See the masterful story structure that undergirds the opening scene of How to Train Your Dragon.

Great stories are built on great story structure. And my favorite story structure framework is one that you can apply on every level of story.

It’s called the six elements of story, and it’s an editing tool you can use on every layer of your story.

To prove it, I’m doing a deep dive into the structure of How to Train Your Dragon. First, I broke down the six elements of the movie as a whole. Then, I took a closer look at the first act of the movie.

And in this episode, I’m breaking down the opening scene.

You’ll learn:

The essential value shifts that change from the start of the scene to the end
The critical, life-or-death choice Hiccup must make in the very first scene of the movie
How that choice sets up everything to come
And more!

Want more? You can see my full analysis of How to Train Your Dragon all on one spreadsheet. Go to alicesudlow.com/dragon to get the spreadsheet.

Then, go find the six elements of story in your scenes!

Links mentioned in the episode:

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In Story Clarity, we’ll work one-on-one to sharpen your story’s structure and craft a revision plan that works. If you’re ready for thoughtful, personalized feedback from an editor who gets what you’re trying to do, I’d love to hear what you’re working on.

Get started by telling me about your story here.

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95. You Asked, We Answered: A Community Q&A