Sailing the high seas of the internet today has lead me to this gem: the late Kurt Vonnegut giving a lecture on the shapes and types of narratives. It’s often said that all stories are derived from a small set of seven or so literary archetypes, the hero story, a quest, and rags to riches, to name a few. In the following video, Vonnegut narrows it down even further to a simpler set of three, which he proceeds to diagram using a few classroom tools and, most useful of all, his indomitable wit.
For fans of his work, this video proves a small treasure. Just like much of his writing, amidst the comedy and sarcasm lie many cutting insights. But enough blabber, click play and get learned, son! (via)
RP
