Using the Dan Harmon Story Circle to Structure Your Narrative

When writing a story, it’s always helpful to have some structure in place. Some writers believe that nearly all stories follow the same pattern, and many have come up with story structures to help other aspiring authors finish their projects. 

One of the most popular story structures is Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey,” which Campbell believes is the structure of nearly all mythology from around the world and in fact, most storytelling. 

Dan Harmon, who created TV’s Community and the science fiction comedy series Rick and Morty, is also known as an evangelist for story structure. He adapted “The Hero’s Journey” into what he calls “The Dan Harmon Story Circle,” “The Story Circle,” or “The Embryo.” 

What Is the Dan Harmon Story Circle? 

The Story Circle basically believes that most stories, if not all, move in a circle. It lays out the following elements: 

1. The character is in his comfort zone.
2. He wants something.
3. He goes into unfamiliar situation(s) to get what he wants. 
4. He adapts to the situation(s). 
5. He gets what he wanted. 
6. He pays a heavy price.
7. He returns to the familiar situation…
8. …but comes back a changed person. 

How Does The Story Circle Compare to The Hero’s Journey? 

In reality, The Story Circle is very much similar to The Hero’s Journey. To illustrate, check out the main stages of The Hero’s Journey: 

1. Status quo
2. The call to adventure 
3. Hero’s refusal
4. Consultation with the mentor
5. Starting the journey
6. Facing challenges and enemies
7. Nearing the peak of the battle
8. Hero experiences his weakness
9. He reenergizes and fights
10. He wins 
11. He heads back home…
12. … as a new person 

As you can see, in The Hero’s Journey, the main focus is the journey or adventure that the main character sets out on. It adds several details, such as the appearance of a mentor, the hero’s hesitation, and the potential defeat toward the climax of the story. 

But in essence, it still follows the hero’s journey to an actual “place,” from which he eventually comes back home. 

Perhaps the main difference between The Story Circle and The Hero’s Journey is that instead of showing it as a linear set of events, Dan Harmon shows how the journey actually comes full circle. In both cases, the hero will definitely come back changed from what he was before. 

In addition, the Story Circle may be more focused on the character development instead of the plot. 

Why Is This Story Structure a Circle? 

If The Hero’s Journey and The Story Circle are actually very similar, why doesn’t Harmon just follow The Hero’s Journey laid out in a linear way? Perhaps his own convictions about rhythms of life factored into it. 

In fact, he believes that these life cycles, such as life and death or order and chaos, are part of human evolution. 

“You need to go search, find, take, and return with change. Why? Because this is how… human societies keep from collapsing,” Harmon says. 

To take it further, he believes that all stories follow the Story Circle. 

Examples of Stories That Follow The Story Circle 

Let’s try to dissect a couple of familiar stories to see how they fit into the Story Circle: 

	Great Expectations by Charles Dickens	The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Comfort Zone	The orphan Pip is poor and living on the moors.	Mary is a spoiled child who lives a boring existence in her uncle’s estate.
Main character wants something	He falls in love with the wealthy Estella.	She hears about a garden that’s been locked up for years. She also hears moaning sounds that she wants to understand.
He gets into a new situation	A mysterious philantropist takes Pip and puts him right in high society.	She finds a way into the garden, and also finds out that the moaning sounds came from Colin, an equally-spoiled cousin.
He adapts	Pip adapts to his new life and spends money extravagantly.	With Dickon’s help, Mary plants flowers and tends the plants in the garden. Meanwhile, she also befriends Colin.
He gets what he wanted	Finally a gentleman, Pip believes he can now have Estella.	The garden blooms again and fills her with happiness and health. She and Colin become good friends.
He pays a heavy price	Pip pays the consequences of his frivolous living by drowning in debt.	She accidentally tells Colin about the garden, and she and Dickon work to get Colin walking.
He goes back to his first situation	He returns to his Uncle Joe, goes off to Egypt, then comes home.	Colin’s father arrives and finds his previously disabled son now walking and running.
… a changed person	Now humbled from his failure, Pip finds Estella again and now wins her back.	The children continue being friends and both Colin and Mary are happier and more alive than before.

As you can see, it’s quite possible that many stories follow The Story Circle. Of course, not all stories have the characters return to an actual place, but perhaps it can refer to a state of comfort that the characters settle into, but with changed dispositions. 

Using a Story Structure 

Using a story structure is a great way to ensure that your story follows a logical flow. In addition, it also helps assure you that you are writing along a tested and proven process that has engaged audiences across the centuries and across all cultures. 

However, just having a story structure is not a guarantee of a successful story. You still need to learn all the other elements of a story and practice telling it in a way that draws your readers in. Just like in many other skills, practice makes perfect, so we encourage you to keep writing and see yourself improving over time! 

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

• Story Structure: Building Your Narrative
• How to Write a Scene: Tips for Structure, Timing, and Revision
• Exploring the Monomyth: 6 Lessons from Joseph Campbell’s Theory of “The Hero’s Journey”
• Understanding Plot: Key Elements and Examples