There is no one set formula when it comes to telling a story. Sometimes your main character learns nothing; sometimes the biggest set piece comes right at the top; and sometimes you just want to write a sci-fi western comedy in 16 acts. However, story structure is a helpful tool to keep you on track, no matter what the end result looks like. And one of the most often used (and reliable) structures is called Freytag’s Pyramid.
This storytelling concept was created by Gustav Freytag, a 19th-century German writer who specialized in novels and plays. He began writing stories in the 1840s, and eventually became an editor of a leading Berlin periodical. In 1863, he published “Die technik des dramas” (“The technique of drama”), a treatise on dramatic theory that included his breakdown of five-act story structure, which came to be known as “Freytag’s Pyramid.”
By SinjoroFoster - Own work, CC0
Freytag’s Pyramid is based heavily on its creator’s admiration of Shakespeare and French dramatists, as well as his keen understanding of Aristotle’s “Poetics,” which established the three-act structure. Here are what the different parts of his pyramid look like in action:
1. Exposition: This is the start of your story, where the major characters are introduced, the setting is established, and the tone is set. Set up your protagonist’s status quo, the world they understand and are comfortable in, for better or worse.
The length of this stage depends on the kind of story you’re telling. Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” has a fairly long exposition phase, because it needs to establish the complex workings of Middle-earth; introduce Frodo, Sam, and Gandalf; and provide backstory on Sauron and the One Ring. Meanwhile, the Coen brothers’ “The Big Lebowski” has a decently short exposition section. Right away, we get a sense of who the Dude (Jeff Bridges), Walter (John Goodman), and Donny (Steve Buscemi) are just in the way they interact and move through the world.
Storytelling 101: How to Be a Great Storyteller The exposition phase ends at the inciting incident, or the moment where your story’s main conflict arrives to change your protagonist’s status quo.
2. Rising action: In this stage, the central conflict intensifies. Your protagonist has set out on the other side of the inciting incident to pursue a goal, and your antagonist—be it human, supernatural, a force of nature, or otherwise—puts obstacle after obstacle in their way.
New characters can be introduced or expanded on here, as well as backstory and B or C plots. In Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight,” the rising action sees Batman (Christian Bale) pursue the Joker (Heath Ledger), but the villain’s craftiness tests the hero like never before. In Michael Mann’s “Collateral,” the rising action details the growing relationship between cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) and hit man Vincent (Tom Cruise) as Max attempts to stop or stall his passenger’s list of contract killings.
Great storytellers also use the external conflicts of the rising action to emphasize and embody the internal conflict of their protagonist. In “Collateral,” we learn that Max talks a big game about his ambitious business plans, but never acts on them. The rising action of the movie forces Max to take initiative, maybe for the first time in his entire life.
3. Climax: This is the biggest turning point in your story and the protagonist’s journey. Think of it as the “no going back” moment; it points the main character right in the direction that leads to the end. As such, the climax should be the point with the highest tension. In Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet,” the climax occurs when Romeo kills Tybalt, crossing an unforgivable line in the conflict between the Montagues and Capulets. In Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” the climax arrives when Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) orders the hits on his family’s enemies (the famed baptism scene), embracing his path to becoming the head of a crime family.
4. Falling action: Stage four can be seen as the “dust settling” phase in the wake of the climax. It is often a period of reflection, exploring how the big decisions related to the main conflict will ultimately change our characters. Here, you foreshadow what our protagonist’s new world will look like at the end of the story. In “Peter Pan,” the falling action is when Wendy and the boys return to London and Peter must come to terms with letting them go. Peter defeated Captain Hook, but it put his friends in danger; he must accept that the idealized safety of childhood cannot last forever.
5. Resolution: Also known as the denouement, this is the final stage. Think of it as the “new normal.” At this point, the protagonist has been fundamentally changed by their journey. Really dig into the themes you want to convey. The actual, tangible realities of what’s happening here should represent the internal change within your main character. At the beginning of Steven Spielberg’s “The Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is a man who scoffs at danger and “superstitious hocus-pocus” because he’s so singularly focused on his own pursuits. The film forces him to confront a power that is vastly beyond him, and in the end, he must accept that there are buried secrets that even he can’t dig up.
Is Freytag’s Pyramid right for you?
As in most situations when it comes to creating art, the answer is: It depends! If you’re just starting out, the idea of crafting an entire story from beginning to end can feel overwhelming. Freytag’s Pyramid provides a structure, and structure can bring the process into focus. Whenever you’re stuck, you know what should be happening at this part of the story. Even more so if you’re writing a genre picture (something like action, horror, or sci-fi), because they come with their own recognizable tropes. Together with storytelling structure, you’ll have guidelines to get you through.
However, there are instances when Freytag’s Pyramid (or any specific method) might not be right. For example, if your plot is nonlinear—like Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” or J.T. Mollner’s “Strange Darling”—the rigidness of the pyramid could be restrictive. Or maybe you just want to experiment, like using a protagonist with a flat arc or a plot that plays out in a series of vignettes. No matter what, it’s important to at least understand the basics, so that you know what to blow up as you become a great storyteller.
