of ascent – and lose themselves in addiction
• Black Swan (Film, USA) – the dance to perfection ends in psychological breakdown
• A Thousand Lines (Film, Germany) – journalist invents stories – and is exposed

Oedipus ^

The Oedipus model tells of a character who searches for truth – about themselves, their origin, or the hidden order of the world. In doing so, they reveal a shocking secret that is often closely linked to their own identity.

Story Arc: The story arc usually follows a deep fall: The closer the truth comes, the greater the fall becomes – because self-knowledge here doesn’t mean redemption, but destruction.

Narrative Arc: The dramatic arc usually begins with a state of ignorance or self-deception: The character lives in a seemingly functioning world but senses a deeper inconsistency. A trigger – such as a hint, doubt, or incident – sets off an often obsessive search for truth. The more they uncover, the more their worldview wavers. The recognition culminates in a painful revelation that often comes with guilt, loss of identity, or existential breakdown. The story ends tragically, but with a bitter form of clarity.

Typical Application / Genres: The model is typical for revelation dramas, chamber plays, psychological stories, or family secrets. It’s particularly suitable for characters torn between self-image and truth – often with tragic irony.

Themes: Truth and deception, origin and identity, guilt, fate and recognition. It poses the question: Do we really want to know the truth – even if it destroys everything?

Central Tropes:
• Tragic Irony – the audience knows more than the character
• Gradual Revelation – puzzle structure where a picture slowly becomes clear
• The Truth Lies Within – secrets in the family, in one’s own history
• Self-Knowledge as Downfall – truth doesn’t lead to freedom, but to collapse
• Genius and Madness – recognition drives the character to the edge
• Taboo Breaking – the revealed secret exceeds the morally bearable

Examples:
• Homo Faber (Novel, Switzerland) – rational engineer realizes that the young woman he’s in a relationship with is his own daughter
• Oldboy (Film, South Korea) – man uncovers the secret of his kidnapping – and learns he unknowingly had an incestuous relationship with his daughter
• The Tin Drum (Novel & Film, Germany) – a child character realizes in retrospect that he himself became a perpetrator by remaining silent about murders, lying, letting people die – thus becoming part of the guilt he actually wanted to despise
• The Celebration (Film, Denmark) – a family dinner becomes the revelation of sexual abuse by the father – the repressed truth destroys the family construct
• The Machinist (Film, USA/Spain) – insomnia and delusion lead to recognition: he himself ran over a boy and repressed his guilt
• Memento (Film, USA) – man searches for his wife’s killer – until he realizes he found and killed the real perpetrator long ago, but lies to himself to escape his emptiness and continue giving meaning to his life
• The Others (Film, Spain/USA) – mother lives in fear with her children – until she realizes they themselves are the ghosts
• Shutter Island (Novel & Film, USA) – supposed investigator realizes he himself is the one being sought

Deal with the Devil ^

The story model “Deal with the Devil” represents stories in which a character, out of deep longing or need, receives an extremely tempting offer and enters into a pact or immoral bargain. However, the price is high: loss of soul, guilt, dependency, or moral decay.

Story Arc: The ‘Deal with the Devil’ model tells the story of ascent and fall: The pact initially leads the protagonist to their goal. But when they become aware of the dark side of the pact, the fall begins, accompanied by inner turmoil and external losses. The character pays for the pact with their soul, integrity, or love. In the end stands often ambivalent redemption – through insight, sacrifice, or salvation.

Narrative Arc: Out of existential lack or weariness, the protagonist enters into a consequential pact or immoral deal with a dark power/entity that seemingly brings liberation. Their strong desire for love, knowledge, power, success, meaning, wealth, youth, beauty, or immortality drives the character, and initially they experience an ascent – professionally, socially, intellectually, or emotionally. But the price for transgression is high: moral corruption, spiritual turmoil, loss of identity, guilt, compulsion, or painful losses. The ascent becomes entanglement, enjoyment becomes dependency. The character struggles to undo everything, but the pact demands its full price (public scandal, death of a loved one, self-destruction). The character loses themselves – either literally (madness) or internally (cynicism, alienation, emptiness of soul). In the end, the character recognizes what they have truly lost – and who they have become – with tragic, bitter, or (rarely) redemptive outcome.

