In simple terms, storytelling consists of three things: the beginning, middle, and end. However, this basic structure can often hide extremely complicated twists and turns. If you’re looking for inspiration and a different sort of template to structure your story on, then Dan Harmon’s Story Circle could be the right fit for you.
Many are familiar with the Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell, the Writer’s Journey by Chris Vogler, or the three-act structure which was a template first introduced by Aristotle. Dan Harmon’s Story Circle takes the same idea and innovates upon it, giving eight essential components to create an engaging story from beginning to end.
Dan Harmon is most known for his work on TV shows like Community and Rick and Morty. His Story Circle structure provides an accessible path to build engaging storylines, for screenwriters in particular. In this article, I will go through the stages of the Story Circle, show different ways you can use it for your story, and I’ll offer you a Story Weapon with some tips to remember.
Dan Harmon’s Story Circle is an eight-stage storytelling framework that builds on classic structures like the Hero’s Journey, focusing on desire, disruption, sacrifice, and transformation to create emotionally resonant stories. It’s a flexible tool writers can use to plan, diagnose, or deepen both plots and character arcs across any genre.
8 Stages of the Story Circle
1. You – The protagonist is in a zone of comfort
In the first step, establish your protagonist, main characters, and their familiar surroundings. This step helps the audience understand the status quo and serves as a glimpse into the events before the story itself. The key in this first stage is to create something that the audience can sympathize with.
2. Need – They desire something
There is something the protagonist wants. This desire becomes their main goal and directly influences their choices and actions. It is important to create a strong motivation for the protagonist. You can write it as a problem to solve or an adversary to face, giving the protagonist purpose and direction.
(I would have called this stage “Want” instead of “Need” since characters usually start off wanting one thing, and come to discover that they actually need something else, which comes up in the 5th stage of this Story Circle’s structure.)
3. Go – The protagonist enters an unfamiliar situation
This step kicks off the action. The protagonist makes the conscious decision to take the step ahead and start their journey. This is when the story goes from order to chaos, ushering in the second act. The protagonist finds themselves in an unfamiliar situation and they are soon out of their depth.
4. Search – They adapt and explore this new world
Biting the bullet, the protagonist perseveres and adapts to their new situation. This is where they face increasingly greater setbacks and obstacles that put their strength to the test. The greater the trials and tribulations, the more the audience will empathize with the character, so make it count and feel genuine.
5. Find – They achieve the object of their desire
This is the halfway point of the story, and it is here where the protagonist finally gets what they have been chasing after, but it’s not quite enough. Imagine finding the key you have been searching for, but the lock that it turns is still miles away. Despite achieving their goal, the stakes rise even higher at this point.
6. Take – They pay a heavy price for it
Nothing comes without a cost, and at this stage, the protagonist learns that lesson. They might take what they want, but something else is lost or taken away from them. This can take the form of many things, such as the death of a close companion, a physical or emotional scar, or loss of innocence. This is often the darkest part of the story.
7. Return – They head back to their familiar world
As we near the end, the protagonist returns to their home, completing the journey and finally escaping the danger. Despite returning to where they started, the protagonist is not the same person they were when they left. Similarly, the home they return to can also be completely different than what they left behind.
8. Changed – They have transformed as a result of the journey
The last step is to showcase the personal journey and transformation the protagonist went through. This creates an opportunity for the storyteller to juxtapose their new self with their old surroundings, showing how they might not be the same person anymore. This change can be positive, making them wiser, or negative, making the entire story all the more tragic.
What makes the Story Circle template effective?
The crux of the Story Circle can be summed up in the following quote from Heraclitus: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”
It shows how people experience change as a map of desire, disruption, sacrifice, and return. Some writers prefer this model to other story structure templates for its:
- Simplicity: It is simple and effective, making it a useful tool for beginner writers.
- Focus on emotional arcs: Rather than just covering plot points, this structure can help writers focus on emotional arcs and create stories that resonate with the audience.
