6 Levels Every Great Story Needs (And How to Use Them)

imagine your story as a multi-dimensional puzzle one with six level of depth where every piece clicks together to create an experience reader can resist now imagine having a framework that not only helps you build that puzzle but also reveals how to layer your storytelling across the six essential levels from the grand overarching structure to the finest most intricate details that's the secret behind some of the most successful novel in the world and it's a skill you can Master to but before dive in let me answer a question you might have who am I to guide

you on your storytelling Journey well I started as a storytelling coach in 2018 helping entrepreneurs craft compelling narratives for their brand also for their online courses but being a lifelong Bookworm I soon realized that my true passion was helping aspiring authors like you bring their novel to life partly because selfishly I wanted more books to read I'm also the founder of authorpreneur club which is an online coaching program where I teach writers how to master the art of story retelling self-publishing and Entrepreneurship turning their craft into a thriving business and I don't have anything to

sell you because this program is not even available in English anyway and I'm not just teaching this stuff I'm writing my own novel too so I understand firsthand the challenges and the joys of bringing a story to life and here's the thing writing a story that connects with Millions isn't about perfect Pros or sticking to rigid RS it's about understanding how to layer storytelling across every level of your story let me take you to the Sweet 90s there was this writer back then only an aspiring author struggling to make ends meat and she submitted her

manuscript to publisher after publisher the response too strange too ambitious too Niche but she didn't give up instead of simplifying her story she doubled down layering it with six essential levels of Storytelling her protagonist internal struggles the larger theme of good versus evil and even the smallest details worked together to create something extraordinary that manuscript it was the story of an orphan boy who lived CED in a closet under the stairs a series that resonated with readers across generations and reminded us of the magic of layered storytelling in this video I'll show you how to

transform your novel into a multi-dimensional puzzle that readers won't be able to put down welcome back to part two of my storytelling Series in the last video we explored the concept of duality of story and introduced the story detailing pillars a simple yet powerful framework for understanding how bestselling author create emotionally gripping stories today we're taking that framework to the next level so if you haven't already make sure to watch this one to make sure you are all cut up but if you can't be bothered fair enough here they are and in this video I'll

show you how to apply these storytelling pillars across the different level of your story by the end you'll have a clear road map to elevate your storytelling and create a novel that connects with readers on every level of Consciousness right so in the previous video I gave a general overview of what the storytelling pillars are so that you would understand first what they are before diving into the nuances and specificities of each when apply to different layers of your story so as you're about to discover you'll see that we'll go more and more granular with

each sub level but for now we'll start with the first and most General level the Dual storyline before we dive in here's a quick favor if you're enjoy enjoying this series hit the like button to let the algorithm know that you want more storytelling content in your feed and it also really helps the channel so I'd be super grateful now this dual storyline level is not about setting the structure of your novel it's about weaving the internal conflict of your protagonist into the plot therefore setting up the Dual storyline of your novel so this is

the unit of story that you need to detail first while developing your protagonist quick note though I'll cover character develop in its own Series so be sure to subscribe if you don't want to miss it for now we are focusing on the story side of things now you might be tempted to look at the structure first because you have certain scenes in mind and chances are you already know how your story starts and How It Ends and therefore you kind of want to have the skeleton of your novel fleshed out before doing anything else but

trust me on this focusing on the Dual story line first will save you so much time so let's start with the inciting incident at the Dual storyline level the inciting incident is the external event from the plot that triggers your protagonist internal conflict it is the event that turns their world upside down and sets the stage for the emotional and psychological journey to come it also does something equally important it makes a promise to your readers This Promise signals what they can expect to experience and feel by the end of the story and why does

this matter because whether you like it or not readers will come into your your world into your story with certain expectations if the inciting incident of the Dual story line delivers on those expectations they will be hooked by your Noble think about it like a YouTube video the title and thumbnail Drew you in but if the first 30 seconds don't confirm that you're going to get what you came for you're likely to click away the same applies to your book a weak inciting incident on the Dual storyline levo is a hard dnf for most readers

now you might think that making a promise will make your story predictable going exactly against what I said in the previous video about predictability killing emotional impact but here's the Nuance it's not about making your story predictable it's about setting expectations and signaling the kind of experience your readers can look forward too yes your story is yours but once you put it into the world it is no longer yours it belongs to your fans it belongs to your readers and the inciting incident of the Dual story line is your way of saying yes this is

a story you've been looking for for example in a crime novel The inciting elements might be the discovery of a buddy but because we are on the Dual story line level the inciting incident must trigger a reaction in the protagonist to reflect their internal conflict if it is just a routine crime scene with no emotional Stakes for the protagonist your story starts on the wrong foot something important to note here is that not reacting can also be a reaction it all depends on your story and on your protagonist let's say your protagonist is on a

desert Beach and suddenly they see someone drowning if they've been haunted by the loss of a parent who drowned their reaction or even their inability to react becomes a reflection of their internal conflict that's the kind of inciting incident that hooks reader emotionally while setting up the journey ahead while you'll create various inciting incidents at different levels of your story the Dual story Line's inciting incident is the most crucial one it's the emotional and narrative hook that draws readers in in and keeps them invested a common mistake I see fairly often when working with aspiring