Typical Application / Genres: Psychological dramas, philosophical stories, coming-of-ambition, series about power and morality, tragicomedies, artist biographies. The story model is particularly suitable for stories that center on transgressions, overestimation, or the price of greed and longing – from classical theater to modern prestige dramas and series about “tragically driven geniuses.”

Themes: Longing for meaning, hubris, seduction/temptation, moral decay, freedom vs. dependency (Who pulls the strings?), redemption vs. damnation. The story revolves around the dangerous desire to be more than human – smarter, more powerful, eternally young, or perfect, which ultimately leads to inner alienation, loss of humanity, and destructive consequences. The central question is: What is a person willing to sacrifice to satisfy their deepest longing or greatest wish?

Central Tropes:
• An Immoral Offer – character receives a tempting offer (money, power, salvation) they can’t refuse – although it goes against their moral values or deepest convictions
• The Deal with the Devil – character enters consequential pact – with dark power or morally questionable entity
• Be Careful What You Wish For – fulfilled wish brings unexpected consequences – the supposed gift becomes a burden
• Moral Descent / Corruption Arc – character begins idealistic or innocent – and sinks deeper into guilt, selfishness, or self-betrayal
• Forbidden Knowledge / Power – character strives for superhuman insight, control, or influence – beyond ethical boundaries
• Temptation Figure – charismatic character (e.g., Mephistopheles) seduces, urges, or lures – often with sweet poison
• Double Life / Hidden Self – outward success, inner guilt and turmoil – or two identities that increasingly collide
• The Price Must Be Paid – in the end the pact demands its price – loss, pain, or death are inevitable
• Last-Minute Realization – character realizes (too late) they have betrayed themselves or gambled everything away
• Ambiguous Salvation – redemption is possible – but not certain; story ends openly, bitterly, or bittersweetly

Examples:
• Faust (Play, Germany) – scholar makes pact with devil to gain boundless knowledge and lust for life – loses himself and destroys Gretchen
• The Picture of Dorian Gray (Novel, UK) – young man sells his soul for eternal youth – his portrait ages and shows his guilt while he remains outwardly flawless
• Doctor Faustus (Play, England) – magician sells his soul for 24 years of power and knowledge – realizes too late that the price is his eternal salvation
• Tim Thaler (Novel & TV Series, Germany) – boy sells his laughter for the ability to win any bet – notices he has lost his innermost happiness
• The Devil’s Advocate (Novel & Film, USA) – ambitious lawyer rises in top law firm – until he realizes his boss is the devil and he himself sacrificed his soul for success, power, and vanity
• Indecent Proposal (Film, USA) – millionaire offers young couple 1 million dollars for one night with the woman
• Supernatural (TV Series, USA) – brothers hunt demons and monsters, but to save each other, they repeatedly make deals with hell’s powers

Madness ^

The madness model tells of a character whose reality gradually dissolves – internally and externally.

Story Arc: The story usually reflects a deep fall: Mental or emotional decay is at the center, often triggered by trauma, isolation, or repressed truths. What is real and what is imagination becomes increasingly unclear – for the character as well as for the audience.

Narrative Arc: The plot usually begins with a seemingly normal, stable starting situation in which the character experiences first cracks in perception or their own behavior. As the plot progresses, disturbing events, perceptual distortions, or breaks in space and time accumulate. The character increasingly loses their grip, gets caught in paranoia, nightmares, or hallucinations. Often they realize too late that the enemy lies within themselves. The story ends in isolation, madness, or complete loss of identity – sometimes also in an ambivalent, open resolution.

Typical Application / Genres: The model is particularly suitable for psychological dramas, surreal horror films, or narratives about the inner abyss. It unfolds its effect especially when formal means (perspective, time, space, tone) support the fragmentation of the self.

Themes: Loss of identity, self-deception, madness, reality vs. imagination, trauma and isolation. The story often reflects a psychological crisis or inner split, sometimes also social alienation or creative turmoil.