- Versatility: This template can be applied to many different genres: epic fantasy, literary fiction, tragedies, romantic comedies, and more.
Examples of the Story Circle in action:
The Lion King
Simba starts off as a proud cub, but yearns to prove himself. After Mufasa’s death, he flees and grows up with Timon and Pumbaa, learning not to worry and he ignores his pain. He builds a new life free of responsibility, but Nala and Rafiki remind him of his duty, compelling him to return. Simba returns, not as a cub, but as the rightful king. He defeats his uncle Scar, and takes responsibility for his pride and the Circle of Life.
Black Panther
T’Challa becomes king of Wakanda and wants to rule as his father did, maintaining isolation and tradition. When Killmonger challenges his beliefs and defeats him in combat, T’Challa is forced to confront the cost of Wakanda’s secrecy. After reclaiming the throne, he returns with a new vision: opening Wakanda to the world.
Pride and Prejudice
Elizabeth Bennet is confident in her judgments and eager to protect her independence. As she encounters Darcy throughout the story, her assumptions are challenged through social pressure, misunderstandings, and self-reflection. By the end, Elizabeth gains greater humility and insight, and she’s able to accept love without sacrificing her identity.
Finding Nemo
Marlin, the clownfish, clings to the safety of his reef and is overprotective of his son, Nemo. He wants to keep him safe at all costs. When Nemo is captured, Marlin leaves home to rescue him. He braves the open sea, meeting Dory, sharks, and more. He faces constant setbacks, and even gets close to Nemo but thinks he’s dead. Finally, when they do reunite, he lets go of his fear and begins to trust his son. They return home, changed by their experiences.
3 ways you can use the Story Circle
Dan Harmon’s Story Circle is a flexible tool that can be used at multiple stages of the writing process, depending on where you are at in your draft.
Planning template
Before you begin writing, you can map your protagonist’s journey onto the circle, identifying key moments such as their desire, the threshold they cross, the trials they face, and the transformation they undergo. This approach helps establish a clear cause-and-effect structure and ensures that each major plot event pushes the character toward meaningful change rather than existing in isolation.
Diagnostic tool
By comparing your story to the structure of the circle, you can pinpoint where pacing may lag, where stakes might be too low, or where a character’s transformation feels incomplete. If the middle feels repetitive, the character never truly sacrifices anything, or the ending feels unearned, the Story Circle can help reveal exactly which step is missing or underdeveloped. Think of it as a lens you can use to track the narrative momentum and emotional payoff.
Develop subplots
Secondary characters, relationships, or internal struggles can follow their own smaller circles within the larger narrative. Using the Story Circle at this scale can enrich your world, deepen character relationships, and create echoes between the main plot and its supporting threads. When subplots mirror or contrast the protagonist’s journey, they add thematic cohesion and make the story feel more intentional and alive.
Your story weapon: Trusting your subconscious
Before you start writing your own story using this framework, here are some things to keep in mind.
- Story creation is not a formula: Don’t approach the Story Circle as a formula for plotting your story. Instead, treat it as rhythm or flow, helping you deepen your relationship to the story without intellectualizing it to fit a prescribed idea.
- Character suggests plot: The Story Circle is all about characters and the choices they make. Remember, character suggests plot, not the other way around. As you deepen your relationship to your characters (particularly your protagonist), and their relationship to each other, situations will naturally emerge to support these situations.
- Stories are about transformation: Everything that happens in your story exists to move your protagonist inexorably towards their change (their shift in perception.) The truth is that people don’t really change, but they grow. They become the most fully realized version of themselves. Notice in your story how your protagonist’s transformation really involves shedding a false belief about themselves or the world, and in doing so, they become the person they were always meant to be.
If you’re ready to deepen your relationship to your characters and sharpen your structure, join one of my workshops: The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, Story Day and I’ll help you turn theory into practice.
