Novelist Analyst Skill

Purpose

Analyze events through the disciplinary lens of narrative fiction, applying established storytelling frameworks (three-act structure, hero's journey, character arc theory), narrative theory, and literary analytical methods to understand human motivations, dramatic stakes, thematic resonance, and story coherence in real-world events.

When to Use This Skill

• Leadership Analysis: Understanding leaders as characters with motivations, flaws, and arcs
• Organizational Narratives: Analyzing company stories, culture shifts, transformations
• Crisis Narratives: Understanding how crises unfold as dramatic stories
• Cultural Moments: Analyzing cultural events through narrative lenses
• Conflict Analysis: Understanding human dimensions of conflicts
• Change Stories: Transformation narratives in organizations or societies
• Communication Analysis: Evaluating how stories are told and what they reveal

Core Philosophy: Narrative Thinking

Narrative analysis rests on fundamental principles:

Stories Reveal Truth: Beneath surface events lie deeper narratives that reveal motivations, conflicts, and meaning.

Characters Drive Action: Real people, like fictional characters, act from desire, fear, values, and contradictions. Understanding character illuminates events.

Structure Creates Meaning: How a story is structured—its beginning, middle, end, turning points—shapes our understanding of what happened.

Conflict Drives Story: All narratives emerge from conflict—internal or external, between characters, between character and world. Identifying core conflicts reveals what's truly at stake.

Theme Unifies Elements: Underlying themes—power, redemption, ambition, sacrifice—give coherence to disparate events.

Perspective Shapes Story: Who tells the story, from what viewpoint, determines what we see and understand.

Arc Implies Transformation: Characters and situations undergo arcs—change over time that follows patterns (rise, fall, redemption, corruption).

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Theoretical Foundations (Expandable)

Framework 1: Three-Act Structure (Classical Dramatic Structure)

Origin: Aristotelian poetics, refined through centuries of dramatic tradition

Core Principles:

• Stories naturally organize into beginning, middle, and end
• Each act serves distinct narrative function
• Turning points propel story forward
• Rising action builds toward climax
• Resolution provides closure

Three Acts:

Act I: Setup (25%)

• Establish status quo and normal world
• Introduce protagonist and core desires
• Present inciting incident that disrupts equilibrium
• Protagonist commits to journey/goal
• First Act Turn: Point of no return

Act II: Confrontation (50%)

• Protagonist pursues goal, faces obstacles
• Complications escalate, stakes rise
• Midpoint: Major reversal or revelation
• Dark night of the soul: Lowest point
• Second Act Turn: Final push toward resolution

Act III: Resolution (25%)

• Climax: Confrontation with central conflict
• Protagonist transformed or defeated
• New equilibrium established
• Themes crystallized

Key Insights:

• Provides roadmap for narrative development
• Identifies where story is in its arc
• Reveals whether narrative is complete or truncated
• Shows how tension builds and releases

When to Apply:

• Leadership journeys (rise and fall narratives)
• Organizational transformations
• Crisis management stories
• Policy initiatives with clear beginnings/ends

Sources:

• Three-Act Structure - Wikipedia
• Syd Field, Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting

Framework 2: Hero's Journey (Monomyth)

Origin: Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949)

Core Principle: Stories across cultures follow common pattern of departure, initiation, return

Twelve Stages:

Act I: Departure

1. Ordinary World: Hero's normal life
2. Call to Adventure: Challenge or quest appears
3. Refusal of the Call: Hero hesitates
4. Meeting the Mentor: Guidance received
5. Crossing the Threshold: Hero commits

Act II: Initiation 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies: Hero faces challenges 7. Approach to Inmost Cave: Preparation for ordeal 8. Ordeal: Supreme challenge, confronting death/fear 9. Reward: Hero seizes treasure or knowledge

Act III: Return 10. The Road Back: Journey home begins 11. Resurrection: Final test, transformation complete 12. Return with Elixir: Hero brings wisdom/gift to community

Key Insights:

• Universal pattern reflects human psychology
• Transformation through trial is core human story
• Mentors, allies, and tests serve archetypal functions
• True heroism involves bringing wisdom back to community

When to Apply:

• Entrepreneurial journeys
• Leadership transformations
• Social movements
• Personal and organizational reinventions

Sources:

• Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949)
• Christopher Vogler, The Writer's Journey (1992)

Framework 3: Character Arc Theory

Definition: The transformation a character undergoes through story events

Three Arc Types:

Positive/Change Arc:

• Character overcomes flaws, grows, achieves goal
• Truth replaces lie they believe
• Internal and external goals align
• Example: Scrooge's redemption

Negative/Fall Arc:

• Character succumbs to flaws, degrades, fails
• Lie they believe deepens
• Corruption or destruction
• Example: Macbeth's ambition leads to downfall

