The Plot Machine Read online

  Learn target—Race to stop attack

  Imprisoned—Must escape

  New Skills/New Plan Relationship

  JUST AS THE HERO’S flaw is evident in the failure, the new plan should require that the hero consciously use the opposite kind of skills. These new skills could be the inverse of the flaw or an admirable skill the hero always possessed.

  All people have good and bad qualities and just as the hero’s flaw led to defeat, her strengths/new skills lead to success. Just as the writer must cleave the physical goal in two, they must design an internal component to these actions. For example:

  A hero who lacks self-esteem (flaw) believes he must assume a false identity (endeavor) to win love (goal). This ruse may work for a while (fun and games), but becomes increasingly difficult to maintain (obstacles). He lacks the confidence, however, to come clean and is ultimately unmasked (death moment). He then has a chance to act dishonorably, but stands up for himself and this ultimately wins him love.

  In this example, the hero’s flaw of low self-esteem leads to the failure. Only standing up for himself leads to his victory. How this is actively demonstrated could vary as long as it illustrates his newfound self-respect. Another example:

  A hero filled with hubris (flaw) sets out on a quest for treasure (goal). He succeeds in every step of the venture (fun and games/obstacles) and along the way his selflessness (strength) impresses his allies. Perhaps the hero wants the treasure to fund a school for blind kids. He is certain he can face the last challenge single-handedly, but the treasure is stolen by a traitor (death moment). Inspired by the hero’s selflessness, the allies work together to steal the treasure back.

  In this case the hero’s strength (selflessness) inspires allies to help him. At the same time, he must give up his hubris (flaw) and work with them as a team. The goal remains the same, but the circumstances may have changed. Perhaps instead of being kept in a secure vault, the treasure is now on the move, having been stolen by a traitor. Because the location has changed, the techniques to obtain it can also change, resulting in a situation in which the hero can’t work alone, but must be part of a team.

  I warned you it was complex.

  There are physical aspects and thematic variables within each element. Each can be adjusted, but each adjustment affects other elements. Adjust one and you may have to adjust several others.

  Resurrection/Climax Relationship

  THIS CONNECTION IS comparatively easy to design. Simply look for a way in which your hero displays their new skills (the opposite of their flawed skills) in the climax.

  This can be subtle or heavily underscored. A lone-wolf hero working with others is a clear demonstration of collaboration. A dishonest hero coming clean in a public setting demonstrates their honesty. A selfish hero risking his life to save others demonstrates selflessness.

  The act can be further underscored by adding a moment of possible relapse. The hero may be tempted to use his flawed skills again. The audience is worried he/she will backslide. But the hero makes a conscious decision to do the right thing and it works.

  Through the process of designing the defeat-to-victory sequence, you should be able to fill in the blanks of the following paragraph:

  Because he relied on his (flaw), the hero has failed to (endeavor). Only by (catharsis) is he able to regroup and (new plan). He engages in (climax) and is tempted to use (flaw), but chooses (new skills) instead, thus achieving victory.

  Sequence Two:

  Normal World to Endeavor

  THE SECOND CRITICAL sequence takes your hero from their normal everyday life to the world of the endeavor. It’s best to design this sequence after you have roughed out the failure-to-victory sequence. Knowing the components of the end make construction of the beginning much easier. We know the structural framework:

  Hero’s world

  Hero’s strengths and flaws

  Hero’s need

  The rejection of the endeavor

  Added Pressure

  Embark on the endeavor.

  THE ELEMENTS PLACE into this framework should relate on both physical and thematic levels. As before, each element should connect tightly with those around it. The overall goal of this sequence is to motivate the hero to undertake the endeavor. They do this to preserve the nice life they have or improve the crummy life they currently suffer through.

  Flaw/World Relationship

  IF ALL STORIES INVOLVE threats or desires, then the hero’s life is either satisfied or frustrated. Either way, their circumstances should reflect their flaw. A hot-headed hero may be fired, which explains his nagging poverty. A self-centered hero may disregard the needs of her employees, which explains her wealthy-but-lonely lifestyle. Heroes seeking love should be linked to a flaw such as low self-esteem. This flaw can be dramatized through scenes that depict how it is foiling the hero’s attempts to find love.

  You can design this connection from either direction—world or flaw. If you have the hero’s world in place, then devise how it reflects a plausible flaw. If you have a flaw in hand, look for circumstances that result from that character trait.

  World/Need Relationship

  THE HERO’S DAY-TO-DAY world, in turn, relates to their need. A poor hero seeks riches. A lonely hero seeks love. A satisfied hero craves stability. This general need doesn’t initially lead to the endeavor. That happens when a specific goal is introduced at the inciting incident. Until then, heroes may engage in coping mechanisms or seek alternatives to satisfy their need.

