MeridiansMeridians

Narrative Shapes

From the Meridians Wiki · Public · Maintained · joint

Shapes classify the macro-structure of delivery curves — how intensity rises and falls across the full story.

ShapeDescriptionCurve Pattern
ClimacticBuild, climax, release — one dominant peak defines the arcSteady rise → sharp peak (mid/late) → decline
EpisodicMultiple peaks of similar weight — no single climax dominatesRepeating rises and falls, no clear maximum
ReboundingA meaningful dip followed by strong recoveryStart high → collapse → strong recovery
PeakingDominant peak early or mid-arc, followed by declineEarly high → sustained fall
EscalatingMomentum rises overall — intensity concentrated toward the endGradual, sustained rise to finish
FlatToo little structural variation — no meaningful peaks or valleysNear-constant delivery values

Detection Metrics:

  • Overall Slope — Macro trend (rising, falling, stable)
  • Peak Count — Number of detected local maxima
  • Peak Dominance — Largest prominence / total prominence
  • Peak Position — Where the dominant peak falls (0..1)
  • Trough Depth — Magnitude of central valley (V-shape detector)
  • Flatness — Standard deviation of smoothed curve