Skip to content

NORTAV and action/response links

The natural response sequence and action/response links.

David Gane
David Gane
1 min read

An interesting book that pairs with emotion and the action/response link is The NORTAV Method for Writers by A.J. Abbiati.

In it, Abbiati breaks down the six beats found in all stories:

  • Narrative - prose from a narrator—either the focal character or someone else.
  • Observations - what a focal character perceives through their senses
  • Reactions - involuntary internal and external responses.
  • Thoughts - conscious or semi-conscious thoughts of a focal character.
  • Actions - the physical activities performed by a character.
  • Vocalizations - words spoken, grunts, groans. Dialogue is an exchange of vocalization beats between characters.

He argues all story is formed by different constructions of these six beats.

While he explores different stories and their constructions, he does highlight one sequence called the natural response sequence:

Reaction => Thought => Action => Vocalization

Like Cleaver’s example of being robbed in a deserted parking lot, this combination shows the links of stimulus that lead to a reaction. We have the immediate internal and external response, which moves to thoughts (“I’m going to die!”) before we finally take action or vocalization.

Ultimately, Abbiati and NORTAV are about revealing the human experience and how your characters act and respond to the internal and external worlds around them.

Blog

David Gane Twitter

Co-writer of the Shepherd and Wolfe young adult mysteries, the internationally award-winning series, and teacher of storytelling and screenwriting.

Comments


Related Posts

Ways to edit

Just as there are different ways to write, there are different ways to edit. Some people will edit as they go, while others do it after they've finished a draft. Some will begin with the structure and move down into the sentences. Others do a sentence at a time, writing

Containers

A container can be almost anything. It can be made from any number of materials. Glass, plastic, and even paper or cardboard. It can be different heights, sizes, and shapes. It can hold almost anything—as long as it is sturdy enough to keep it inside. However, some containers will

Control

In Will Storr's The Science of Storytelling, he states that the mission of the brain is control—whether it is a mental model to make sense of the world around us or to change it to gain control. Unfortunately, the model is often flawed. Too many inputs and not a