Story Study: When Harry Met Sally
The Story
Harry, a cynical romantic, and Sally, an optimistic dreamer, share a contentious car ride to New York City post-graduation, vehemently debating whether or not men and women can be friends without romance interfering.
Over the years, their paths cross again and again, evolving from disdain to a deep friendship, unknowingly testing their own theory as the spark of romance begins to challenge their platonic bond.
Let’s take a look at how this story utilizes the 3 fundamental steps of storytelling…
Step 1: Catch Their Interest
Familiar + Fresh
We crave familiarity and comfort in our stories. Equally, we crave freshness and originality. Luckily, these are easy things to achieve. All we need to do is look to those that have gone before us.
One of the things that can be most helpful when beginning to brainstorm a story (or at any stage in the story development and writing process) is thinking about the stories from which you can draw the most inspiration.
This allows you to figure out how to combine two seemingly disparate stories/tropes/ideas in a way they may not have been combined before. Rather than box you in, this formula can be the very thing that gives you an edge, that makes your story feel fresh, that creates that elusive high-concept idea.
It can also save you a lot of time. You don’t need to figure out how to completely reinvent the wheel. You simply need to ask yourself:
What do I want to capture in this story?
The nostalgia of first love? The witty banter of early romantic screwball comedies? The eerie thrill of a mysterious ghost story? The heartbreak of an unexpected illness? The terror of an alien invasion? The wistfulness of Jane Austen? A man/girl unlikely pairing against the elements? A mother fighting for her son? A charming seaside summer?
Come up with two core ideas and then figure out what stories best utilize them and what it might look like if they were mashed together and twisted into something completely unique.
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The writers probably drew inspiration from films like It Happened One Night, which is known for its witty banter and romantic entanglements.
In addition, Woody Allen's films, particularly Annie Hall, similarly focuses on neurotic, New York-centered, dialogue-driven romantic explorations.
BONUS: If you’re ever stuck, you can look to these influencing stories for inspiration and guidance on:
conflict, stakes, or tension
relationship dynamics
story structure
character arcs
setting motivations
and more.
PLUS, when it comes time to pitch your story, you’ll have the simple X meets X formula locked and loaded. (For example, Superman meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, etc.)
All You
The stories you draw from will naturally bring that sense of comfort and familiarity. But the way you choose to twist, contort, flip, spin, mash, layer, and subvert those influences will make your story completely original.
Even better, by grounding your story in a clear and intentional tone, you’ll have something that is streamlined—and all yours.
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The tone of the story is witty, charming, warm, and relatable.
Step 2: Keep ‘Em Hooked
The best way to move a story along is to…well…move a story along. Just don’t make it too easy. Remember: “Sweeter after difficulty.”
As such, each scene needs to push the story + character arcs forward while also throwing in enough obstacles to keep things interesting.
In addition, there will be some bigger or more significant revelations/setbacks/introductions/plans/significant events at the 5 major plot points.
I like to call this formula, “Progress, BUT…”
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Scene 1:
PROGRESS: Harry and Sally meet and share a ride to New York, initiating their acquaintance and discussing their plans for the future.
BUT: They have extremely different attitudes and outlooks on life, creating tension.
Scene 2:
PROGRESS: Their conversation continues when they stop for dinner, showing potential for deep discussion and connection.
BUT: Their clashing personalities end in a fight, when Sally disparages Harry for “making a pass at her.”
Scene 3:
PROGRESS: They safely arrive in New York.
But: They part ways with differing opinions and an understanding that they will never see each other again.
Scene 4:
Progress: Sally and Harry bump into each other again 5 years later, having both made significant strides in their romantic and professional lives.
But: They fight again, and once more part ways with the intention to never cross paths again.
Scene 5:
PROGRESS: 5 years further into the future, Sally has lunch with her girlfriends.
BUT: She informs them that she has broken up with her long-term boyfriend.
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1 | Inciting Incident
INTRODUCTION: Sally and Harry meet for the first time when they pair up to drive from the University of Chicago to New York City after college graduation.
2 | First Plot Point
SETBACKS/RE-INTRODUCTION: After quickly moving through ten years of their post-college life and run-ins, we settle into the present timeline, where Sally has just broken up with her long-term boyfriend and Harry is getting a divorce. Harry and Sally meet once again and become friends.
3 | Midpoint
REVELATION/PLAN: There’s a small moment on New Year’s Eve when we see a glimpse of the potential feelings Harry and Sally may have for one another. Shortly after, they try to set each other up with their respective best friends. This backfires, as the best friends are more interested in each other than either Harry or Sally.
4 | Third Plot Point
REVELATION/SIGNIFICANT EVENT: Sally learns her ex-boyfriend is getting married. Distraught, she calls Harry over for comfort. They sleep together, and afterwards have a falling out.
5 | Climax
REVELATION/RESOLUTION: On New Year’s Eve, Harry realizes the full extent of his feelings for Sally. He rushes to her and professes his love. She reciprocates.
THROUGHLINE:
I find it most helpful to look at the 5 major plot points in the stories I study because it allows me to see the spine of the plot.
If this spine touches on the same theme and overall conflict in each plot point, the story will have a much better chance of feeling strong, streamlined, consistent, and emotionally impactful and satisfying.
In this case, the theme for When Harry Met Sally is that a solid friendship is a good foundation for a lasting and happy romantic relationship. The conflict asks the question of whether or not Harry and Sally will end up together.
Step 3: Leave ‘Em Satisfied
A story will never leave a lasting impact if it doesn’t include the resolution of an interesting character arc.
This may mean a character…
grows into their potential
achieves a dream
falls in love
becomes more realistic/optimistic/powerful/bold/outspoken/humble/selfless/etc.
becomes corrupted
gains much-needed perspective
resolves an emotional trauma
…or something else entirely (or a combination of these).
But no matter what, the arc needs to tap into the character’s emotions, traits, stage of self-awareness, and perspectives, giving us a clear snapshot of who they were Before their journey started, and who they become After it’s over.
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Harry begins with a cynical view of relationships. He believes that men and women can't be friends because sexual attraction always gets in the way. This cynicism gets in the way of his ability to be truly close to any woman, including his wife.
In contrast, Sally starts as an optimistic romantic. She believes that with the proper amount of structure and control, she can make a relationship work.
In the end, Sally is able to accept that relationships don't always fit neatly into predefined categories, and that she doesn’t need to always be in control. Harry, on the other hand, is able to learn how to be vulnerable and emotionally intimate, which leads to their happily ever after.
And those are the 3 fundamental storytelling steps!
Catch Their Interest
Keep Them Hooked
Leave Them Satisfied
Of course, this isn’t to say that nothing else in the writing and storytelling process is important—there are lots of moving pieces that are helpful to understand and useful to master.
But it is to say that if you nail these 3 things, audiences will feel pleased with their journey (and will therefore be willing to forgive a lot in terms of weaknesses or oversights). They will love the story, remember it, and come back to it again and again.