Central Tropes:
• Creeping Madness – madness comes gradually
• Unreliable Narrator – the character (or perspective) is not trustworthy
• Fractured Mind / Split Identity – identity fragments, second selves appear
• Doppelgänger, The Enemy Within, Locked-In Syndrome, The Hidden Conspiracy, Lost Memory – these tropes reflect the central motif of truth-seeking under difficult, often threatening circumstances
• Dream or Reality? – reality and imagination blur
• Hall of Mirrors – symbolic or literal reflections
• Isolation Spiral – increasing withdrawal, social disconnection
• Madness Mantra – recurring sentences, symbols, or rituals
• Going Mad / Seeing Things – visual or auditory hallucinations
• The Mind Screw – intentionally disorienting narrative style

Examples:
• Steppenwolf (Novel, Germany) – torn character between bourgeois world and inner chaos
• Black Swan (Film, USA) – ballet dancer dances herself into madness in pursuit of perfection
• Antichrist (Film, Denmark) – couple processes grief – between madness, violence, and nature mysticism

Buddies / Odd Couple ^

The buddies or odd couple model tells of two contrasting characters who become an involuntary team through external circumstances. Despite (or precisely because of) their differences, they initially clash, but must face challenges together – which ultimately bonds them.

Story Arc: The story often tells a fall & ascent: After a phase of rejection, separation, or failure, a genuine, deep bond emerges.

Narrative Arc: The story begins with the introduction of two contrary characters who meet involuntarily – through job, travel, or emergency. Initially there are misunderstandings, friction, and conflicts. But while the two overcome obstacles together, they learn from each other, grow beyond themselves, and develop respect or affection. A falling out or failure (common low point) often leads to separation – before an insight, a moment of sacrifice, or a crisis enables reconciliation. In the end stands a changed relationship – often friendship, sometimes quiet recognition.

Typical Application / Genres: Comedy, road movie, action film, cop thriller, or heartwarming feel-good films. Buddy constellations are also frequent in animated films or series. Stories about buddies or odd couples celebrate the power of friendship against all odds.

Themes: Thematically, contrasts are at the center – origin, temperament, worldview. The stories celebrate overcoming prejudices, discovering unexpected commonalities, and growing from each other. It’s about tolerance, loyalty, closeness despite difference.

Central Tropes:
• Unlikely Friendship – two who don’t really fit together
• Opposites Attract (Non-Romantic) – friction creates closeness
• Reluctant Partners – they don’t want to, but must work together
• Road Trip Bonding – shared journey as path to rapprochement
• Breakup – Makeup – separation and reunion
• The Stoic and the Emotional – a classic dynamic pairing
• One Teaches the Other – learning from the counterpart
• Small Acts of Loyalty – relationship grows through actions, not words
• Fish Out of Water x2 – both characters are overwhelmed in the situation
• Bromance – (often) male-coded friendship with feeling

Examples:
• India (Play & Film, Austria) – two unequal men on business trip grow closer humanly
• Rain Man (Film, USA) – yuppie discovers empathy and responsibility in his autistic brother
• Léon: The Professional (Film, France) – taciturn hitman and precocious girl grow into unusual duo
• The Intouchables (Autobiography & Film, France) – unexpected friendship between caregiver and paraplegic
• Green Book (Film, USA) – road trip of two men across racial boundaries
• Toy Story (Animated Film, USA) – cowboy and space ranger learn friendship

Heist / Caper ^

The heist or caper model tells of planning and executing a risky coup – usually a theft or spectacular deception. At the center is a character or team that outwits a system with intelligence, deception, and improvisation.

Story Arc: The story usually follows a pure ascent: From idea through planning to the daring coup, tension is continuously built, often culminating in a clever twist.

Narrative Arc: The arc begins with a lucrative target and an impossible challenge. A team is assembled – often with specialists whose talents complement each other. As the plan matures, conflicts, doubts, or hidden motives arise. The coup usually begins exactly at the story’s midpoint. Unexpected turns or time pressure force improvisation, tension rises. In the end, the coup succeeds – or fails spectacularly. Often a final, surprising trick follows that puts everything in a new light.

Typical Application / Genres: Caper comedy, thriller, or ensemble films. Particularly popular in series or as multi-parters when complex plans are built up over episodes.

Themes: Thematically it’s about deception, willingness to take risks, team spirit, and undermining power structures. Often a system (bank, corporation, state, gangster boss) symbolically represents injustice – and the coup acts like balancing justice. The characters are rarely morally flawless but appear charismatic and sympathetic.

