The Plot Machine Read online

  Given your endeavor a goal, try on different types of heroes. How would a righteous hero behave differently through the second act than a rogue? What sort of hero would require the most dramatic character arc to survive the endeavor? Would a tormented hero spark the most entertainment value? Mix and match endeavors and heroes. You can always change your mind later.

  PART THREE

  Framework

  The Framework

  of a Story

  By now you have a few key story elements in hand. You know the type of story your writing, the general goal and type of endeavor and hero. Let’s set these elements aside and study the framework in which they are typically arranged.

  Structure is an often-maligned word in the storytelling industry. It conjures images of crass hacks, paid by the word, banging out pulp stories. Even the most high-brow of literary lions, however, employs structure whether consciously or not. And many of those pulp hacks wrote great stories we still cherish decades later.

  Structure is just a tool—one understood by billions of story-consumers around the world. What really matters is how you use this tool.

  It is tempting to start at the beginning of Act I, but try not to think of a story as scenes stacked one after another. Think of it as one thing designed from general to specific. After all, architects do not start their work by designing the front door of a building and proceeding to the entry and then subsequent rooms. They treat a building as a general arrangements of elements before considering each component in greater detail. Likewise, we should look at the framework of story from general to specific.

  The General Framework

  WE KNOW THAT STORY elements are typically arranged into a beginning, middle, and end. These are roughly defined as three acts. It follows that between these acts there are two transitions, often called turning points or plot points.

  Let’s look at the main parts of the framework. We will start with Act II because the endeavor is the most important part of your story and everything flows from it.

  Act II

  This is where the hero engages in the endeavor.

  Second Turning Point

  This is often referred to as the Death Moment where the hero’s failure is apparently complete.

  Act III

  Somehow the hero recovers from the defeat and redoubles his/her efforts to reach the goal. This act includes the final climax where the hero succeeds or fails.

  Act I

  The contents of Act II and III define Act I. This is where the hero is introduced and his need established, a need that will motivate him to take on the endeavor to reach the goal.

  First Turning Point

  The hero undertakes the endeavor. They start their quest, adopt their new identity, or are imbued with new powers.

  THESE ACTS AND TURNING points make up the broad sweeps of your story. Using your particular story elements, you should be able to fill in the blanks of the following sentence:

  A hero who currently (normal world), requires (goal) and decides to (endeavor), leading him to (climax).

  General Framework and Subdivisions

  ACT I:Hero’s World

  Hero’s need/strengths/flaws

  A tangible Goal

  An endeavor to reach goal

  Rejecting the Endeavor

  Added Pressure

  Turning Point: Embark on Endeavor

  ACT II:The Endeavor

  Fun and Games

  Mid-point Reversal

  Obstacles and Complications

  Turning Point: Death Moment

  ACT III: Resolution

  Catharsis

  Resurrection/A New Plan

  Climax

  Denouement

  Framework Subdivisions

  AS YOU CAN SEE, THE general framework of a story is fairly simple. We can further break down the framework into a handful of subdivisions. As always, it is helpful to start with the middle-part of the story:

  Act II

  WE KNOW THAT ACT II contains the endeavor, but we also know endeavors can come in several shapes and sizes. A subterfuge story may lend itself to a different framework than a storm the castle story. Subdivisions can break the second act into more manageable chunks.

  Fun and Games

  THERE IS OFTEN AN UPBEAT quality to the first part of Act II. For example, going on a quest is exciting. New lands are explored. New people and creatures met, some of whom may become allies or traitors. The stakes are not terribly high right now and there is still time to turn back and call the whole thing off.

  This is often called the fun and games, or hijinks part of a story and is where much of the entertainment value of a premise is delivered. A superhero uses his new powers. A hero in disguise experiences comic misunderstandings. A hero going to war bonds with fellow soldiers.

  Mid Point Reversal

  FUN AND GAMES are often insufficient to sustain a feature-length story. Once the obvious gags have been played out, the audience wants something fresh and different. The story has to take a turn.

  This turn is often from positive to negative. A detective chasing a bad guy may learn he has become the killer’s target. Those on a road-trip encounter obstacles and consider going back. A superhero learns his new powers come with responsibilities he’d rather not bear.

  The mid-point reversal may also be where the hero goes from reactive to proactive. New dramatic possibilities within the same situation are sparked by reversing the dynamics that sustained the first part of Act II. A character being chased may turn the tables and go on the offensive or vice versa. Instead of merely surviving the alien invasion, they decide to fight the alien army. This can be a very satisfying turn.

  Not all stories require a mid-point reversal. Storm the Castle and Escape stories have goals that carry through Act II and the hero’s objective remains consistent.