Flat Arc:

• Character already embodies truth
• Remains steadfast in values
• Transforms world around them instead
• Example: Atticus Finch's moral constancy

Key Insights:

• Character change (or refusal to change) is story's heart
• Internal journey mirrors external events
• Flaws and desires drive choices
• Transformation must be earned through trials

When to Apply:

• Leadership analysis (growth or corruption)
• Organizational culture shifts
• Personal transformation stories
• Evaluating whether change is authentic or superficial

Source: K.M. Weiland, Creating Character Arcs (2016)

Framework 4: Dramatic Conflict Types

Core Principle: All stories emerge from conflict—opposition between forces

Seven Classic Conflicts:

1. Character vs. Character

   • Protagonist opposes antagonist
   • Personal rivalry, competition
   • Example: Political opponents

2. Character vs. Self

   • Internal struggle
   • Competing desires, moral dilemmas
   • Example: Leader torn between values and expediency

3. Character vs. Society

   • Individual against social norms, institutions
   • Reform, rebellion, resistance
   • Example: Whistleblower vs. corrupt organization

4. Character vs. Nature

   • Struggle against natural forces
   • Survival, disaster response
   • Example: Crisis management in natural disaster

5. Character vs. Technology

   • Human confronting technological systems
   • Automation anxieties, AI concerns
   • Example: Workers displaced by automation

6. Character vs. Fate/Supernatural

   • Struggle against destiny or unknown forces
   • Existential questions
   • Example: Pandemic as inexorable force

7. Character vs. Unknown

   • Mystery, uncertainty
   • Search for truth or meaning
   • Example: Investigation, discovery narratives

Key Insights:

• Identifying primary conflict clarifies what's at stake
• Multiple conflicts can operate simultaneously
• External conflicts often reflect internal ones
• Resolution requires addressing core conflict

When to Apply: Analyzing any situation to understand fundamental tensions driving events

Framework 5: Narrative Voice and Perspective

Point of View Options:

First Person: "I" narrator, subjective, limited knowledge

• Intimate, unreliable narrator possible
• Example: Memoir, insider account

Second Person: "You" narrator, immersive, rare

• Directly implicates reader
• Example: Choose-your-own-adventure effect

Third Person Limited: "He/she," one character's perspective

• Balanced intimacy and objectivity
• Most common in fiction

Third Person Omniscient: "He/she," all-knowing narrator

• Access to all minds, broader view
• Godlike perspective

Key Insights:

• Who tells the story determines what we know
• Perspective reveals bias and limits
• Unreliable narrators shape (mis)understanding
• Omniscient view provides context but loses intimacy

When to Apply:

• Media analysis (whose story is told?)
• Organizational narratives (management vs. worker perspective)
• Historical events (victor's story vs. loser's)

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Core Analytical Frameworks (Expandable)

Framework 1: Story Spine (Narrative Skeleton)

Structure (Kenn Adams):

• Once upon a time...
• And every day...
• Until one day...
• Because of that...
• Because of that...
• Until finally...
• And ever since then...

Purpose: Reduces any story to essential narrative beats

Analysis Questions:

• What was the status quo?
• What disrupted it?
• What chain of consequences followed?
• What was the resolution?
• What is the new normal?

Application: Quickly identify narrative structure of events

Framework 2: Freytag's Pyramid (Dramatic Arc)

Five-Part Structure:

1. Exposition: Setup, characters, context
2. Rising Action: Complications, escalating tension
3. Climax: Turning point, highest tension
4. Falling Action: Consequences unfold
5. Denouement: Resolution, new equilibrium

Visual: Pyramid shape—gradual rise to peak, then descent

Value: Maps dramatic tension over time, identifies climactic moments

Application: Crisis narratives, organizational changes, political campaigns

Framework 3: Character Desire and Obstacle

Formula: Character wants X, but Y prevents it

Elements:

• Desire/Goal: What character wants (external)
• Need: What character actually needs (internal)
• Obstacle: What prevents achievement
• Stakes: What happens if character fails
• Motivation: Why character wants this
• Flaw: Character weakness that complicates journey

Analysis Process:

1. Identify protagonist's stated goal
2. Identify deeper psychological need
3. Map obstacles (external and internal)
4. Assess stakes (consequences of failure)
5. Understand motivation (why this matters)
6. Recognize flaw (what undermines success)

Application: Leadership analysis, negotiation dynamics, strategic decision-making

Framework 4: Theme and Motif

Theme: Central idea or universal truth explored by story

Common Themes:

• Power and corruption
• Redemption and forgiveness
• Ambition and consequence
• Sacrifice and duty
• Identity and belonging
• Freedom vs. security
• Tradition vs. progress

Motif: Recurring element (image, phrase, symbol) that reinforces theme

Analysis:

• What deeper meaning do events convey?
• What patterns recur across narrative?
• What symbols carry thematic weight?
• What questions does the story ask?