Central Tropes:
• The Big Heist – planning and execution of a brilliant plan
• Ragtag Crew – specialists with rough edges
• The Mole – a character plays a double game
• Plan Goes Wrong – unforeseen complications force improvisation
• Double Cross – twist through betrayal or perspective change
• The Last Trick – the final turn clarifies everything
• Plan Montage – the plan is explained parallel to execution
• One Always Missing – the outsider in the team is the key
• Charismatic Criminals – characters between thief’s honor and self-purpose

Examples:
• Snatch (Film, UK) – petty criminals, boxers, gangsters, and a diamond thief stumble through a wild heist around a stolen giant diamond
• Ocean’s Eleven (Film, USA) – charming ensemble coup against a casino
• The Italian Job (Film, USA/UK) – revenge and teamwork in a gold heist
• Inside Man (Film, USA) – sophisticated bank robbery with moral motive
• Lupin (TV Series, France) – modern master thief in the style of Arsène Lupin
• Logan Lucky (Film, USA) – two brothers plan a brilliantly chaotic heist during a race with a quirky crew
• Money Heist / La Casa de Papel (TV Series, Spain) – politically charged coup on the Spanish central bank

Revenge ^

The revenge model tells of a character who is shattered by a serious injustice or deep loss and decides to take vengeance.

Story Arc: The story typically traces a fall – ascent – fall: The character is hurt or destroyed, rises up, becomes an avenger – and pays a high price for it.

Narrative Arc: The arc begins with a traumatic loss or brutal injustice. The character falls out of their old life and withdraws or is broken. In the rebuilding phase, anger, determination, and the plan for revenge emerge. The character returns as a changed being, begins with revenge – often precise, calculating, and merciless. But the action takes its toll: emotionally, morally, or physically. The end rarely brings redemption – but emptiness, guilt, or new pain.

Typical Application / Genres: Thriller, Western, War Film, Drama, or dark historical films. The model is particularly suitable for narrative material with clear perpetrator-victim dynamics, but also for morally ambivalent character studies.

Themes: Thematically it’s about justice, vigilantism, moral transgressions, and the tension between retribution and forgiveness. Often the question arises whether revenge heals – or whether it destroys what was left.

Central Tropes:
• Angel of Vengeance – character becomes personified retribution
• Eye for an Eye – escalation of violence as “justice”
• No Mercy – the character’s path is uncompromising
• The Monster Within – revenge transforms the character
• Plan of Retribution – long-planned, sophisticated revenge
• Disguise and Return – character returns in altered form
• Last Moment of Humanity – doubt or mercy before the final blow

Examples:
• The Count of Monte Cristo (Novel, France) – wrongly imprisoned man returns under new identity and destroys his enemies – until doubt and remorse catch up with him
• Taxi Driver (Film, USA) – isolated veteran becomes self-appointed avenger
• Gladiator (Film, USA/UK) – general is betrayed by emperor, loses family and rank, is enslaved – and takes revenge by fighting his way back to the Colosseum as a gladiator, kills the emperor and dies himself, enabling freedom and justice for the Roman people
• The Talented Mr. Ripley (Novel & Film, USA) – young outsider takes over a rich man’s identity after murder, becomes increasingly entangled in lies, self-deception, and madness, losing himself in the process
• Kill Bill (Film, USA) – woman survives massacre at her own wedding, hunts her former tormentors and brutally brings them down one by one

Whydunit ^

The whydunit model doesn’t tell the classic “whodunit?” but centers on “why did it happen?” The perpetrator is often known early or less important. Instead of searching for the culprit, it’s about psychological, social, or emotional decoding of an act or fate.

Story Arc: The structure is usually fragmented, with flashbacks, perspective changes, or nested narratives.

Narrative Arc: The arc often begins with an event – a murder, accident, disappearance. The character, often an investigator or someone close, goes on a search for clues where new facets of the past are constantly revealed. The truth is buried, emotionally charged, or consciously repressed. The resolution brings no triumphant justice, but often bitter recognition, personal consequences, or tragic irony.

Typical Application / Genres: Neo-Noir, Psychological Thriller, Mystery Drama, or dark character studies. The model is particularly suitable for complex character constellations and material where psychological depth is more important than external tension.