  POPULAR MID-POINT REVERSALS

  Hero obtains a treasure and is now chased

  Hero on the defense goes on offense

  Hero realizes new power is a burden

  Hero escapes but must free others

  Detective makes arrest...wants conviction

  Hero learns he was set up as a fall-guy

  Hero wins goal, but must hide subterfuge

  Death Moment

  CLASSIC STORY STRUCTURE ends Act II with the hero near death or complete failure. A detective not only fails to solve a crime, but wrecks his/her career. A lover fails to win their ideal mate and settles for a clearly flawed companion. The hero angers the dragon and it attacks the village.

  Audiences consume stories to experience thrills, love, joy, and wonder. The Death Moment marks the low end of the emotional spectrum. One reason to start the design process with Act II is that an effective death moment will define what elements must be established in Act I.

  POPULAR DEATH MOMENTS

  The hero dies and must be resuscitated

  The hero is wounded and out of action

  The endeavor has failed miserably

  The hero is fired from his job

  The couple breaks up their romance

  The wedding is called off

  The hero is mocked by his peers

  The ideal mate marries someone else

  The villain reaches their destination

  The treasure is lost

  A key ally is killed

  Act III

  THE BAR IS HIGH IN designing the third act. Many story elements come into sharp conclusion in rapid succession. Both external action and internal psychology are quickly churning, leaving the audience breathless and exhilarated. Fortunately, the third act can also be sub-divided into more manageable parts. Third acts are tricky, but their precise execution is vital to the structural integrity of a story.

  If a story has any universal meaning it is delivered in its resolution. Such deeper resonance is not entirely needed. Plenty of stories deliver their entertainment value and that’s all. This sums up a lot of crime and comedy stories. They come and go with litt
le lasting resonance. A well-designed ending, however, can stand the test of time.

  Catharsis

  IF THE death moment ends the second act, then the catharsis begins the third. This is where the hero recognizes some internal flaw within themselves. Only by realizing this flaw contributed to their apparent failure can they transcend that weakness and ultimately succeed. They may need to apologize to those they’ve wronged and ask for forgiveness. They may also need to repair relationships or let others take the lead.

  POSITIVE CATHARSIS MOMENTS

  The hero learns to...

  trust others.

  be a team player

  accept his real self

  not hide behind a mask

  let others shine

  not take shortcuts

  play by the rules

  grow up and act his/her age

  take responsibility for actions

  NEGATIVE CATHARSIS MOMENTS

  The hero learns to...

  play outside the rules.

  fight fire with fire.

  use trickery and subterfuge.

  show no mercy

  risk everything

  Resurrection/New Plan

  A STORY COULD END WITH the hero failing to reach their goal, but wiser for the act of trying. Audiences prefer a winner, however, and like to see a hero rise from the ashes of defeat.

  The resurrection typically happens right on the heels of the catharsis. Armed with a new awareness of their flaws, the hero is presented with a new opportunity to reach their goal. This could be a different endeavor or a variation on the endeavor that failed.

  POPULAR RESURRECTION /

  NEW PLANS

  The hero finds...

  a means to heal his wounds

  an alternative weapon to use

  a means to reach the villain in time

  a message with new information

  a new witness

  a new map

  a key to escape captivity

  inspiration in a pep-talk from an ally

  inspiration from an ally’s sacrifice

  Climax

  FINALLY, THE HERO ENGAGES the villain and is victorious or defeated. Audiences have a great deal of experience with climaxes. No matter how great the physical action, we’re certain the hero will win because they have rejected their flaws and embraced positive human qualities.

  Denouement

  FOLLOWING THE EXCITEMENT of the endeavor and climax, the audience craves a reward. They want the hero to relish in their victory, to see lovers kiss and walk down the aisle, and to witness the villain put into chains and locked away. We want to know things are right in the world, that evil is punished and virtue rewarded. The denouement holds all these things.

  This section of a story needn’t be lengthy. Sometimes just a glance between characters is enough convey “happily ever after.” Often the denouement acts as a bookend to events in Act I. The hero’s day-to-day life is mirrored with telling differences based on the new skills they have learned and the rewards they have earned.

  Denouements also have the practical function of wrapping up loose ends, buttoning up sub-plots, and acting as a palate-cleanser for the audience as they prepare to leave the world of the story behind. With the current popularity of writing in series, the denouement may also set up some unfinished issues or introduce a new challenge that the hero will face in the next installment.

