a couple people in the comments on Ithaca have asked how i write and plan long stories so i figured in lieu of a new chapter while i have exams i'd post what i use for planning here in case anyone could find it helpful
i'd like to note i didn't come up with this, i came across these terms and techniques on wattpad when i was like 13 and there was this one person on there at the time who wrote in this adapted screenwriting style and they posted all their planning stuff and i used that to research and develop my own, i find it really helpful for staying on track and remembering what i'm doing
TITLE
GENRE
WHAT IF QUESTION
LOGLINE
THEME(S)
LEAD
OBJECTIVE
CONFRONTATION
KNOCK OUT ENDING
Inner Struggle:
- Main character must have a longing or need
- They are lacking in something in their life and need it to fill that gap
- WOUND = Something that happened in the past that threw all of the protagonists views out of shape and helped them become the person they are today
- WOUND is the motivation behind the character’s decisions and how they react to situations in everyday life
- WOUND must be a specific event
- WOUND does not = CATALYST
- WOUND is responsible for biggest character flaw and acts as a backstory for that specific flaw, not why the character is just a shit person in general
- WOUND doesn’t have to be the reason why the protagonist’s life went to shit
- WOUND isn’t always the worst thing that will happen to the protagonist
- Character must have a bias or belief to develop their inner struggle and character flaw
- Bias or belief occurs because of the WOUND
- When a character has experienced the WOUND the develop a BELIEF which gives them a NEED
- Story will prove character’s belief wrong
- Must have a fear that is related to the stakes
- Fear should be similar to a re-experiencing of the WOUND
- Character has a warped view of identity and puts a mask to hide this inner struggle
- The mask and identity is vital to the story
- Identity must go in order for the character to develop, their identity is a warped view of who they want to be due to the WOUND
- Essence is who the character is on the inside and what really defines them as a person
- Final step for character to properly develop is to accept that essence and to live in the essence
The Nutshell Technique:
Step 1 – The Set-Up Want
- Story starts with protagonist wanting something, can be anything
- Doesn’t have to be want that determines entire story
- Must be in first few
- Has to relate to following few steps
Step 2 – Point of No Return
- At the end of act 1, 25% of book
- Protagonist gets their set up want
Step 3 – The Catch
- Gets set up want but also gets something they didn’t want
- Has to be simultaneous
- Getting rid of catch is fertile ground for Act 2A to escalate conflict
Step 4 – The Flaw
- Knot, real reason why you are writing the story
- One thing that character suffers from
- Needs to get fixed by the end to live happily ever after
- CAN BE EXPRESSED IN 1 OR 2 WORDS
- The flaw the story is all about
- The catch in step 3 has to be the perfect test for the flaw
Step 5 – The Strength
- An easy thing to find
- Exact opposite of the flaw
- Virtue that protagonist is fighting to achieve
- Will have this quality by the end of the story if everything goes right (won’t achieve if it’s a tragedy)
Step 6 – The Crises
- Lowest emotional point fort the protagonist
- ‘Bad part’ and protagonist thinks life is over and sulks
- Whatever protagonist wanted at the beginning, they going to wish they never had
- End of Act 2
- Has to make a choice to change their life
Step 7 – The Climactic Choice
- Step into finale
- The climax
- Tells us if character is smart or doomed
- A choice that puts protagonist closer to the strength
- Gives hint that they understand the flaw
- A step in the right direction
Step 8 – Final Choice
- During the aftermath
- After the finale
- When the story is nearing the end
- Lets us know that the character has the strength
- They have defeated their flaw
Introduction to the Plot:
1. Find out the characters fear, make sure things happen so they experience it again and again in increasing doses.
2. Make the fear the thing the character needs to get over in order to win.
3. Find ways to create the plot in which when the character acts out of essence they move forward. When they act out of identity they move backwards (loses).
4. Set up the fear and identity early on (Act 1) by giving the character an initial opportunity (catalyst) to face the fear and show them recoiling or running away. This will tell the readers where the bar is set at the start.
5. Don’t explain how they got the wound early! Only show the results of the wound, the belief in how the character acts in their daily life (Act 1 setup).
6. Show growth in several steps. Give the character plenty of opportunities to act right (essence) and show them act wrong (identity) the first few times before getting the hang of it.
7. Make sure the fear is present at the climax in some way to give the character a decision to pick right (essence) once and for all.
8. Make plot points work for you by having the decisions depend on something that forces the character to grow.
Correct Use of Plot Points:
- CATALYST: hero’s first chance and failure due to identity (the running away from essence).
- PLOT POINT 1: hero’s second failure where a hint of the essence is revealed.
- MIDPOINT: hero’s first attempt to live on the essence (though we know this is a false victory that will later go to shit, the hero notices the essence).
- PLOT POINT 2: fear of failure makes protagonist run from their essence one last time.
- CLIMAX: protagonist takes a leap, embraces the essence and wins.