  Goal/Endeavor Relationship

  THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN goal and endeavor is a particularly important connection to make. This relates more to the physical parameters of the story than internal themes. A goal is a specific means to satisfy the hero’s general need. The endeavor presents the challenging means to reach it. Because you know what your endeavor is, the task is to push and pull your hero to engage in this radical course of action.

  Keep in mind that some endeavors may not reveal their danger until later in the story. A hero could undertake the challenge unaware of its true danger until it’s too late to turn back. The simplest form of goal/endeavor connection comes in the form of an assignment as part of the hero’s occupation. No further motivation is required.

  With the previous connections in place you should be able to complete the following paragraph:

  Due to (flaw), a hero endures (circumstances) that create a desire for (need). The hero tries to (satisfy need), but every effort proves fruitless. (Added pressure) forces the hero’s hand and he reluctantly decides to (endeavor).

  With the main sequences of your story in place, all that remains to design is the specifics of the second act.

  Examples of Pushing Your Hero

  The Hero’s need for money becomes critical

  Added pressure from a ticking clock

  Alternatives are explored and fail

  Old ties are broken

  Hero’s safety net collapses

  Examples of Pulling Your Hero

  Hero’s desire intensifies

  The endeavor satisfies multiple goals

  Peers have already accepted the challenge

  Loved ones encourage him

  Sequence Three:

  The Endeavor

  NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHERE your story is going and where it started, the endeavor sequence should be easy to assemble. This is, after all, where much of the entertainment value of your story resides. You may already have a list of gags and set pieces in mind or mapped out the different realms your hero visits in their travels. There is only one relationship through this sequence, the link between the hero’s actions and their internal growth.

  Flaw/Endeavor Relationship

  THE THEMATIC ARC OF your hero represents significant change in their character, but people don’t change easily. They resist. They cope. They relapse. They fall back on old habits and flawed skills. The physical action should reflect this halting progress. Forward progress might involve the hero try
ing their new skill and having some success. Backsliding may involve the apparent failure of new skills, or the hero doubting their effectiveness.

  Make a list.

  At the top of the list is your hero’s flaw. At the bottom is the new skill that helps them succeed. Now design a handful of logical steps that lead from one trait to the other. Use these internal steps to help design the obstacles or subordinate goals of your second act. Obstacle may chip away at the hero’s flaw. Challenges can require new skills. Every set-back can test the hero’s determination.

  How many steps you have may be determined by the physical action of the endeavor, the overall length of your story, or external factors. For example, a movie-studio may set the length of a movie, or a TV-network may determine the number of commercial breaks in a series episode. Fortunately, the second act can be stretched and squeezed like an accordion to whatever length is needed. Simply devise the most compelling dramatic sequences that chart your hero’s progress.

  Examples of Growth Steps

  From Lone Wolf...

  Hero succeeds with lone wolf habits

  Hero rejects aide from anyone else and suffers for it

  Hero discounts the helpful involvement of an ally

  Hero witnesses effectiveness of a team

  Hero relapses to lone-wolf ways at death moment

  Hero ultimately embraces team collaboration

  ...to Team Player

  From Selfish...

  Hero acts in self interest

  Others beg for generosity, but he ignores them

  His philosophy is every man for himself

  He suffers a blow that requires assistance

  The person who aided him rejects a reward

  He learns his own success was based on generosity

  He rejects giving aide with tragic results

  He acts selflessly to achieve goal

  ...to Generous

  From Doubting...

  Hero is told he/she is worthless

  They are dismissed by everyone

  Hero practices a skill in secret

  He volunteers for a challenge and is mocked

  He is defeated and doubts himself

  He risks public ridicule and succeeds

  ...to Confident

  PART FIVE

  Plot

  The Plot Machine

  It is time to drop a few coins in the plot machine and practice the story-design techniques we’ve covered. The best way to do this is to go through a few examples. The specific elements of the following stories aren’t as important as the process used to design them. It boils down to this:

  Create elements and loosely arrange them in different frameworks, looking for logically connected sequences.

  Every writer has experienced the joy of having an idea burst into their heads. We have also experienced the nagging frustration of staring at a blank computer screen, waiting for the missing pieces of the story-puzzle to magically appear. Using the design process we’ve learned removes this frustration and offers a path through the uncharted wilderness of plot construction. This is not to say the answers will be easy to find, but half the battle is asking the right question.

  Keep in mind that not every event of a story need be included in the final telling. Some things happen before the curtain rises, or off the screen or page. Think of your story as a charm bracelet. The plot is the chain that encompasses all the events of a story. The charms hanging from that chain represents the scenes you will include in the telling. You need the chain to hold everything together, but the audience will only see the pretty charms.

