# Dan Harmon's Story Circle

> An eight-step storytelling structure adapted from the Hero's Journey

Dan Harmon's Story Circle is an eight-step framework for outlining narratives and screenplays, adapted from Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. It splits a narrative arc across two realms—Order and Chaos—guiding a character from comfort through conflict and back. It provides a simple, reusable structure for writing short scripts, books, or video content.

## How it works

Dan Harmon's Story Circle divides a story into two halves: Order (Порядок, upper half) and Chaos (Хаос, lower half), traversing 8 sequential steps:

1. Hero (Герой): The protagonist is in their comfort zone / living an ordinary life.
2. Need (Потребность): They encounter a problem or desire something.
3. Action (Действие): They enter an unfamiliar situation / cross into chaos.
4. Search (Поиск): They navigate trials and adapt to the unfamiliar world.
5. Finding (Нахождение): They get what they were searching for.
6. Sacrifice / Price (Жертва): They pay a heavy price for what they got.
7. Return (Возвращение): They return to their familiar world / comfort.
8. Change (Изменение): They have changed and demonstrate internal growth.

## What it is for

- Outline video essays and YouTube scripts with clear narrative progression
- Structure episodic television scenes or feature film screenplays
- Pace fictional stories and character transformation arcs

## Key points

- 1. You (Comfort zone): Establish the protagonist in an ordinary situation of order
- 2. Need (Desire): The character wants something or faces an unresolved issue
- 3. Go (Crossing over): The character enters an unfamiliar situation of chaos
- 4. Search (Adaptation): They face trials and navigate the unfamiliar environment
- 5. Find (Discovery): The character gets what they initially wanted
- 6. Take (Price paid): They pay a heavy price or make a sacrifice for what they acquired
- 7. Return (Coming back): They journey back into their familiar world
- 8. Change (Transformation): They return capable of change, having grown from the experience

## Pricing

Free

## Details

- Type: Tip
- Category: [Productivity](https://xiry.app/topics/productivity.md)
- Open source: no
- Platforms: other
- For: Screenwriters, fiction authors, video creators, and narrative designers.
- Alternative to: The Hero's Journey, Save the Cat! Beat Sheet, Three-Act Structure
- Tags: storytelling, screenwriting, scriptwriting, creative writing, framework

## Why it was saved

- [@andrey_krylove, 28 May 2024](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7h2T85irqL/): Provides a clear, repeatable formula to outline stories, video scripts, and narratives divided between order and chaos.

## Related

- [4-Column Business Decision Matrix](https://xiry.app/resources/4-column-business-decision-matrix): A framework to prioritize tasks based on impact, urgency, and cost (Tip, Free)
- [7 Use Cases for Last 30 Days Research Briefs](https://xiry.app/resources/7-use-cases-for-last-30-days-research-briefs): Playbook for running recent social-signal research sweeps before meetings and builds (Framework, Free)
- [ProWritingAid](https://xiry.app/resources/prowritingaid): Grammar checking, style editing, and story development toolkit for writers (Web app, Freemium)
- [Self-Introduction Interview Structure](https://xiry.app/resources/self-introduction-interview-structure): A four-step framework for answering "Tell me about yourself" in job interviews. (Tip, Free)

Updated 3 October 2026. Page: https://xiry.app/resources/dan-harmon-s-story-circle-1358

Make your own library: Xiry takes your saved reels, tweets, Reddit bookmarks and Watch Later videos, makes them searchable and pulls the useful stuff out, like this library. It's invite-only for now; join the waitlist at https://xiry.app/#waitlist.