Episode 392 - Isaac Phoenix - The Different Dimensions of Story, How Game Design Shaped His Writing

What are ‘The Three Dimensions of Writing’? 

I named it the Three Dimensions because A) there are three, maybe I need to find a less creative field, and B) people want three dimensional stories and characters so this is how I create them.

Step 1: Every writer needs to read The Hero With A Thousand Faces.  It is done by Joseph Campbell who essentially breaks down why the oldest and most popular stories were the most popular stories and why they resonate today.  It is a deep book and to get the most out of it, you must take it as figuratively as you would literally.  So yeah step one is stolen, however, there is a reason.  

Many famous storytellers have gone through Campbells book, George Lucas being one of the biggest names, but another man, Dan Harmon, famous for his work on television shows like Community and Rick and Morty, took the concept and simplified it.  In some cases it is too simplified, and in others, Campbells is too complicated.  I believe that to understand the Monomyth and use it perfectly, it is important to understand both of these interpretations, and as many interpretations of the monomyth as possible.

Step 2: Ok so this one is completely mine.  So if you find flaws in my theory, this is probably the place where they pop up.  While I studied writing there was a ton to learn.  As a game designer I already had a ton to memorise in the field of game design.  So memorising everything that had to do with writing was a challenge.  I have three children and had their names memorised till the third one came around and now I can’t remember any of them.  However there were four words that popped up again and again and again.  They were active, reactive, internal, and external.  I put together a chart with these words and applied them to every level of storytelling.  

I divide my stories into the World, the Character, and the Story, and then divide it into levels: the Act, the Segment, the Scene, and the Beat.  Each of these 7 segments has these four words applied to them in different ways.  When you hear of second act fatigue, this is what gets me through it.  

At no point do I ever have to question what happens in a story next because this always points me in the direction of where I need my characters to go.

Step 3: Pacing is a term you will hear in writing.  I heard it everywhere, but I never truly understood it until I looked more into Shakespear.  Before Campbell, Shakespear created what is the first Writing Theory.  It was the 3 act structure.  With the monomyth I don't believe we really need the 3 act structure as a writing guide, however, I realized the 3 act structure was just a huge pacing curve.  So I combined them.  I was able to use the three act structure to map out the pacing curve and apply it to every bit of my stories.  This is important as pacing out your story is what is going to keep your audience engaged.  For the game designers out there, it is just like pacing out your Differences in Kind.

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