What is also interesting is that the 6 structures below are really just 3 structures, with their exact opposites (eg, Oedipus is the exact opposite of Cinderella).
The computer scientists found that a huge percentage of stories fit into one of six relatively simple structures. They are, borrowing a chart from Reagan’s team:
1. Rags to Riches (rise)
2. Riches to Rags (fall)
3. Man in a Hole (fall, then rise)
4. Icarus (rise, then fall)
5. Cinderella (rise, then fall, then rise)
6. Oedipus (fall, then rise, then fall)
I can’t find the original source, but here are similar articles explaining the same research.