The Story Octagon (Harmon's 8 Point Story Circle)

This is a story structure designed by Dan Harmon (links to his explanations in the References). It is sometimes called Harmon's 8 Point Story Circle. 

However, I will call it the Story Octagon. The Cambellian Hero's Journey is already taking up the "circular story structure" spot in the public consciousness, and so this makes it more distinct.

Explaining the Story Octagon

Dan Harmon explains it like this: 

  1. A character is in a zone of comfort,
  2. But they want something.
  3. They enter an unfamiliar situation,
  4. Adapt to it,
  5. Get what they wanted,
  6. Pay a heavy price for it,
  7. Then return to their familiar situation,
  8. Having changed.

Or,

  1. You
  2. Need
  3. Go
  4. Search
  5. Find
  6. Take
  7. Return
  8. CHANGE

Details

You

ESTABLISH A PROTAGONIST
Give the audience a likeable protagonist, with their starting situation. 

Need

SOMETHING AIN'T QUITE RIGHT
You show what the protagonist needs/wants. What is missing from their life? This is where they might receive (and refuse and accept) a call to adventure. Or, they might just decide to go get the thing they want. 

Go

CROSSING THE THRESHOLD
The real plot kicks into gear. You have entered the bottom half of the Octagon, and things feel and work differently. Stakes are raised. 

Search

THE ROAD OF TRIALS
The training montage. The hero adapting to the new challenges. 

Find

MEETING WITH THE GODDESS
The midpoint of the story, where things shift emotionally/mentally for the character. This is another threshold to cross: one where the character decides to proceed actively in the plot. Having been inspired by some metaphorical goddess.
"The goddess can be a gesture, an idea, a gun, a diamond, a destination, or just a moment's freedom from that monster that won't stop chasing you. You might have noticed that, just as (3), the crossing of the threshold, is the opposite of (7) the return, (5), the meeting with the goddess, is the opposite of (1), the protagonist's zone of comfort. Think of (1) as being the arms of mother, however dysfunctional she might be. (5) is a new form of mother, an unconscious version, and there is often a temptation to stay right here. Like at that elf guy's house in Lord of the Rings." Dan Harmon

Take

MEET YOUR MAKER
Things take a turn for the worse, because of that choice (to continue participating in the story) that the Protagonist made to leave step 5. 
This mirrors step 2 as another call to adventure. The character must decide to proceed in this harder status quo setup. 

Return

BRINGING IT HOME
Protagonist applies what they learned from previous steps. This is moving into the climax and resolution of the plot. The Boss Fight is looming, and the Protagonist accepts the challenge. 

Change

MASTER OF BOTH WORLDS
Because of the lessons learned along the way, the Protagonist has changed. That change lets them win here. 
"They have been to the strange place, they have adapted to it, they have discovered true power and now they are back where they started, forever changed and forever capable of creating change."
Especially because of skills they gained in 4. 

The Halves of the Octagon

Top & Bottom divide

The top and bottom of the Octagon are the two halves of the external narrative. On the top, you have order. On the bottom, you have chaos. Or, on the top, you have the character comfortable with the situation, on the bottom they are out of their depth. It doesn't necessarily have to be Ordinary World/Special world. It's about, "a descent into the unknown and eventual return." (Dan Harmon)

Right & Left divide 

"When you realize that something is important, really important, to the point where it's more important than YOU, you gain full control over your destiny. In the first half of the circle, you were reacting to the forces of the universe, adapting, changing, seeking. Now you have BECOME the universe." (Dan Harmon)
Right is Lies&denial, Left is truth&acceptance. Or any other dichotomy that you want to play with. It’s the internal plot. Stasis VS change.

Star Wars IV as an example

  1. You = Luke. Simple space farmboy.
  2. Need = Luke wants adventure. 
  3. Go = Luke decides to go with Obi Wan, learn how to be a Jedi. 
  4. Search = Get off planet, captured by death star. 
  5. Find = Decide to be a hero, and leads Han to finding Princess Leia. 
  6. Take = Trash compactor. Obi wan dies. Han leaves. Sad, etc. 
  7. Return = Joins the rebels. Old friends are there. 
  8. Change = Luke is the hero, destroys the Death Star because he has learned the Force and grown into a hero. 
Up VS down = Ordered Community (farmboy and rebels) VS Chaos Loners (with Han, on the run)
Right VS Left = Luke is lackey farmboy VS Luke is leader hero. 

References

Harmon's Blog Posts

Other Resources

An utterly fantastic video with step by step examples https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdxX_Kljrq8

Comparison and mapping with the Hero's Journey https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/channel101/images/a/a0/StoryStructure04.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/250?cb=20090812142245 


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