As No Film School's resident screenwriter, I am always looking for new ways to approach a story. Recently, I was scanning Reddit and ran into this post on Kishotenketsu. Truth be told, I had no idea what this word meant, so I was pleased to see the post had a video that came with it to explain the idea. Today, I want to bring that explanation to you. We'll go over Kishotenketsu, get its definition, show its breakdown, and talk about how you can be inspired by it. Sound good? Let's dive in. Kishoutenketsu DefinitionAfter some intense Googling, I learned that Kishōtenketsu (起承転結) is a four-part story structure widely used in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese storytelling. It's widely recognized as "writing without conflict". And it's very different than what we do in the west. The Four Acts Inside Kishōtenketsu Kishōtenketsu has four parts that get used to outline a story. They are: Ki (起): Intro: Sets the scene, introduces the characters, and establishes the setting. Shō (承): Development: As events unfold within the plot. The characters and setting are developed in more detail. And we understand them more. Ten (転): Twist: A surprising turn of events happens that can shift perspective or give an unexpected revelation. Ketsu (結): Conclusion: The story ends in a way that is also a twist, or a turn that gives a new perspective or something overarching to wonder about. How Is this Different Than What Western Writers Do? So, in Western writing, we're much more interested in...
Published By: NoFilmSchool - Yesterday