It’s the conundrum that plagues every writer, of every story, through every age…
What shape should my story take?
Where should it go?
Who are the key characters?
Where do their journeys take them?
Where do they cross paths?
How do they transform?
What happens?
… And then?
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby is a sweeping love story reflecting the shallowness of New York society during the Roaring Twenties. The storyline follows the enigmatic Jay Gatsby, a man who claws his way from rags to riches to win the love of his lifelong desire – Daisy Buchanan.
As part of the nouveau riche, Gatsby finds that despite his new wealth he is still not afforded the privileges enjoyed by those born into the upper class of ‘old money’. Ultimately that exclusion is best reflected in his inability to obtain Daisy – his one and only love.
It’s a great plotline, but what does that actually look like?
The guys at Pop Chart Lab have created a scene-by-scene print that lays out the entire scope of Fitzgerald’s masterpiece.
The top of the infographic shows a story map of the New York locations of the story scenes in the book.
Then there’s a nine chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the comings and goings of characters, tracing the plot action and movement by trains, cars, and feet for every key character in the novel.
Or if you’re interested in ‘seeing’ the character connections, then visual.ly has a simplified graphic based on Baz Luhrmann’s representation of the novel.
Any thoughts?
I loved actually ‘seeing’ the interactions of the characters and the locations. It deepened my understanding of the storyline. What do you think?
Hat tip: Fast Company
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