Themes: Search for truth, memory, guilt, repression, trauma, revenge, obsession, family or social secrets, moral ambivalence – often with melancholic or fatalistic undertones. The whydunit negotiates the psychological motivation for the act and critically reflects on society’s role.

Central Tropes:
• The Past Is Not Dead – the past affects the present
• Obsessed Detective – investigator is emotionally entangled
• Tragic Irony – the truth hurts
• Reconstruction of a Life – fragmentary flashbacks
• Unreliable Witness – perception is questioned
• Motives Instead of Perpetrator – the why is more shocking than the who
• The Mask Falls – revelation of a true self behind the facade

Examples:
• Chinatown (Film, USA) – private detective uncovers a swamp of incest, abuse of power, and water corruption – and must realize that justice is impossible in a thoroughly corrupt system
• Mystic River (Film, USA) – three childhood friends are reunited by a murder case – the “why” leads to uncovering deeply repressed abuse trauma, fatal suspicion, and the murder of an innocent
• Gone Girl (Novel/Film, USA) – when his wife disappears, a man becomes a suspect – but in truth, she staged her own disappearance to punish him for his betrayal and regain control

Systemic ^

The systemic model tells of characters trapped in a larger, often opaque structure of rules, power structures, or cultural norms. Unlike the classic hero’s journey, this isn’t about individual self-realization, but about wrestling with or against a system – whether school, justice, politics, bureaucracy, or family.

Story Arc: The narrative style is often fragmented, multi-perspective, and offers no simple solutions.

Narrative Arc: The story usually starts with a seemingly small inconsistency, rule break, or moral conflict. The character is drawn into a web of expectations, hierarchies, and dynamics. The more they try to change or uncover something, the clearer the extent of systemic entanglement becomes. The end often brings no victory, but an ambivalent state: resigned failure, small progress, or personal break with the system.

Typical Application / Genres: Political drama, social satire, boarding school dramas, arthouse or festival films, but also documentarily inspired material. This model is particularly suitable for works with social aspirations or critical attitudes toward power and institutions.

Themes: Power, responsibility, norms, corruption, peer pressure, system criticism, human imprisonment in structures and conditions, institutional failure, or the moral price of conformity. Often perpetrator and victim roles blur.

Central Tropes:
• The System Is the Enemy – real opponent is an institution
• Institutional Failure – rules don’t protect, they dehumanize
• Whistleblower – character becomes a disruptive force
• David vs. Goliath – individual’s fight against overwhelming power
• Forbidden Love – as breaking with rules of a rigid system
• Kafkaesque Nightmare – rules and procedures are incomprehensible
• Ambivalent Ending – no clear victory, but a personal statement

Examples:
• 1984 (Novel & Film, UK) – totalitarianism and surveillance as systemic threat
• Erin Brockovich (Film, USA) – single mother uncovers environmental crimes by powerful corporation
• The Wire (TV Series, USA) – multi-perspective portrait of urban vicious cycle
• The Wave (Novel & Film, Germany) – experiment on how quickly a system can radicalize escalates
• Spotlight (Film, USA) – revelation of church power structures
• The Teachers’ Lounge (Film, Germany) – moral dilemma within the constraints of the school system

QǐChéngZhuǎnHé ^

The QǐChéngZhuǎnHé model (起承转合) describes a very well-known Asian four-act structure in which tension arises less from direct conflict than from thematic unfolding, surprising shifts in meaning, and final harmonization. At its core are rhythm, motifs, and resonance – not necessarily victory or defeat. The narrative follows the protagonist’s gaze toward details, moods, routines, or patterns of meaning, thriving on small observations and on what the character perceives in them.

Story Arc: The arc follows Introduction (Qǐ) → Development (Chéng) → Turn (Zhuǎn) → Integration (Hé). Instead of linear escalation, momentum arises through curiosity and pattern-building:
• Qǐ establishes the world and theme.
• Chéng deepens relationships and motifs.
• Zhuǎn surprises with a shift in perspective or meaning (often a semantic “twist”).
• Hé weaves elements and motifs into a coherent, resonant conclusion.
The four-act structure QǐChéngZhuǎnHé can be applied not only to the whole story but also recursively within each act – like a “story within a story” following the same pattern.