  SLAY THE DRAGON

  EVERY CIVILIZATION has some variation on the story where a great beast imperils the village. How can the Plot Machine help design such a story? Simply ask the right questions in the right order.

  What do We have?

  SUCH STORIES ALMOST always begin with the terrifying beast and that is a pretty good start. Could be a dragon, a giant robot, a alien, a shark, or some variation on that idea.

  We also need a village for the beast to terrorize. The village could be a town, city, summer camp, space ship, or an entire planet. That depends on your preferred scale. To build audience sympathy, the village should be calm, peaceful, and idyllic. We fear its destruction.

  We also have a story type: threat. That tells us the hero’s primary goal is safety.

  And we have elements of scale and tone. As the peril is immediate, these stories typically plays out in days or weeks, not months. The tone is usually serious and the entertainment value comes in the form of action and thrills.

  What is the Goal?

  WE KNOW THE PROTAGONIST’S general need is safety, but that can come in various forms. The threat could be killed, but the village could also build dragon-proof defenses, or simply pack up and leave are area. Alternatives should be considered. Remember, goals have internal and external components and ideally there is a thematic relationship between the two. For now lets say the goal is to kill the dragon.

  What is the Endeavor?

  IF THE GOAL IS TO KILL the dragon, then the writer’s task is to design a compelling endeavor to accomplish this.

  Review the various types of endeavors and related frameworks. Is your hero on a quest or storming the castle or both? A quest story with one primary hero typically involves a series of subordinate goals. Storming the dragon’s lair may require weapons, allies, and transportation.

  Tone can be part of your design calculations. The adventure of a classic quest may seem shop-worn and familiar. A contemporary approach with snarky humor could give a fresh tone to age-old clichés. This tone could influence the type of endeavor you choose and your hero’s personality.

  Let’s say this is a quest story with various sub-goals.

  What is the Framework of Act II?

  AS WE CONSIDER THE endeavor, we should also consider different framework options. Some endeavors traditionally utilize certain frameworks, but the writer should take a few minutes to experiment with different options.

  This story could present a series of obstacles the hero must overcome to slay the dragon. Perhaps there are smaller dragons that guard a larger super-dragon. This sounds repetitions, however, and it’s more likely shifting goals will be more interesting and entertaining.

  A mid-point reversal might surprise the audience and take this familiar narrative in a fresh new direction. What would a surprising reversal be? The most extreme example would be to turn the goal on its head and have the hero team up with the dragon.

  Why would the hero do this? Maybe there is a mutual enemy. Perhaps the dragon had good reason to attack the village. What would that reason be? Maybe someone in the village was harming the dragon. Maybe the dragon has laid eggs and someone in the village is stealing them? Why would someone do that? Perhaps the eggshells are made of gold.

  You’re a story-teller. Start exploring options.

  Who is the Hero?

  YOU’LL NOTICE WE HAVEN’T discussed the hero yet. If your story-idea begins with a hero, then your next steps would be to study their environment and look for logical goals.

  As this story began with the monster, we probably need a righteous hero or a reluctant hero to defeat it. The former is the village champion, a capable warrior and known dragon-killer. The latter is the lowly stable-girl, mocked by the village, and lacking both physical strength and experience.

  The hero must be fit enough to undertake the quest. Tone is also a factor. If your tone is humorous, the hero should have comedic traits or a wicked sense of sarcasm.

  The hero must also illustrate the universal truth you are trying to convey through their arc. The story we’ve devised has the hero ally himself with the dragon. This lends itself to a theme of questioning authority. As reluctant heroes are typically not in power, this implies our hero is more righteous and believes in the existing power structure.

  What is the Death Moment?

  QUEST STORIES TYPICALLY do not go as initially planned. T
he destination may be reached too late. The weapon may not work. This is where the story takes a turn, often marked by a death moment. What is the worst thing that could happen to our hero? How did their flaw lead to this downfall? In our story the hero’s low point may be where he learns his village has been stealing eggs and the dragon’s anger is justified.

  What is the Climax?

  WE KNOW THE HERO MUST recognize the error of his ways and embark on a new plan to reach his goal. Consider reversing the elements of the second act. Maybe traitors or enemies come to the hero’s rescue. Perhaps the goal has changed. Weapons that don’t work are repaired.

  Our premise implies that Act III will have the hero and dragon teaming up to steal back those golden eggs and bring the thieves to justice. The very act is one of rebelling against everything the hero has come to know, demonstrating the new perspective he has learned.

  What is the Framework of Act I?

  WITH THE LATTER ELEMENTS of the story roughed out, the first act is relatively simple to design. Our theme is questioning authority, therefore we want to depict a hero at the polar opposite—one who is aligned with authority. Perhaps our hero is a prince in the realm or otherwise benefiting from family connections to the village’s power structure—a structure based on greed (and stolen golden eggs).