Application: Cultural analysis, political messaging, brand narratives

Framework 5: Narrative Coherence and Plausibility

Coherence Criteria:

• Internal Consistency: Do events logically follow from previous events?
• Character Consistency: Do characters act according to established traits and motivations?
• Causal Logic: Are cause-effect relationships clear and believable?
• Thematic Unity: Do elements serve coherent themes?

Plausibility:

• Does this ring true psychologically?
• Are motivations believable?
• Are coincidences excessive?
• Does resolution feel earned?

Red Flags:

• Deus ex machina (contrived solutions)
• Plot holes (inconsistencies)
• Character acting out of character
• Unmotivated behavior

Application: Evaluating official narratives, media stories, organizational change stories

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Methodological Approaches (Expandable)

Method 1: Close Reading and Textual Analysis

Definition: Careful, detailed analysis of text to understand how meaning is created

Process:

1. Read/observe events multiple times
2. Note language, imagery, symbolism
3. Identify patterns and repetitions
4. Analyze structure and form
5. Consider context and subtext
6. Interpret deeper meanings

Application: Analyzing speeches, statements, media coverage, organizational communications

Method 2: Character Study

Dimensions of Character:

• Backstory: History shaping character
• Motivation: Conscious and unconscious drives
• Values: Core beliefs and principles
• Flaws: Weaknesses and blind spots
• Desires: External goals
• Needs: Internal psychological requirements
• Contradictions: Internal conflicts
• Arc: Transformation or stasis

Process:

1. Gather biographical information
2. Identify stated goals and hidden needs
3. Analyze past actions for patterns
4. Note contradictions and complexities
5. Track changes over time
6. Assess relationship to others

Application: Leadership analysis, negotiation, stakeholder understanding

Method 3: Plot Mapping

Elements to Map:

• Inciting incident
• Rising action beats
• Midpoint reversal
• Dark night/crisis
• Climax
• Resolution
• Character positions at each beat

Visualization: Timeline with tension levels, character positions, key events

Purpose: See overall narrative shape, identify missing elements, predict trajectory

Application: Crisis management, transformation projects, political campaigns

Method 4: Thematic Analysis

Process:

1. Identify recurring ideas, questions, concerns
2. Note symbolic elements and their meanings
3. Recognize contrasts and oppositions (freedom/control, tradition/change)
4. Synthesize into central themes
5. Evaluate how well theme is developed

Value: Reveals deeper meaning beyond surface events

Application: Cultural analysis, brand positioning, political messaging

Method 5: Comparative Narrative Analysis

Approach: Compare multiple versions or parallel stories

Comparison Dimensions:

• How do different narrators tell same events?
• What elements are emphasized or omitted?
• Whose perspective is privileged?
• What narrative patterns recur across cases?

Application: Media analysis, historical events, organizational change

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Analysis Rubric

What to Examine

Narrative Structure:

• Where is this story in its arc (setup, confrontation, resolution)?
• What was the inciting incident?
• What are major turning points?
• Is there a clear climax?
• How complete is the story?

Characters and Motivations:

• Who are the protagonists and antagonists?
• What do characters want (external goals)?
• What do characters need (internal)?
• What are character flaws and strengths?
• How do characters change?

Conflict and Stakes:

• What is the central conflict?
• What are the stakes (what happens if protagonist fails)?
• What obstacles stand in the way?
• Internal vs. external conflicts?
• How is tension building or releasing?

Theme and Meaning:

• What deeper ideas are being explored?
• What questions does this raise?
• What patterns recur?
• What symbols carry meaning?
• What is this story really about?

Coherence and Plausibility:

• Does the narrative hold together?
• Are motivations believable?
• Are events causally connected?
• Are there plot holes or inconsistencies?
• Does resolution feel earned?

Questions to Ask

Structural Questions:

• What is the story spine (setup → disruption → consequences → resolution)?
• Where are we in the three-act structure?
• What was the point of no return?
• What is the climax?

Character Questions:

• Who is the protagonist of this story?
• What does the protagonist want?
• What does the protagonist need (internally)?
• What is the protagonist's fatal flaw?
• How does the protagonist change (or fail to change)?
• Who are the supporting characters and what roles do they play?

Conflict Questions:

• What is the core conflict?
• What are the stakes?
• What obstacles prevent resolution?
• Is conflict internal, external, or both?
• How does conflict escalate?

Thematic Questions:

• What is this story really about?
• What deeper truths emerge?
• What universal human experiences does this touch?
• What does this say about power, identity, belonging, sacrifice, etc.?

