Nickel Boys and Shawshank Redemption: Primary and Secondary Structure

In this episode, Jacob Krueger explores the difference between primary and secondary structure—and how understanding the relationship between them can transform your screenwriting. Using Shawshank Redemption and Nickel Boys as case studies, Jacob shows how both films use a nearly identical core structure to tell vastly different stories, each built around the same foundational dynamic: a hopeful protagonist changing the life of a more cynical friend. Listeners will learn how Frank Darabont’s secondary structure choices in Shawshank—including misdirection, red herrings, and hidden motivations—disguise a plot that would otherwise feel predictable. Then, through Nickel Boys, Jacob reveals how Ramell Ross and Joslyn Barnes take the same narrative scaffolding and rewire it to land an emotionally devastating twist ending, using secondary structure not just to entertain, but to deliver a powerful thematic punch. Listeners will learn: * What primary and secondary structure are—and why they must work together * Why Shawshank Redemption works, even when you know it ends with a prison escape * How to use audience expectations to shape surprise and emotional impact * Why genre promises matter—and how to subvert them without breaking trust * How Nickel Boys mirrors Shawshank—and then flips its outcome * How POV and delayed reveals can elevate a twist ending * Why tricking your audience only works when it deepens your theme * How to build structure from character—not from formula * What “seeing through the character’s eyes” really means * How to build your screenplay’s external shape without losing emotional truth Whether you're writing a twist ending, adapting historical material, or just trying to avoid cliché, this episode will help you ground your structure in character—and make every surprise truly land. Join Jake for free every Thursday night at Thursday Night Writes, RSVP here and check all of our classes!