authors is that they have this amazing idea for the inciting incident of their dual story line it is so juicy and so good that to them it is inconceivable to even slightly deviate from it they have this whole scene playing in their mind it gets them so excited about their story which is all good and all but they're missing a crucial Point without that deeper intertwined connection your story risks becoming blood driven which might be what you want but even stories like James Bond have eventually moved away from plot driven scenarios so just saying when

crafting your dual story line make sure that the inciting incident isn't just exciting it must be deeply personal to your protagonist that's how you hook your readers and keep them turning the pages next we have the progressive complications at the dral storyline level these are the specific challenges and obstacles that make it harder and harder for your protagonist to cling to who they currently are and what they believe to be true about the world it's not about your villain or antagonist gaining ground these would be more Progressive complication at a different level it's about your

protagonist resisting change like any human being they're reluctant to let go of their old self even when growth is inevitable yes these challenges can involve antagonistic forces but they don't have to at the Dual storyline level think of progressive complication as test of character moments that push your protagonist out of their comfort zone and forces them to confront their internal conflict why are these moments so important because every Progressive complication at that level builds towards the ultimate turning point in your protagonist inner Journey contrary to popular belief the turning point of the Dual storyline is

not the same as a plot twist a plot twist is a different pillar at a different level and we'll dive into that in an upcoming video so make sure to subscribe if you don't want to miss it trust me if you're enjoying this series so far you're going to love that one so if the turning point of the Dual story line isn't the pl twist what is it as we discussed in the previous video The Turning Point at any level must come from one of two things either an action or Revelation whichever you choose it

needs to be the moment that breaks the camels back the decisive event that forces your protagonist to confront their internal conflict and fatal flow to truly graas the turning points let's look at it through the lens of the character Arc through years of of working with aspiring authors I found this to be the most effective way to understand it I'm sure you've heard of the term before but for friends of the channel who are just getting started with fiction writing and storytelling a character's Arc is the transformation that your protagonist under goes as they face

challenges often moving from weakness to strength or naivity to wisdom here's an example imagine a man who's closed himself off to love after losing his wife or husband he faces one more tragedy the death of his brother and suddenly it becomes the guardian of his young nie throughout the story he would encounter Progressive complication tied to single Parenthood and these wave into his internal conflict maybe because he and his Pals couldn't have children or maybe he didn't want to have them which was a point of tension in their marriage and over time these challenges force

him to grow and change by the end and thanks to the turning point he learns to care for and love another person deeply ending the story as a transformed individual the turning point of the Dual story line is the ultimate complication that bend the character Arc the moment when the protagonist beliefs identity and understanding of the world start to fundamentally shift now you might be thinking Jules you're just rebranding the aha moment of the protagonist well not exactly the aha moment is not a pillar but rather the consequence that stems from the next pillar in

that dual story line the moment of Crisis and contemplation if you've watched the previous video in this series you'll know that the Turning Point must lead to one of two things a dilemma or a sacrifice the moment of Crisis and contemplation on that level is pretty self-explanatory it is when your protagonist enters crisis mode because none of the options that they are contemplating are easy and they're not choices that they would have been able to make at the beginning of the story now I'll say it again for the Dual story line it is crucial that

this the moment of Crisis and contemplation ties back to your protagonist internal conflict let's take an example Harry Potter and the fos of first stone Harry's internal conflict is quite complex but at its core it's about his attraction to and capacity for both good and evil the turning point of Harry's dual storyline occurs when Voldemort offer him a choice surrender the philosopher stone in exchange for bringing his parents back to life this creates a powerful dilemma that is now coming contemplating on one hand Harry could give Voldemort the stone and finally be reunited with his

parents and on the other hand he could ensure Voldemort's never get the stone but doing so would mean giving up any hope of ever seeing his parents again or fully understanding who he is and where he comes from this emotional tension lays bare Harry's internal conflict exposing the pool between his longing for connection and his growing sense of Duty but it is thanks to the contemplation of these options that Harry finally has his aha moment it is this level of characterization where the internal conflict drives external decisions that makes a story truly resonate with readers

and it's exactly the kind of intricate character work that we'll delve deeper into in an upcoming video so be sure to stick around for that as well finally we come to the climax and resolution of the Dual storyline level at this level these are fairly straightforward but crucial moments in tying your dual storyline together the climax of the Dual storyline level is the moment where your protagonist makes the painful decision they've been grappling with and takes decisive action from a plot perspective which is one facet of the Dual storyline this is what people call the

final battle but from a character perspective so the second facet it's so much more this is where readers see the protagonist internal transformation in action how they've changed and resolve their internal conflict it's crucial to remember that the point of the Dual storyline level is to intertwin the external and internal stories if you treat the climax on that General level as merely the final battle you'll miss the deeper emotional payoff that comes from showing how your protagonist's growth drives their action as for the resolution of the Dual storyline it is the aftermath of the climax

the consequences both good and bad that raple out from your protagonist decision but more importantly it's where you tie up lose ends and bring together the two threads of your dual story line the this is your chance to show not only how the external plot resolves but also how your protagonist has fundamentally changed and what their new reality looks like right so the next level of application is the parts of your story at this level we are moving from exploring your protagonist internal conflict so the Dual story line to structuring your novel as a whole

think of dis LEL as the blueprints that shapes how your story unfolds now as you've probably started to notice the storytelling pillars isn't just another method for structuring your story instead it's a framework designed to weave and intertwine storytelling elements helping your noal reach its full potential and connects with readers on multiple level of Consciousness it is a framework meant to bridge the gap between plotters and peners if you've been a friend of the channel for a while then you might already know that I am not a big advocate of the 3x structure in fact