Perspective Questions:

• Whose story is being told?
• Whose perspective is privileged?
• What would this look like from another viewpoint?
• Who is the narrator and are they reliable?

Plausibility Questions:

• Do character motivations make sense?
• Are coincidences excessive?
• Does the resolution feel earned?
• Are there deus ex machina elements?

Factors to Consider

Narrative Factors:

• Story structure and pacing
• Turning points and reversals
• Dramatic tension
• Causality and logic

Character Factors:

• Depth and complexity
• Consistency and evolution
• Motivation and desire
• Flaws and contradictions

Thematic Factors:

• Central ideas and questions
• Symbolic elements
• Recurring patterns
• Universal resonance

Context Factors:

• Cultural moment
• Genre conventions
• Audience expectations
• Historical parallels

Narrative Parallels to Consider

Classic Story Types:

• Hero's journey (transformation through trial)
• Tragedy (fatal flaw leads to downfall)
• Comedy (obstacles overcome, harmony restored)
• Quest (journey to achieve goal)
• Rags to riches (rise from humble beginnings)
• Riches to rags (fall from grace)
• Rebirth (redemption, second chance)
• Voyage and return (journey to strange world, return transformed)

Implications to Explore

Narrative Implications:

• What does story structure reveal about meaning?
• Is narrative complete or ongoing?
• What would satisfying resolution require?
• What narrative patterns does this exemplify?

Character Implications:

• What do character choices reveal about values?
• Is transformation authentic or superficial?
• What drives behavior?
• What would redemption require?

Thematic Implications:

• What universal truths emerge?
• What does this say about human nature?
• What cultural values are reinforced or challenged?
• What lessons does the narrative offer?

Strategic Implications:

• How should protagonists navigate their arc?
• What narrative framing serves goals?
• How can story be shaped going forward?
• What endings are possible?

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Step-by-Step Analysis Process

Step 1: Identify the Story and Its Stage

Actions:

• Clearly state what narrative is being analyzed
• Determine where story is in its arc (beginning, middle, end)
• Identify genre or type of story
• Establish timeline and key events

Outputs:

• Story summary
• Current stage in narrative arc
• Genre identification

Step 2: Map the Plot Structure

Actions:

• Identify inciting incident (what disrupted status quo)
• Map rising action (escalating complications)
• Locate midpoint (major reversal or revelation)
• Identify crisis point (dark night of the soul)
• Determine if climax has occurred or is approaching
• Assess resolution (if any)

Tools:

• Three-act structure
• Freytag's pyramid
• Story spine

Outputs:

• Plot map with major beats
• Identification of turning points
• Assessment of narrative completeness

Step 3: Analyze Characters

Actions:

• Identify protagonist(s) and antagonist(s)
• Map character desires (external goals)
• Identify character needs (internal)
• Recognize character flaws
• Assess relationships and dynamics
• Track character arcs (change or stasis)

Character Dimensions:

• Backstory
• Motivation
• Values
• Contradictions
• Transformation

Outputs:

• Character profiles
• Motivation map
• Arc assessment

Step 4: Identify Core Conflicts

Actions:

• Determine primary conflict type(s)
• Identify what's at stake
• Map obstacles preventing resolution
• Distinguish external vs. internal conflicts
• Assess how conflict escalates or resolves

Conflict Types:

• Character vs. Character
• Character vs. Self
• Character vs. Society
• Character vs. Nature
• Character vs. Technology
• Character vs. Fate

Outputs:

• Conflict identification
• Stakes assessment
• Obstacle mapping

Step 5: Extract Themes and Meaning

Actions:

• Identify recurring ideas, questions, symbols
• Recognize thematic oppositions (freedom/control, etc.)
• Synthesize central themes
• Assess thematic development
• Consider what story is "really about"

Common Themes:

• Power and corruption
• Redemption
• Ambition
• Sacrifice
• Identity
• Belonging

Outputs:

• Thematic analysis
• Symbolic interpretation
• Deeper meaning synthesis

Step 6: Evaluate Narrative Coherence

Actions:

• Check internal consistency
• Assess character consistency
• Evaluate causal logic
• Identify plot holes or contradictions
• Determine if resolution feels earned
• Note any deus ex machina elements

Coherence Criteria:

• Logical causality
• Character consistency
• Plausible motivation
• Earned outcomes

Outputs:

• Coherence assessment
• Identification of weaknesses
• Plausibility evaluation

Step 7: Consider Perspective and Voice

Actions:

• Identify whose story is being told
• Recognize narrator's perspective
• Assess reliability of narrator
• Consider alternative perspectives
• Evaluate what is emphasized or omitted

Perspective Questions:

• Who controls the narrative?
• What viewpoints are privileged?
• What would antagonist's version be?
• How does perspective shape understanding?

