# Narrative Structure

> A specialized skill for the story-architect and narrator agents covering documentary narrative structure. Provides 3-act structure, emotion curves, scene arrangement, and narrative patterns by documentary type. Use for 'treatment,' 'narrative structure,' '3-act,' 'emotion curve,' and similar topics.

- Skill: `revfactory/narrative-structure` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add revfactory/narrative-structure`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/revfactory/narrative-structure/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Research & Search
- Author: revfactory (https://skillmd.com/u/revfactory)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/revfactory/narrative-structure

---


# Narrative Structure — Documentary Narrative Structure Methodology

Specialized narrative knowledge used by the story-architect and narrator agents when designing treatments and narration.

## Why Documentaries Need Narrative

Listing facts makes a report. Layering facts with **narrative structure** makes a documentary. What keeps the audience watching to the end is not information, but the curiosity of "what happens next?"

## 5 Documentary Narrative Types

### 1. Investigative
```
Mystery/Question -> Clue gathering -> Obstacle -> Breakthrough -> Truth discovery
```
- **Core Device**: The feeling that the audience is tracking the truth alongside the journalist/detective
- **Narration Tone**: "We discovered...", "Here, an unexpected fact emerged"
- **Risk**: A weak conclusion leads to "So what?" — a powerful discovery is needed
- **Examples**: Netflix's Making a Murderer, Narcos

### 2. Character-Driven
```
Character introduction -> Conflict/Challenge -> Trial -> Change/Growth -> Present
```
- **Core Device**: Emotional investment in the character
- **Narration Tone**: Resonating with the character's emotions while maintaining objective distance
- **Risk**: Excessive heroization — showing flaws makes them three-dimensional
- **Examples**: I Am Number Four, biographical documentaries

### 3. Observational
```
Entering the situation -> Daily observation -> Pattern discovery -> Conflict escalation -> Resolution/Unresolved
```
- **Core Device**: The feeling that the camera transparently captures reality
- **Narration**: Minimal (or none) — let the footage speak
- **Risk**: Can become boring — editing rhythm is key
- **Examples**: Observational documentaries

### 4. Essay / Thesis
```
Thesis presented -> Evidence 1 -> Evidence 2 -> Counterargument -> Rebuttal -> Conclusion
```
- **Core Device**: Strong argument and reasoning
- **Narration Tone**: Intellectual and persuasive, sometimes provocative
- **Risk**: Can become biased propaganda — treat counterarguments fairly
- **Examples**: Michael Moore documentaries, An Inconvenient Truth

### 5. Historical / Archival
```
Present situation -> Return to the past -> Historical development -> Turning point -> Return to present -> Meaning assigned
```
- **Core Device**: Cross-editing between archival materials and the present
- **Narration Tone**: Epic, sometimes grand
- **Risk**: Can become textbook-like — convey history through characters
- **Examples**: Ken Burns documentaries, I Am Not Your Negro

## Detailed 3-Act Structure Design

### Based on a 30-Minute Documentary

| Act | Time | Purpose | Components |
|-----|------|---------|------------|
| **Act 1** | 0-8 min | World entry + Question posed | Hook (2 min) -> Topic introduction -> Core question |
| **Act 2** | 8-23 min | Exploration + Increasing complexity | 3-4 scenes, twist, emotional climax |
| **Act 3** | 23-30 min | Conclusion + Resonance | Answer (or open ending), emotional landing |

### Emotion Curve Design

```
Emotional Intensity
  ^
  |        /\            /\
  |      /    \        /    \
  |    /        \    /        \
  |--/            \/            \--
  +---------------------------------> Time
  Hook   Act 1     Act 2 Early  Act 2 Late   Act 3
  (Shock) (Exploration) (Deepening) (Climax) (Landing)
```

### Emotion Curve Rules

1. **The hook must be emotional**: Scenes over statistics, emotions over logic
2. **Valley between Acts 1 and 2**: Intentionally lower emotions to heighten the Act 2 climax
3. **Act 2 climax is the highest point**: Place the most intense interview/material/scene here
4. **Act 3 is the landing**: A gentle afterglow, not a sharp descent

## Scene Arrangement Strategy

### Scene Types

| Type | Description | Usage Ratio |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| **Information Scene** | Data, expert interviews, explanation | 30-40% |
| **Emotional Scene** | Firsthand stories, emotional moments | 20-30% |
| **Observation Scene** | Field footage, daily observation | 15-25% |
| **Transition Scene** | Location change, time passage, topic shift | 10-15% |
| **Impact Scene** | Twist, new discovery, contrast | 5-10% |

### Scene Arrangement Principles

1. **Tension-Release Alternation**: Place lighter scenes after heavy ones
2. **Specific -> Abstract -> Specific**: Case -> Insight -> Another case
3. **Geographic/Temporal Flow**: Natural movement paths
4. **Parallel Structure**: Alternate between two stories, converging at intersection points

## Narration Writing Rules

### Text-Visual Relationship

| Relationship | Description | When to Use |
|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| **Complement** | Narration adds information not in the visuals | Context explanation, historical background |
| **Counterpoint** | Narration and visuals tell different stories | Irony, critique |
| **Silence** | Visuals only, no narration | Emotional moments, observation |
| **Explanation** | Narration directly explains visuals | Avoid — "Don't say what is shown" |

### Narration DO/DON'T

| DO | DON'T |
|---|------|
| Provide context not visible on screen | Explain what is visible on screen ("What you see here is...") |
| Short sentences, conversational tone | Academic paper style |
| Maintain tension by posing questions | Explain everything and draw conclusions |
| Leave emotional space | Think for the audience |
| Describe specific scenes/characters | Abstract generalizations |