What is a Worldview story? As Shawn Coyne demonstrates in the Story Grid Gas Gauge of Need, a Worldview story is driven by the protagonist’s need for self-actualization. People choose a Worldview story to experience hope, relief, or satisfaction by emerging whole from a threat to their internal status quo, or to feel a sense of loss or pity for a less fortunate character. According to Norman Friedman, The Core Emotion of the Worldview genre varies according to the subgenre. It’s what they want to experience through story without potential real-life consequences. Core Emotion is what a reader wants to feel–the reason they choose a particular type of story. We’re drawn to Worldview stories for similar reasons. They help readers or viewers draft a narrative around their own possibilities, limitations, decisions and need for change.

Worldview stories can be Prescriptive or Cautionary.

In the Worldview Genre the protagonist must change by overcoming something within themselves, giving up a want in order to get what they need, which is generally a new and more mature, clear, meaningful or informed view of life. All stories have maturation built into them as each story’s change arc requires the protagonist to shift their point of view in order to attain wisdom or experience….WORLDVIEW is an arch-plot (single protagonist) or mini-plot (multiple protagonists) internal genre, showing the process by which cognitive dissonance upsets the balance of a character’s life, requiring a shift in their view of reality.” -Shawn Coyne The Worldview Genre is huge so we’ll break this down first by the overall genre and then by subgenre. “The Worldview Maturation Story is essentially the hero’s journey. Need to get familiar with the Story Grid’s categorization of genres first? A refresher is here. So let’s examine the basics of the Worldview Genre. The Worldview genre is the story within every story, and mastering it is imperative for every writer. It forms the internal genre and emotional backbone of almost any Hero’s or Heroine’s Journey. It can involve rites of passage or revelation.

It can feature protagonists of any ages and appeal to a wide variety of audiences. The Worldview genre is not limited to Coming-of-Age, Young Adult, or Maturation stories. It’s the story that pervades all of human societies because it’s how we think. Download the Worldview Genre Cheatsheet What if I told you that Worldview stories are crucial to human evolution, vital to our basic survival, part of what makes us human? What if I said there is an invisible mesh-like structure holding almost every story together? And what if I could help you decipher that mesh and unlock your readers’ understanding of their world? That mesh is the Worldview story.

The secret world the 3rd age