Outputs:

• Perspective analysis
• Alternative viewpoints
• Bias identification

Step 8: Apply Comparative Narrative Analysis

Actions:

• Identify analogous narratives (historical, fictional)
• Compare story structures
• Recognize archetypal patterns
• Draw parallels and distinctions
• Learn from similar narratives

Comparison Types:

• Hero's journey parallels
• Tragedy patterns
• Redemption arcs
• Rise and fall narratives

Outputs:

• Narrative parallels
• Pattern recognition
• Comparative insights

Step 9: Assess Narrative Trajectory

Actions:

• Determine if story is complete or ongoing
• Project possible endings
• Identify what resolution would require
• Consider alternative trajectories
• Assess likelihood of different outcomes

Trajectory Questions:

• Where is this story headed?
• What endings are possible?
• What would satisfying resolution require?
• What choice points remain?

Outputs:

• Trajectory assessment
• Possible endings
• Resolution requirements

Step 10: Synthesize Narrative Insights

Actions:

• Integrate all analytical dimensions
• Provide clear interpretation
• Identify key insights about motivations, stakes, trajectory
• Acknowledge alternative interpretations
• Draw lessons or implications

Synthesis Questions:

• What does narrative analysis reveal?
• What are characters really after?
• What's truly at stake?
• What does this story mean?
• What can we learn?

Outputs:

• Comprehensive narrative interpretation
• Key insights
• Strategic implications

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Usage Examples

Example 1: CEO Leadership Journey - Rise, Crisis, Redemption?

Event: Tech company CEO faces public scandal (ethical violation), board pressure, and potential ouster. CEO must decide whether to step down or fight to stay.

Analysis:

Step 1 - Story Identification:

• Story: CEO's leadership arc, crisis point
• Stage: Late Act II (crisis/dark night) or early Act III (climax approaching)
• Genre: Leadership rise-and-fall or redemption narrative

Step 2 - Plot Structure:

• Inciting Incident: Public revelation of ethical violation
• Rising Action: Media scrutiny, internal investigations, board meetings
• Midpoint (earlier): Peak of CEO's power and success
• Crisis/Dark Night: Current moment—reputation in ruins, allies deserting, future uncertain
• Climax (approaching): Board vote, resignation decision, or public statement
• Resolution (unknown): Departure, redemption, or new chapter

Step 3 - Character Analysis:

• Protagonist: CEO
• Desire (external): Retain position, restore reputation
• Need (internal): Reckon with ethical choices, find authentic identity beyond role
• Flaw: Hubris, ethical blind spot, isolation at top
• Arc Type: TBD—Positive (redeemed through acknowledgment and change) or Negative (fall due to inability to change)
• Supporting Cast: Board (gatekeepers), loyal lieutenants, critics, family

Step 4 - Core Conflicts:

• Primary: Character vs. Self (internal reckoning with choices and values)
• Secondary: Character vs. Society (public judgment, media)
• Tertiary: Character vs. Character (board members, activist shareholders)
• Stakes: Career, legacy, identity, company future
• Obstacles: Past actions, public opinion, board skepticism, own ego

Step 5 - Themes:

• Power and corruption (how power led to ethical compromise)
• Redemption (can CEO acknowledge wrongdoing and change?)
• Identity (who is CEO without the title and power?)
• Authenticity (performing role vs. being genuine)
• Accountability (facing consequences)

Step 6 - Coherence:

• Motivation: Believable—CEO wants to preserve achievement and identity
• Causality: Clear—past choices → exposure → crisis
• Character consistency: Does CEO have capacity for change? Prior behavior suggests not, but crisis can catalyze transformation
• Plausibility: High—familiar pattern

Step 7 - Perspective:

• CEO's perspective: Sees self as visionary unfairly attacked
• Board's perspective: Sees CEO as liability, violation of trust
• Public's perspective: Betrayal by powerful figure
• Employees' perspective: Confusion, disappointment, concern for company
• Note: Whose story gets told shapes outcome

Step 8 - Narrative Parallels:

• Classical tragedy (Macbeth, hubris leads to downfall)
• Redemption arc (Scrooge, transformation through crisis)
• Hero's journey (ordeal stage—will CEO emerge transformed?)
• Real-world parallels: Other CEO scandals (outcomes vary)

Step 9 - Trajectory Assessment:

• Possible Endings:
  • Tragedy: CEO refuses accountability, fights, loses everything
  • Redemption: CEO acknowledges failure, steps down with dignity, works to make amends, returns later transformed
  • Pyrrhic Victory: CEO survives but reputation permanently damaged
  • Escape/Avoidance: CEO resigns, moves on without real reckoning
• Resolution Requirements:
  • For redemption: Genuine acknowledgment, accountability, changed behavior, time
  • For tragedy: Continued denial, blame others, isolation

