DESCRIPTION
Start with what is and show what has changed.
This adapted version from the original approach from Kenn Adams model as been popularized by Pixar via Emma Coats. The “Pixar Story Spine” is a simple but powerful narrative structure used to map stories with clarity and emotional resonance. It provides a sequence of sentence prompts or “beats” that ensure your story has a beginning, middle, and end, and that each event causes the next — so it feels inevitable and satisfying. The method forces a storyteller to define status quo, inciting incident, stakes, transformations, and resolution in a tight form. Its USP is its simplicity plus structure: easy to learn/use, yet when done well it delivers deeply satisfying, compelling narratives. For business storytelling, it helps sharpen case studies, brand stories, pitches, presentations — making them more engaging, coherent, and memorable.
Goal is to fill out these blanks for your story:
Once upon a time _______. Every day _______. But one day_____ because of that ______ because of that _____ because of that _____ until finally ______. And ever since then __________.
ORIGIN
The structure (the “Story Spine”) was created by Kenn Adams, in 1991, as part of improvisational theatre and teaching tools (how to improvise a full-length play). Storytelling. Pixar popularized it (or at least it spread through Pixar) via Rebecca Stockley and Emma Coats in the “22 Rules of Storytelling” which circulated from ~2012 on.
USED BY
Storytellers, marketeers and scriptwriters (Pixar, film, animation) to outline plots and messages.
Approximately needed time
- Step 1: 1 hours
- Step 2: 1 hours
- Step 3: 1 hours
- Step 4: 1 hours
- Step 5: 1 hours
- TOTAL: 5 hours
METHOD
MATERIAL YOU COULD NEED: Templates like “Once upon a time…”, “Every day…”. Examples of stories (films, case studies) that follow the spine (for comparison but also for inspiration in case of “first time”).
STAKEHOLDER GOOD TO KNOW: Storyteller, business owner and communicator to craft the narrative, including marketing and communication teams to adapt the narrative appropriately for external or internal messaging. Leadership and other decision-makers to ensure story aligns with strategy, values, and what the organization wants to signal. And like always the audience (or sample thereof) for testing, feedback (if possible). In case of implementing stories into app or other interphases UI & UX and if the story is delivered via visual media or slide decks designers, but of course also presentation and visual designers.
STEPS
ONCE UPON A TIME… or EVERY DAY…
You begin by situating the audience: who the protagonist(s) are, what the environment is, what normal looks like. Without this, disruption or change doesn’t land. It builds empathy and anchors the contrast. “Once upon a time…” introduces the world, characters, baseline situation.
“Every day…” shows the routine, the status quo — what the protagonists do regularly, what assumptions are in place and helps clarify what is being taken for granted, so the change later is meaningful.
Example for a startup: Once upon a time, there was a company trying to help small farmers sell their goods. Every day, farmers struggled with middlemen and unpredictable prices, losing out on income.
ONE DAY…
This is the trigger that breaks the status quo. It forces the story to move from passive to active, introduces tension, urgency. Without an inciting incident, there is no reason for change.
“One day…” describes a specific event that disrupts the routine or introduces a challenge.
It could be external (market shift, crisis, competitor action) or internal (decision, insight).
It raises stakes and forces protagonists to act.
Example: One day, a major drought hit the region, making water costs soar for these farmers, making their products almost unsellable via traditional channels.
BECAUSE OF THAT…
This builds momentum. Each “Because of that…” is a consequence of what came before and avoids randomness. It escalates tension or complications towards the climax. It shows what decisions or actions respond to the inciting event and how the path toward resolution unfolds. Chain of events: each leading to the next. Each action or decision (or failure) leads to new stakes, obstacles. Because of that, … Because of that, … helps you plot the middle.
Example: Because of that, the farmers formed a co-operative to buy irrigation equipment. Because of that, initial investments were high and loans were needed, which some were wary of. Because of that, some farmers dropped out, but others pushed ahead with crowdfunding and local government support.
UNTIL FINALLY…
This is the turning point: when the tensions built up are resolved, or when decisions pay off (or fail). It’s the moment of highest stakes. In business storytelling, this is often where the breakthrough, solution, or transformation is delivered.
Define what success (or failure) looks like. Show how the protagonist overcomes obstacles or adapts. This is a satisfying junction that shows change and payoff.
Example: Until finally, the co-operative launched a new direct-to-consumer marketplace, bypassing middlemen, with fair pricing for farmers, stable supply for customers.
AND EVER SINCE THAT DAY…
Shows how life (or business, or story) is different now. It gives closure and highlights lasting impact and what’s changed. It helps the audience see how the journey mattered. Also helps point toward moral and theme.
“And ever since that day…” describes how things are now.
Metrics, qualitative changes, emotional impact. Optionally add “Moral of the story” or “Theme” to clarify what takeaway or belief underlies the narrative.
Example: And ever since that day, farmers’ incomes stabilized, the community became stronger, and customers connected with producers they trust.
The Story Spine originally has 8 steps in the full version (including multiple “Because of that…” and the final moral/theme line). Variants often use 6, 7 or 8 beats depending on how many complications (“Because of that…”) one wants. The final moral or theme and lesson is optional, but helpful in business storytelling to ensure your audience comes away with “this is what this means” rather than just “this happened.”
ANECDOTES:
Emma Coats (Pixar storyboard artist) included the “Story Spine” in her “22 Rules of Storytelling” tweet thread, which helped popularize it widely beyond animation. In “Pixar in a Box” (from the Khan Academy), students are taught to use the Story Spine to sketch out stories and often for creative projects and educational narrative work. Big Think includes a version of this method in its workshop and mentoring for personal and career storytelling, where participants fill in the spine to clarify transition stories.
