/ How an Episode of 'Rick and Morty' is Written / Dan Harmon's Story Circle

Dan Harmon (Community, Rick and Morty) created a Story Circle, which, he says he tattooed on his brain and it's based on Joseph Campbell’s mono myth The Hero’s Journey (photo bellow), but simplified for modern storytelling.
His methods were written with television in mind, but these story techniques are universal for any writer and any medium.

Campbell's monomyth - Heroes Journey

Dan Harmon's Story Circle (By Michael L. Martin Jr. )

That horizontal line dividing the circle is the first one you want to think about when creating a story. What’s above it and what’s below it?

Robocop: Above the line, cop. Below the line, Robocop.
Die Hard: Above the line, bad marriage. Below the line, terrorist attack.
Citizen Kane: Above the line, news reel. Below the line, truth.
MacBeth: Above the line, hero. Below the line, villain.
Star Wars: Above the line, farm boy. Below the line, adventurer.
The Incredible Talking Dog: Above the line, dog can’t talk…
Back to the Future: 1985 / 1955

1. YOU (a character is in a zone of comfort)

Dan says: ESTABLISH A PROTAGONIST… Who are we? A squirrel? The sun? A red blood cell? America?

2. NEED (but they want something)

Dan says: SOMETHING AIN’T QUITE RIGHT… Something is wrong, the world is out of balance. This is the reason why a story is going to take place. The “you” from (1) is an alcoholic. There’s a dead body on the floor. A motorcycle gang rolls into town.

3. GO (they enter an unfamiliar situation)

Dan says: CROSSING THE THRESHOLD… For (1) and (2), the “you” was in a certain situation, and now that situation changes. A hiker heads into the woods. Pearl Harbor’s been bombed. A mafia boss enters therapy.

4. SEARCH (adapt to it)

Dan says: THE ROAD OF TRIALS… Adapting, experimenting, getting shit together, being broken down. A detective questions suspects. A cowboy gathers his posse. A cheerleader takes a nerd shopping.

5. FIND (find what they wanted)

Dan says: MEETING WITH THE GODDESS… Whether it was the direct, conscious goal or not, the “need” from (2) is fulfilled. We found the princess. The suspect gives the location of the meth lab. A nerd achieves popularity.

6. TAKE (pay its price)

Dan says: MEET YOUR MAKER… The hardest part (both for the characters and for anyone trying to describe it). On one hand, the price of the journey. The shark eats the boat. Jesus is crucified. The nice old man has a stroke. On the other hand, a goal achieved that we never even knew we had. The shark now has an oxygen tank in his mouth. Jesus is dead- oh, I get it, flesh doesn’t matter. The nice old man had a stroke, but before he died, he wanted you to take this belt buckle. Now go win that rodeo.

7. RETURN (and go back to where they started)

Dan says: BRINGING IT HOME… It’s not a journey if you never come back. The car chase. The big rescue. Coming home to your girlfriend with a rose. Leaping off the roof as the skyscraper explodes.

8. CHANGE (now capable of change)

Dan says: MASTER OF BOTH WORLDS… The “you” from (1) is in charge of their situation again, but has now become a situation-changer. Life will never be the same. The Death Star is blown up. The couple is in love. Dr. Bloom’s Time Belt is completed. Lorraine Bracco heads into the jungle with Sean Connery to “find some of those ants.”

James Hayes of FilmInTheMaking breaks down how Rick and Morty approach to story telling.

and here is an interview with Dan about Writing Advice/Avoiding Procrastination