Step 10 - Synthesis:

• This is a classic leadership crisis narrative at Act II's dark night
• CEO faces choice: Transform (positive arc) or fall (negative arc)
• Core conflict is internal—can CEO see past ego and role to confront ethical failure?
• Themes of power, accountability, identity resonate universally
• Outcome depends on CEO's capacity for self-awareness and change
• Stakeholders hold power to shape ending (board decision, public judgment)
• Authentic redemption requires more than PR—demands real transformation
• Story is archetypal, echoing countless rise-and-fall narratives

Example 2: Company Transformation - Narrative Coherence and Character

Event: Legacy manufacturing company attempts "digital transformation" over three years. Initiative launched with fanfare, hits obstacles, leadership divided, outcomes uncertain.

Analysis:

Step 1 - Story Identification:

• Story: Organizational transformation journey
• Stage: Mid-Act II (complications escalating)
• Genre: Quest narrative or cautionary tale

Step 2 - Plot Structure:

• Status Quo: Traditional company, analog processes, established culture
• Inciting Incident: Market pressures, new CEO declares "digital transformation"
• Rising Action: New hires, investments, pilot projects, cultural resistance
• Midpoint: Six months in, early pilots mixed, excitement waning
• Current: Year two, divided leadership, employees confused, results unclear
• Crisis (approaching): Leadership must decide—double down, pivot, or retreat

Step 3 - Character Analysis:

• Protagonist: CEO or entire organization
• Desire: Transform into modern, competitive company
• Need: Understand what transformation truly requires, reconcile old and new
• Flaw: Impatience, superficial understanding of culture change, underestimating obstacles
• Supporting Cast:
  • Digital evangelists (allies pushing change)
  • Old guard (resisters, protecting traditional ways)
  • Confused middle (majority, uncertain what's expected)
  • Consultants (mentors/tricksters, helpful or just selling)

Step 4 - Core Conflicts:

• Primary: Organization vs. Self (identity crisis—who are we becoming?)
• Secondary: Tradition vs. Progress (old guard vs. new guard)
• Tertiary: Organization vs. Market (competitive pressure)
• Stakes: Survival, identity, jobs, culture
• Obstacles: Entrenched culture, skills gaps, cost, resistance, unclear vision

Step 5 - Themes:

• Change and continuity (what to preserve, what to abandon?)
• Identity (who are we if we're no longer what we were?)
• Progress and loss (gains from change, but also what's lost)
• Authenticity (real transformation vs. superficial rebranding)

Step 6 - Coherence:

• Weaknesses:
  • Unclear protagonist (whose journey is this?)
  • Vague goal ("digital transformation" means what exactly?)
  • Unmotivated behavior (why should employees change if unclear why?)
  • Possible deus ex machina (expecting technology alone to solve problems)
• Strengths:
  • Realistic obstacles (culture change is hard)
  • Believable resistance (people fear change)
  • Stakes are clear (adapt or die)

Step 7 - Perspective:

• CEO's story: Heroic transformation, resistance is obstacle to overcome
• Old guard's story: Wisdom being discarded, valuable traditions threatened
• Employees' story: Confusion, mixed messages, fear
• Customers' story: Hoping for better service, skeptical of changes
• Note: Coherent narrative requires integrating perspectives, not privileging one

Step 8 - Narrative Parallels:

• Hero's journey (ordeal stage—transformation through trial)
• Quest narrative (seeking prize, facing obstacles)
• Cautionary tales (Icarus flying too high, moving too fast)
• Successful transformations (other companies that navigated change)

Step 9 - Trajectory Assessment:

• Possible Endings:
  • Success: True transformation, culture shifts, outcomes delivered
  • Failure: Initiative fizzles, return to old ways, demoralization
  • Partial Success: Some changes stick, others don't, muddled outcome
  • Pivot: Recognize original vision flawed, adjust to more realistic path
• Resolution Requirements:
  • Clear, compelling vision (why we're changing)
  • Leadership alignment (no more divided message)
  • Small wins that build momentum
  • Respect for what's being lost (honor the past)
  • Time (transformation takes years, not months)

Step 10 - Synthesis:

• This transformation narrative suffers from coherence problems
• Unclear protagonist and vague goal undermine story
• Core conflict is identity crisis—organization doesn't know what it's becoming
• Multiple perspectives reveal divided organization, no shared story
• For successful resolution, organization needs:
  • Unified leadership narrative
  • Clear vision that honors past while building future
  • Realistic timeline
  • Small wins to build belief
• Current trajectory leans toward partial success or failure unless narrative is clarified
• Thematic resonance: Authentic change requires wrestling with identity, not just adopting new tools

Example 3: Political Campaign - Hero's Journey Applied

Event: Underdog candidate runs for major office, faces long odds, builds movement, reaches key election.

