The Writing Model That Got Me 100K Readers
crafting stories is an art, and you can learn it too
What makes a good story, good?
This question was always spiralling my brain.
Why do I come out of some movies feeling like I wasted 2 hours of my life and why do some others make me feel emotions that are so complex?
Why do some headlines just grab you by your colour, making you want to read and why do some writings make you feel like you never want to stop reading the words written on the white pages?
The answer has never been simpler.
Writing is not about putting a couple of words together on the screen.
It is a form of art — a difficult form I would say. When it comes to movies you can grab people’s attention with visuals, soundtracks, loud music, cinematography, and a lot more. It is somewhat the same with paintings — you can use various colours to showcase the emotions you want to display.
But when it comes to writing there is nothing between the reader and the ink — the only thing they can do to take in the essence of the story truly is to visualise what you want them to feel — and that is tough.
So what exactly is storytelling?
It is something that has been around for ages. The kings and leaders used to have storytellers who would bring a whole new world to life right in front of them.
Aristotle said that each story has 3 parts — a beginning, a middle and an end.
Issa Rae (creator of Insecure) suggested “Create the content you want to see.”
Emma Coats (former Pixar storyboard artist), advised that the basic structure of a fairytale goes like: “Once upon a time… Every day… One day… Because of that… Because of that… Until finally…”
Kurt Vonnegut suggested plotting stories on a simple graph, showing character fortune over time. Something like the Cinderella Curve where the story rises, drops, and then rises dramatically.
I can go on with the list of advice but there is one thing very common in all of them — There is an initial problem, the problem gets solved and then the solution with aftermath.
But which advice did I follow the most? Introducing
Dan Harmon’s Story Circle
If you didn’t know, he is the creative genius behind shows like ‘Community’ and ‘Rick and Morty’
Harmon has distilled the essence of storytelling into a framework that’s both profound and surprisingly simple.
Why Stories Matter More Than Ever
In a world drowning in content, stories remain. They’re how we make sense of chaos, find meaning in mundane moments, and connect with others. Whether you’re a content creator, novelist, or business presenter, storytelling isn’t just a nice-to-have skill — it’s your secret weapon for cutting through the noise.
As a writer, I wanted to dive deeper into the skill so I started putting this model to the test — before that, here is how the model works.
Breaking Dan Harmon’s Model
Harmon’s Story Circle isn’t just another writing formula — it’s a reflection of the human experience itself. Based on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey but streamlined for modern storytelling, the circle consists of eight steps that mirror the natural flow of change and growth.
The Eight Steps of the Story Circle
1. Comfort zone (You) — The character is in their normal world, with flaws, with drawbacks, with a past that has led to who they are.
2. Desire to want something (Need) — They want something, even if they don’t fully understand what. It can be a change, a goal or a journey.
3. Unfamiliar situation on unfamiliar grounds (Go)— They enter an unusual situation. It can be a new world for them, it can be a new skill. But essentially, the character starts to make a move towards their needs.
4. Adaptating in the world (Search) — They settle into the new challenges and rules. They start to take in the surroundings and grow with the flow.
5. Finding the answer (Find) — They get what they wanted (or at least they thought they wanted that until they had it)
6. Price of change (Take)— They pay a heavy price for their discovery. This is about self-reflection on the journey, on life, and on the human emotions that drove them to this change.
7. Back to where they were (Return) — They return to their familiar situation. It does not mean that their journey didn’t mean anything. It means that after all the wars fought and hours put in, they circle back to who they used to be.
8. Reformtiong (Change)— By this time your character has changed as a result of the journey.
What makes this model work?
I don’t know about you but just by reading this rough framework, I had a story in mind.
Even if I didn’t know about the character's goals, their struggles, or even their name, just by reading this framework I had a sense of hope and liberation. I felt like I was reading a motivating story about human failures, human emotions, and human life.
The Psychology Behind It
Just by reading the framework, we instinctively understand that meaningful change requires leaving our comfort zone, facing challenges, and returning transformed. It’s the pattern of meaningful experiences in our lives.
How I use this framework?
The beauty of Harmon’s Story Circle lies in its adaptability. You can use it for writing blogs, crafting campaigns for marketing, structuring presentations and so much more.
I love how you can take bits and pieces of the framework and it would still work.
When you’re writing about a personal experience you do not have to make something superficial to fit into a certain block. A lot of blogs that I write are about learnings and daily challenges, but that does not mean I will make something up just to keep the pace up.
Instead, when I get to write I start with a story map. Usually, it includes answering these questions
- Who am I writing this for?
- Where does my character currently stand? What problems are they facing?
- What goal do they want to achieve and why?
- What will they gain by achieving this goal?
- What does their journey look like?
- In the end, what did they get?
- If they achieved their goals — are they satisfied with it; if not then what has the journey taught them?
See how the framework helped me formulate a pattern for a lot of my writing.
What you shouldn’t do?
Do not rush with your words. That is the worst thing you can do to your storyline — to make it feel like it was written for the sake of writing something.
You can create visuals with your words and make people feel — use it to your power. Do not rush with descriptions.
Instead of saying “He was an introvert who had trouble speaking to people” you can say “He hid behind kitchen counters at parties and shied away from people’s eyes when in a group. When spoken to, he would say what was required and rush the last words of his sentences.”
Start treating your characters like real people.
Remember, the Story Circle is a guide, not a cage. Use it to structure your thinking, but don’t let it restrict your creativity.
Your story awaits
Remember, every great story starts with someone in their comfort zone who dares to want something more. Maybe that someone is you, reading this article, ready to transform your storytelling. The circle is waiting — what story will you tell?
Your audience is waiting for a story that only you can tell, and now you have the tools to tell it well.
