Scene Structure: How the 6 Elements of Story Work in the First Scene of How to Train Your Dragon

2023-10-03

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See the masterful story structure that undergirds the opening scene of How to Train Your Dragon.Great stories are built on great story structure. And my favorite story structure framework is one that you can apply on every level of story.It’s called the six elements of story, and it’s an editing tool you can use on every layer of your story.To prove it, I’m doing a deep dive into the structure of How to Train Your Dragon. First, I broke down the six elements of the movie as a whole. Then, I took a closer look at the f...

See the masterful story structure that undergirds the opening scene of How to Train Your Dragon.

Great stories are built on great story structure. And my favorite story structure framework is one that you can apply on every level of story.

It’s called the six elements of story, and it’s an editing tool you can use on every layer of your story.

To prove it, I’m doing a deep dive into the structure of How to Train Your Dragon. First, I broke down the six elements of the movie as a whole. Then, I took a closer look at the first act of the movie.

And in this episode, I’m breaking down the opening scene.

You’ll learn:

The essential value shifts that change from the start of the scene to the end
The critical, life-or-death choice Hiccup must make in the very first scene of the movie
How that choice sets up everything to come
And more!

Want more? You can see my full analysis of How to Train Your Dragon all on one spreadsheet. Go to alicesudlow.com/dragon to get the spreadsheet.

Then, go find the six elements of story in your scenes!

Links mentioned in the episode:

Watch the opening scene of How to Train Your Dragon
Watch the resolution of the opening scene
Get the full How to Train Your Dragon analysis: alicesudlow.com/dragon
Ep. 27: Value Shifts: How to Craft Compelling Change in Every Story
Ep. 42: The 6 Essential Elements of Every Novel, Act, and Scene
Ep. 43: Why the 6 Elements of Story Are the Key to All Great Stories
Ep. 45: How the 6 Elements of Story Work in How to Train Your Dragon
Ep. 46: How the 6 Elements of Story Work in Act 1 of How to Train Your Dragon

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