Analysis:

Step 1 - Story Identification:

• Story: Candidate's campaign journey
• Stage: Full arc from announcement to election
• Genre: Hero's journey, underdog narrative

Step 2 - Plot Structure (Hero's Journey):

• Ordinary World: Candidate's life before campaign, relative obscurity
• Call to Adventure: Decision to run, driven by issue or moment
• Refusal: Initial hesitation, doubts, long odds
• Meeting Mentor: Campaign manager, key advisor, or personal figure
• Crossing Threshold: Campaign announcement, point of no return
• Tests, Allies, Enemies: Primary battles, building coalition, facing opponents
• Approach Inmost Cave: Final stretch, highest stakes
• Ordeal: Election day, supreme test
• Reward: Victory (or noble defeat)
• Return with Elixir: Bringing change or lesson to community

Step 3 - Character Analysis:

• Protagonist: Candidate
• Desire: Win election, enact agenda
• Need: Serve community, prove self, or fulfill deeper calling
• Flaw: Inexperience, naivete, or specific personal weakness
• Arc: Growth from uncertain outsider to confident leader (or disillusionment)
• Supporting Cast:
  • Mentor (advisor)
  • Allies (campaign team, volunteers)
  • Threshold guardians (party gatekeepers)
  • Shapeshifters (fair-weather supporters)
  • Shadow (opponent, external threat)
  • Trickster (media, unpredictable events)

Step 4 - Core Conflicts:

• Primary: Candidate vs. Opponent (political competition)
• Secondary: Candidate vs. Self (internal doubts, learning to lead)
• Tertiary: Candidate vs. System (establishment resistance)
• Stakes: Policy outcomes, representation, personal vindication
• Obstacles: Resources, name recognition, opposition attacks, gaffes, scandals

Step 5 - Themes:

• Democracy and representation (giving voice to voiceless)
• Underdog resilience (overcoming odds)
• Transformation (personal growth through trial)
• Community and belonging (building movement)
• Power and service (using power for good)

Step 6 - Coherence:

• Classic narrative arc, highly coherent
• Character motivation clear and believable
• Obstacles realistic and escalating
• Transformation earned through trials
• Potential weakness: Too neat, real politics messier

Step 7 - Perspective:

• Candidate's story: Hero fighting for change
• Opponent's story: Experienced leader defending record against demagogue
• Voters' story: Choosing between visions for future
• Media's story: Horse race, drama, conflict
• Note: Framing matters enormously—is candidate hero or threat?

Step 8 - Narrative Parallels:

• Classic hero's journey (Luke Skywalker, Frodo)
• Underdog sports narratives (Rocky)
• Historical political outsiders (various)
• David vs. Goliath (archetypal)

Step 9 - Trajectory Assessment:

• Possible Endings:
  • Victory: Hero succeeds, elixir delivered, community transformed
  • Noble Defeat: Hero loses but movement built, lessons learned, return later
  • Corruption: Hero compromised by process, loses self
  • Pyrrhic Victory: Wins but at great cost, ideals compromised
• Resolution Requirements:
  • Climactic election day ordeal
  • Clear outcome (win or loss)
  • Reflection on journey and meaning
  • Sense of transformation or lesson

Step 10 - Synthesis:

• Campaign is near-perfect hero's journey structure
• Candidate transforms from ordinary world to tested leader
• Core conflict external (opponent) mirrors internal (self-doubt)
• Themes of democracy, representation, transformation resonate
• Narrative coherence high—clear arc, motivated character, escalating stakes
• Outcome determines story type: Victory = heroic success, Defeat = noble tragedy or lesson learned
• Universal appeal: We identify with underdog challenging powerful
• Strategic insight: Campaigns should embrace hero's journey structure in messaging
• Caution: Real politics more complex than clean narrative, avoid oversimplification

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Reference Materials (Expandable)

Key Theorists and Works

Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

• Field: Poetics, dramatic theory
• Key Work: Poetics (~335 BCE)
• Contribution: Three-act structure, plot as soul of drama, catharsis

Joseph Campbell (1904-1987)

• Field: Comparative mythology, narrative theory
• Key Work: The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949)
• Contribution: Monomyth (hero's journey), universal story patterns

Christopher Vogler

• Field: Screenwriting, narrative structure
• Key Work: The Writer's Journey (1992)
• Contribution: Adapted Campbell's hero's journey for modern storytelling

Robert McKee

• Field: Screenwriting, story structure
• Key Work: Story: Substance, Structure, Style (1997)
• Contribution: Principles of story design, character arc

Kurt Vonnegut

• Field: Fiction, narrative theory
• Contribution: Story shapes on graph (man in hole, boy meets girl, etc.)

