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The Story Spine: Eight Sentences That Build Any Story

#storytelling#writing#structure#narrative

The story spine is a fill-in-the-blanks template of eight sentences that turns almost any idea into a complete story. It starts with "Once upon a time" and ends with a moral, and each sentence has one job. If you have ever stared at a blank page knowing your story had a point but not a shape, the spine gives you the shape in about two minutes. It was devised by the improv teacher Kenn Adams, and storytellers at Pixar have talked about using it, which is a big part of why it's so well known.

The Story Spine8 sentences · any storyWhat & WhyKenn Adamsimprov toolscreenwriters, designers, teachershardest problem: structureSet the World① Once upon a time…character + ordinary life② Every day…show the routinemake them careThe Hinge③ Until one day…inciting incidentspecificvisualimpossible to ignorethe whole story pivots hereThe Causal Chain④ Because of that…⑤ Because of that…⑥ Because of that…not 'and then' — because ofThe Climax⑦ Until finally…biggest choicethe whole chain was building hereThe New Normal⑧ Ever since then…sentence 2sentence 8old routinenew worldbefore troubleafter changeworld must feel differentPin-Up Rules'because of that' must be causal — not just sequential'and then' is a warning signinciting incident must break the routine — not nudge itsentence 8 must feel different from sentence 2the #1 mistake: 'and then'8 sentences. all the bones.borrowed by
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The eight sentences of the story spine

Here is the template. Fill in each blank and you have a story:

  1. Once upon a time there was ___.
  2. Every day ___.
  3. One day ___.
  4. Because of that, ___.
  5. Because of that, ___.
  6. Until finally ___.
  7. And ever since then ___.
  8. The moral of the story is ___.

Read the list as three movements. Sentences 1 and 2 set up a world and its routine. Sentence 3 breaks the routine. Sentences 4 to 6 are the chain of consequences, ending in the climax. Sentences 7 and 8 show the new normal and say what it meant.

Worked example: a story you already know

Take Finding Nemo:

  • Once upon a time there was a timid clownfish named Marlin, who had lost almost everything and had one son left.
  • Every day he kept that son, Nemo, close and warned him about everything in the ocean.
  • One day Nemo was scooped up by a diver and taken away.
  • Because of that, Marlin had to leave the reef he'd always refused to leave.
  • Because of that, he crossed the ocean with a forgetful stranger, Dory, facing the dangers he'd always feared.
  • Until finally he had to trust Nemo to take a risk to save a whole net of fish.
  • And ever since then Marlin lets his son swim a little further.
  • The moral of the story is you can't keep someone safe by never letting them live.

Notice that the routine in sentence 2 is the thing the story attacks. Marlin's overprotectiveness is his flaw, and the ending is the answer to it. A good spine makes sentences 2, 6 and 7 echo each other.

Why the story spine works

The engine of the spine is the repeated "Because of that." Each link makes the next one happen, which is the same cause-and-effect idea behind why "but" and "therefore" beat "and then". If you could swap sentences 4 and 5 without anything breaking, you have a list of events and not a chain.

The spine also fits neatly inside bigger structures. Sentences 1 and 2 are your first act, 3 to 5 stretch across the middle, and 6 and 7 are your ending, so you can lay it over the three-act structure as a quick check.

How to use the spine on your own work

  • Start with the ending. Many people find it easiest to write sentences 6 to 8 first, because they say what the story is about. Then write backward so sentence 2 is the thing the ending resolves.
  • Make "One day" a real disruption. If life could carry on unchanged after sentence 3, it isn't a disruption yet.
  • Use it for non-fiction too. A product launch, a lesson, or a conference talk can run on it: the customer's old routine, what changed, what followed, what is true now.
  • Try three different spines. Write the same idea with three different "One day" sentences and pick the one that makes you want to know what happens next.

The spine will not write the story for you. It tells you quickly whether you have one, and where it's thin.

Quick recap

  • The story spine is eight fill-in-the-blank sentences, from "Once upon a time" to a moral.
  • Sentences 1 and 2 set the routine, 3 breaks it, 4 to 6 chain consequences, 7 and 8 show the change and its meaning.
  • The repeated "Because of that" forces cause and effect.
  • Make the routine in sentence 2 the thing the ending changes.
  • It works for pitches, talks and lessons, not just fiction.

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