Narrative Arc: The story begins with a calm setup (Qǐ) of tone, place, and routines. In Chéng, character constellations and motifs unfold without compulsion toward confrontation. In Zhuǎn, an unexpected event or shift in viewpoint changes the meaning of what came before. Hé draws together threads, motifs, and meaning – harmoniously, tragically, or openly – often echoing an initial image or motif.

Typical Applications / Genres: Slice-of-life, coming-of-age, poetic fantasy, animation, arthouse drama, essayistic or symbolic works, dance/opera/performance. Ideal for material that emphasizes atmosphere, theme, and shifts in meaning over confrontation.

Themes: Perception & meaning, cycle & change, memory & identity, nature & ritual, sense-making, resonance over victory, harmony after transformation.

Central Tropes:
• Everyday as Stage – routines and small gestures carry meaning
• Wandering Protagonist – exploration without a clear goal, discovery rather than pursuit
• Perspective Flip – an event or revelation reframes everything seen before
• Symbol Anchor – a recurring image changes its meaning by the finale
• Return with New Eyes – final image mirrors the beginning but transformed

Examples:
• Eat Drink Man Woman (Film, Taiwan) – widowed master chef struggles with his three daughters between tradition, love, and self-determination, until their unexpected life choices overturn family roles
• Princess Mononoke (Film, Japan) – young warrior is drawn into the conflict between nature spirits and industrialization, only to realize that both sides are at once destructive and dignified
• In the Mood for Love (Film, Hong Kong) – two neighbors discover their spouses’ affair and develop a quiet intimacy that turns betrayal into an unfulfilled longing
• Spirited Away (Film, Japan) – girl enters a magical bathhouse where the seeming prison reveals itself as the place of her growth and self-discovery
• Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (Film, South Korea) – life phases of a monk mirror the seasons, whose recurrence reveals change rather than stasis
• Pulp Fiction (Film, USA) – interwoven episodes of gangsters, a boxer, and petty criminals in which brutality and chance unexpectedly give rise to moments of grace and meaning
• The Vegetarian (Novel, South Korea) – woman refuses to eat meat, grows estranged from family and reality; shifting perspectives reveal her disintegration and transform a quiet rebellion into symbolic liberation
• Ponyo (Film, Japan) – goldfish girl leaves the sea, becomes human, and throws nature into chaos, which ultimately transforms into balance through love
• Drive My Car (Film, Japan) – theater director copes with the loss of his wife and discovers in rehearsals that the stage becomes a mirror of inner healing
• Parasite (Film, South Korea) – poor family insinuates themselves into a wealthy household, until their apparent rise turns into a destructive trap
• 3-Body Problem (Novel & TV series, China) – scientist sends a signal into space, triggering global chain reactions that turn faith in progress into cosmic helplessness

Further Reading

• DrehbuchWerkstatt München / Thau, Martin: Genres Themen Töne. Sonderdruck. München 2002.
• Murdock, Maureen: The Heroine’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness. 2020.
• Reagan, A. J., Mitchell, L., Kiley, D., Danforth, C. M., & Sheridan Dodds, P. (2016). [The emotional arcs of stories are dominated by six basic shapes] (https://doi.org/10.1140/epjds/s13688-016-0093-1). *EPJ Data Science*, *5*(1), 31.
• Pogrebna, G., Kleanthous, E., Panayides, A., & Christodoulou, G. (2018). [The data science of Hollywood: Using emotional arcs of movies to drive business model innovation in entertainment industries] (https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.02221). *arXiv preprint arXiv:1807.02221*.
• Tobias, Ronald B.: 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them. Cincinnati 2012. / 20 Masterplots – Die Basis des Story-Building in Roman und Film. 2016.
• Truby, John: The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works. New York 2022.
• Vorontzov, Dimitri: Qi Cheng Zhuan Jie (起承轉結): The Chinese Four-Act Screenplay Structure. In: Script Magazine, 2020. (https://scriptmag.com/screenplays/qi-cheng-zhuan-jie-the-chinese-four-act-screenplay-structure-part-1 /
  https://scriptmag.com/screenplays/qi-cheng-zhuan-jie-the-chinese-four-act-screenplay-structure-part-2)
• Watt, Alan: The 90-Day Novel: Unlock the story. 2010.