  POPULAR DENOUEMENTS

  A wedding

  A public declaration of love

  The hero welcomed home

  An award ceremony

  The hero spending the treasure

  The hero helping his allies

  The hero at peace with himself

  Hero helps others with similar challenges

  The hero honoring fallen comrades

  The hero retiring from her job

  The villain suffering in defeat

  The villain punished

  The villain vowing revenge

  Act I

  BECAUSE YOU STARTED the design process with Act II and III, you now have a list of elements to set up in Act I. These elements can be conveyed via a handful of common components. Not all of these items need to be used. In fact, a modern trend in writing is to condense or do away with Act I in order to get to the fun of Act II as quickly as possible.

  Prologue

  SOME STORIES REQUIRE the audience to understand complex circumstances before a story begins. Perhaps the political history of a fantasy realm must be conveyed. A prologue is an acceptable way of conveying such tedious information.

  Often prologues are used to start a story with action. If your hero’s normal life is not very exciting, consider a prologue that introduces the villain in action. Even if we don’t see the villain again in the rest of Act I, this will build anticipation for the inevitable conflict between villain and hero.

  Action and information can also be conveyed through a prologue flashback to a fight in the hero’s past, or a flash-forward to a desperate moment from later in the story.

  Opening Action

  ONE SURE-FIRE STORY-telling technique is to start off with action. Such scenes require no background information. We don’t need to know where we are or who the character are. The conflict itself grabs our attention and we forget our own lives and focus on the story.

  A fight will certainly establish tension. It could be a playground fight between two students or an epic space battle. A secret agent may be wrapping up a dangerous assignment or a superhero could be saving the planet. The appeal is the danger involved and our interest in who wins.

  Even passive heroes should also be introduced in a moment of conflict. Intellectual battles can work, even if they are less visually striking. This could be an exam, a verbal argument, or a public performance. Perhaps a despotic boss dumps a fresh load of work on the hero’s desk.

  Whatever the conflict, the opening Action should introduce the relevant qualities of our hero and may mirror how they perform in the death moment and the climax. A failure in this opening scene can endear the hero to the audience.

  The Hero’s World

  TYPICALLY THE HERO is introduced as they go about their day-to-day activities. That is not to say these activities are dull. Active heroes, like police officers, may be stalking a criminal. The everyday world may be a polar opposite from the world of Act II. This is most evident in fish-out-of-water stories based on the conflict between hero and setting.

  Empowered stories present the pre-empowered hero. In such cases there can be a set-up/pay-off relationship between their day-to-day struggles without powers and how they deal with the same situations with their new powers.

  In this regard, Act II further serves to define Act I. In desire stories, the hero lacks in Act I what they are trying to achieve in Act II. In threat stories, the hero possesses in Act I that which is threatened in Act II.

  The age-old mantra of show don’t tell is important here. The hero’s normal world must be conveyed through happening events, not a recitation of facts. They should be pursuing a goal that introduces their world, occupation, ongoing conflicts, and underlying needs. This goal can relate to their need. If they are need love, they might be going on blind dates. If they need treasure, they might be asking for a raise.

  The Villain’s World

  IN STORIES WHERE THE hero is trying to stop a villain’s plan, the villain may need their own first act. This leads to an interleaving of scenes involving the hero and villain separately, all leading to the initiation of their direct conflict in Act II.

  Villains may require motivation to engage in their own endeavor. Such motivations are often based on negative traits like greed or envy. Your villain may merit their own need and motivation. Such complexities require more patience and attention on the part of the writer and the audience, but can present a more nuanced villain.

  One important consideration is the audience’s anticipation of the coming conflict. Even if your story is of the slow-burn variety,
the first act should relate to the central endeavor. Nothing focuses a sailor’s attention like storm clouds on the horizon. The same feeling of pending danger will keep readers turning pages.

  The Inciting Incident

  INTO EVERY LIFE, SOME rain must fall. Into the hero’s world, an inciting incident must happen. This incident typically presents a solution to the hero’s established need. A hero looking for love may bump into the most beautiful mate he/she has ever seen. A hero in need of money may stumble across a treasure map.

  Events can also intrude upon perfectly content heroes. A reformed thief could be visited by a past criminal associate. A village may be attacked by a dragon.

  The inciting incident is typically where the hero’s general need meets their specific goal. The means to reach this goal—the endeavor—may not yet be evident.

  Rejecting the Endeavor

  FOR ACTIVE HEROES, the goal and endeavor are often part of their job. A detective wants to arrest the murderer. Soldiers want to take the high ground. Surgeons eagerly take on the most challenging cases.

  Less active heroes understandably shy away from what may be the most dangerous adventure in their lives. This moment is typically called rejecting the call to action.