Ø Information is currency
Ø Give your characters secrets
Ø Characters should try and fail
Ø Everything that can go wrong does
Ø Characters toughen up with conflict
Ø No such thing as free lunch (don’t take it easy on your characters)
Ø Let your characters lie
Ø Clear, present, escalating threat
Ø Give bad guys good sides
Ø Expose your characters
Coloured writing: Chapter separation
Story Outline:
· Beginning (Act I)
- Opening image
- Theme stated
- Setup
Ø Want stated
Ø Want pursued (Turning point one) Opportunity. Directly related to catalyst
- Catalyst
- Debate
Ø New situation/world
Ø New characters (bad guy/antagonist)
Ø Menace
Ø Sense of stakes
Ø Hint at character’s essence
Ø Character ignores essence
Ø Doesn’t immediately jump on board
Ø Refusal to call
Ø Doesn’t want to change
- Plot point 1
Ø Point of no return
Ø Change of plan
Ø Character is forced into situation
Ø Character becomes trapped in plot
Ø WILLINGLY says they’ll do it
Ø Door opens. Character goes in
Ø Can only move forward
Ø Bonding agent introduced
Ø Prevent escape
Ø Can’t go back to ignorance
- Story B
Ø The subplot
Ø Will intertwine with the main plot (Story A)
· Middle (Act IIA)
- Retreat and regroup
Ø A sense of just having avoided something or dodged a bullet
Ø Hero and new allies come together to decide how to approach it
Ø New situation
Ø Training or gathering a team
Ø Step one to win
Ø Plan made
- Pinch point 1
Ø Hero gets confronted with antagonist
Ø Bad guy/thing
Ø Ticking time bomb
Ø Reminded of stakes
Ø Something working against hero
Ø The opposition
Ø External antagonist
Ø Stand-in antagonist
Ø Physical thing
Ø Bad thing that character is fighting
Ø Mini version of final thing
Ø Danger is obvious
- Doomed attempt and failure
Ø Hero finally has a plan
Ø Prep hero for 2nd act
Ø Based on their misinformed, flawed stance
Ø Follow it
Ø Fail
Ø Boom, it’s not going their way
Ø Can be false success
Ø Won’t last long but really is a highpoint
- Midpoint
Ø Immediately recognisable
Ø Most important part
Ø REVERSAL
Ø NEW INFORMATION
Ø Twist is revealed
Ø Sets up stakes for Act 2B
Ø Story escalates
Ø Tests and breaks protagonist
· Middle (Act IIB)
- Bad guys close
Ø Antagonist is not playing around anymore
Ø Hero’s team wavers
Ø Hero has gotten strength but bad guys aren’t giving up
Ø Bad guys amp up attack
Ø Conflict in hero’s team
Ø Antagonist becomes stronger
Ø Hero’s team shows cracks under pressure
Ø Must break hero
Ø Hero is living more authentically
Ø Things still go to shit
Ø Expect bad things at high moments
- Pinch point 2
Ø Confrontation with antagonist
Ø Doesn’t go well for hero
Ø Bad thing happens
Ø Drama reminds reader what we are fearing
Ø MASSIVE DEFEAT
Ø Everything hero had at midpoint when it was happy is proven to be false
Ø Hero actually had nothing
- All is lost
Ø Hero is done
Ø Hero is broken
Ø Rock bottom
Ø The crises
Ø Opposite of set-up want
Ø Thing hero has been looking for is so out of reach that hero doesn’t even want to look anymore
- Dark night of the soul
Ø Moping of the hero
Ø Hero will face thing that has been holding them back
Ø Will face himself, his soul
Ø Understand
Ø Apologise
Ø Forgive
Ø Uncover
Ø Not doing much action wise
Ø Talking to their mentor
Ø Sulking
Ø Tells the reader that they really are thinking about this
Ø Deals with internal conflict
Ø Will see the mask for what it is and be willing to take it off for good
Ø Some sort of death
Ø A whiff of death
Ø An allusion to death, a metaphor
Ø Symbolises death of the old way
Ø Old hero is no more
Ø New hero
Ø Who the hero was gives up
- Plot point 2
Ø A new threshold
Ø New information
Ø After this no more new information can be revealed
Ø Don’t go into the final battle with things left unsaid
Ø Drop all new information here
Ø Information given here makes it all make sense
Ø Everything comes together here
· End (Act III)
- Story A + B merge
Ø Subplot introduced in Act 2 will now clearly serve main plot
Ø Hero uses story B to solve story A
Ø Guarantees a subplot that isn’t left to die
Ø Skill
Ø Lesson
Ø Advice
Ø Doesn’t have to be total merge
Ø Taping of the knuckles
- Finale
Ø Any final confrontation planned for hero
Ø Final choice
Ø 3
Ø 4
Ø 5
Ø 6
- Climax
Ø Climactic choice
Ø After climactic choice fight is over
Ø Action ends
- Denouement
Ø Explanations are given
Ø Last few strings tied up
Ø Winding down
Ø Wrapping and closure of fight
- Final image
Ø A snapshot of the world and protagonist after everything has happened
Ø How did things change?
Ø How is the hero a different person?
Ø Obvious, external thing that represents change
Ø Contrast opening image
Ø Similar to opening image for circular closure