Vladimir Propp (1895-1970)

• Field: Narratology, folklore studies
• Key Work: Morphology of the Folktale (1928)
• Contribution: Identified 31 narrative functions and 7 character archetypes in Russian fairy tales, revealing underlying story patterns
• Impact: "Reshaped the study of narrative almost completely"
• Sources: Vladimir Propp - Fiveable, Propp's Functions - ResearchGate

Narratology and Literary Theory

Narratology Resources

• Structuralist Narratology - Literary Theory and Criticism - Overview of narratological approaches
• Narratology - Wikipedia - Comprehensive introduction
• Narratology (literary theory) - EBSCO - Academic resource
• Narratology - Cambridge History of Literary Criticism - Scholarly overview
• Narrative Theory - Literariness.org - Theory foundations

Story Structure Resources

• Story Structure: 7 Types - Reedsy - Contemporary guide
• Narrative Structure - Bookish Bay - Key components explained
• How to Structure a Story - MasterClass (2025) - Modern teaching resource
• Beyond the Hero's Journey - Medium - Alternative narrative models

Professional Organizations

Writers Guild of America

• Website: https://www.wga.org/
• Resources: Industry standards, craft resources

International Association of Literary Journalism

• Focus: Narrative nonfiction, literary journalism

Essential Resources

• Syd Field, Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting
• K.M. Weiland, Creating Character Arcs
• John Truby, The Anatomy of Story
• Blake Snyder, Save the Cat!
• E.M. Forster, Aspects of the Novel

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Verification Checklist

After completing narrative analysis:

• Identified story stage and structure
• Mapped plot with major beats (inciting incident, climax, resolution)
• Analyzed protagonist's desires, needs, flaws, and arc
• Identified core conflicts and stakes
• Extracted central themes
• Evaluated narrative coherence and plausibility
• Considered perspective and whose story is told
• Applied comparative narrative analysis
• Assessed trajectory and possible endings
• Synthesized insights about meaning and implications

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Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Pitfall 1: Forcing Structure

• Problem: Imposing three-act structure where it doesn't fit
• Solution: Use frameworks flexibly, recognize when narratives deviate

Pitfall 2: Overlooking Complexity

• Problem: Reducing real people to simple character types
• Solution: Recognize human complexity, multiple motivations, contradictions

Pitfall 3: Ignoring Context

• Problem: Analyzing narrative in isolation from social/political context
• Solution: Situate stories in their contexts, understand constraints

Pitfall 4: Privileging Protagonist

• Problem: Only seeing story from protagonist's viewpoint
• Solution: Consider antagonist's perspective, multiple viewpoints

Pitfall 5: Confusing Narrative with Reality

• Problem: Treating narrative framing as objective truth
• Solution: Recognize narrative is interpretation, seek underlying facts

Pitfall 6: Demanding Neat Endings

• Problem: Expecting real-world stories to have clean resolutions
• Solution: Accept ambiguity, ongoing stories, messy reality

Pitfall 7: Overlooking Smaller Stories

• Problem: Focusing only on central narrative, missing subplots
• Solution: Attend to supporting characters, parallel stories

Pitfall 8: Presentism

• Problem: Judging past characters by contemporary values
• Solution: Understand historical context, values of the time

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Success Criteria

A quality narrative analysis:

• Identifies clear story structure and stage
• Provides deep character analysis (motivations, flaws, arcs)
• Identifies core conflicts and stakes
• Extracts meaningful themes
• Evaluates narrative coherence
• Considers multiple perspectives
• Applies relevant narrative frameworks appropriately
• Draws insights about meaning and trajectory
• Acknowledges complexity and ambiguity
• Provides actionable understanding

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Integration with Other Analysts

Narrative analysis complements other perspectives:

• Economist: Adds human motivations and story to economic incentives
• Political Scientist: Provides character and narrative depth to political actors
• Historian: Narrative coherence and meaning-making in historical events
• Psychologist: Inner character life, motivations, transformation
• Sociologist: Individual stories within social structures

Narrative analysis is particularly strong on:

• Character motivation and development
• Story structure and meaning
• Thematic interpretation
• Emotional and psychological dimensions
• Communication and framing

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Continuous Improvement

This skill evolves through:

• Studying diverse narratives and story forms
• Analyzing real-world events through narrative lens
• Refining character and plot analysis techniques
• Engaging with narrative theory developments
• Cross-disciplinary integration

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Skill Status: Pass 1 Complete - Comprehensive Foundation Established Quality Level: High - Comprehensive narrative analysis capability Token Count: ~8,500 tokens (target range achieved)