I've argued that some of the world's most successful novel like Harry Potter and the Herer games don't strictly follow the threea structure and not everybody was happy with me I mean sure you can squeeze any story into any mold and say see I told you it fits but from a storytelling perspective the three act structure often isn't the best lens to analyze these International bestsellers if you want to uncover the deeper insights that made them so successful that's where this second level of application the parts of your story comes in it builds on the foundation

of the Dual storyline LEL and provides the structural frame framework that shapes your novel thanks to the storytelling pillar at this second level your story isn't confined to predictable and mechanical turning points this framework gives you the flexibility to craft a structure that fits your story whether it needs four parts or even seven like a little Life by Ana Yan Gara one of my oldtime favorite books and as long as each part incorporates its own storytelling pillars your Noel will remain captivating from start to finish however here's the important part regardless of how many Parts

your novel needs in this framework there are four essential types of Parts each part serves a specific storytelling purpose and they must appear in a particular order to create a complete cohesive and captivating novel so let's have a look at them and in which order they must appear first we have what I call the trigger Parts this is the first part of your story where you draw your readers in and Trigger the Dual storyline that you've established in the previous level then you have what I call the trailer moment moments now let me explain this

part is primarily made up of iconic scenes and moments that would appear in the trailer if your novel were adapted photo screen you may not have noticed before but nine times out of 10 the scenes the moments that you see in a movie trailer they belong to the second part of his story for Harry Potter this includes moments like Diagon allei or arriving at awards and for the younger games it's the capital and the first scenes in the arena and there's a good reason for it it has to do in part with how we Market

a story but that's a whole different bowl game so we'll talk about that later on the channel next we have the journey to hell this is the part where things get darker and more intense your protagonist is pushed to their emotional and physical limits facing seemingly unsurmountable challenges and lastly we have the grand finale so this is the part of your story where everything comes together the final showdown where the protagonist confronts the ultimate stakes and resolve the Dual story line for each of these parts these six storytelling pillars have specific nuances and roles that

move the story forward in a captivating and coherent way so let's quickly recap they are four essential Parts the trigger the trailer moments the journey to hell and the ground finale each of these parts incorporate the storytelling pillars with inciting incidents Progressive complications turning points etc etc that are tailored to each part and that drive the story forward and the best part this framework adapts to your story's unique needs for example a sproutling Epic Fantasy might include multiple trigger parts for different characters while a standalone novel could double down the journey the hell having therefore

two consecutive sections to deepen the stakes and intensity however no matter how many parts your story needs they must follow this order so for example you wouldn't add a second trailer moments part after your journey to hell part the sequence of these parts is essential to maintain a cohesive and compelling story if you'd like me to create separate videos diving deeper into each of these parts let me know in the comments I think it could be a lot of fun to break them down and show you how to use them for your own story now

the next level of application is the sequences a sequence is essentially a collection of scenes tied together to create a specific narrative Arc within your story think of it as a mini story within your larger Story Each sequence has its own storytelling pillars one scene acts as the inciting incident of the sequence one or more scenes introduce Progressive complications another scene serves as the turning points and so on by breaking your story into sequences you give each section of your novel a clear purpose and Direction keeping readers hooked as they move from one sequence to

the next naturally the next level is the scenes themselves each scene is a unit of Storytelling that follows the storytelling pillars whether it's an intense action scene or a quiet moment of reflection every scene should start with an inciting incident develop Progressive complications include a turning point that leads to a dilemma or sacrifice have a moment of Crisis and contemplation a climax and conclude with a resolution by crafting each scenes with these pillars in mind you will ensure that every moment in your story serves a purpose and keeps your readers engaged now let's take things

to an even more granular level think about it what's smaller than a scene ding ding ding ding the conversations happening within it this might surprise you but if you study your favorite novels or even films and series you'll notice that even dialogue follows the storytelling pillars every great dialogue has an inciting incident that kicks things off Progressive complication as the tension builds a turning point where the stakes shift a moment of Crisis and contemplation a climax and a resolution that wraps it up mastering storytelling at this level takes practice but once you're nail it your

dialogs won't just deliver information they'll drive your story and Captivate your readers and who knows you might even earn among your readers the title of dialogue king or queen and finally the last level of application for these storytelling pillars will be the topic of the next video in this series you can watch it by clicking here unless it's not ready yet in which case make sure to subscribe so you don't miss it when it goes live I hope you enjoyed this video and found it helpful if you have any questions as always I'll happily answer

in the comments I'm Julian maet thanks for watching and I'll see you in the next one okay bye