Framing The Plot Part 1: Protagonist and Antagonist

Over the next few weeks, during the month of NanoWriMo, I thought I'd walk you through my process of outlining a story based on my theory set out in the Story Building Blocks series of books.

By working through a series of questions you can build a basic story skeleton.

1) What is your initial premise or set up?

2) Which will drive your story?

 1 If your story is plot driven, it will sit on a genre shelf.

 1 If it is character driven, it will most likely sit on the literary shelf.

 3) In my story the main character struggles with the overall story problem and learns (Theme):  

4) My protagonist is:

Enters the story in Scene#___________     Exits the story in Scene#___________

5) If there is a love interest, he or she is:

Enters the story in Scene#_________    Exits the story in Scene#________

6) As the result of the (inciting event) the protagonist is forced to face the overall

story problem:

7) The inciting event forces the protagonist to make a decision or take action to (story goal):  

8) Achieving this goal is complicated by his/her having to deal with (personal dilemma): 

9) In achieving (or not achieving) the story goal, the character resolves his/her personal dilemma in this way (point of change): 

10) The characteristic/ability that keeps the protagonist from ignoring the story problem is (character flaw or weakness):

 11) The characteristic/ability that enables him to solve the story problem is (secret weapon):

12) Directly opposed to the protagonist’s goal is the (antagonist or antagonistic force such as god, society, nature, self):

Enters the story in Scene#___________     Exits the story in Scene#___________

13) The antagonist’s wants to (antagonist’s goal):

14) The reason the antagonist is capable of stopping the protagonist is (antagonist’s secret weapon):

15) But in the end the antagonist is unsuccessful because of (antagonist’s character flaw):

16) The antagonist fails in his goal and (antagonist point of change if there is one or his disposition at the end: changed, dead, locked up, free to strike again):

Tune in next week as we continue to build our story skeleton.

For more about how to craft plots using conflict check out, Story Building Blocks: The Four Layers of conflict available in print and e-book and check out the free tools and information about the series on my website.