Framing the Plot Part 3: Foes

Let's continue to add layers to our our story architecture by examining the role of the foes, those working against the solving of the overall story problem. They are the secondary characters that complicate things.

LIST OF FOES, EXTRAS, AND WALK-ONS

List the foe characters and their motivations and/or opinions on the central theme. List how these characters complicate or advance the protagonist's achievement of his goal.

Foe #1 Character Name: 

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Foe #2 Character Name:

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by: 

Foe #3 Character Name:  

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Foe #4 Character Name: 

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by: 

Foe #5 Character Name: 

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by: 

Foe #6 Character Name:  

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by: 

Foe #7 Character Name:  

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by: 

Foe #8 Character Name:  

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Foe #9 Character Name: 

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by: 

Foe #10 Character Name: 

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

List of tertiary characters (these are the walk-ons or any character that doesn’t have a motive or stake in the overall story problem):

Extra #1 Character Name: 

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role:

Extra #2 Character Name:

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role:

Extra #3 Character Name:

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role:

Extra #4 Character Name:

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role:

Extra #5 Character Name:

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role:

Extra #6 Character Name:

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role:

Extra #7 Character Name:

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role:

Extra #8 Character Name: 

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role:

Extra #9 Character Name:

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role:

Extra #10 Character Name:

Appears in scene(s) #:

Role: 

Tune in next week as we turn our skeleton into a working synopsis.

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.

Framing the Plot Part 2: Friends

Last week, we began our story architecture process with the protagonist and antagonist. This week, we continue to answer questions and add layers.

FRIENDS

List the friendly characters and their motivations and/or opinions on the central theme.

Friend #1 Character Name: 

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by: 

Friend #2 Character Name:

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Friend #3 Character Name:

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Friend #4 Character Name:

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Friend #5 Character Name: 

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Friend #6 Character Name: 

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Friend #7 Character Name:

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Friend #8 Character Name:

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Friend #9 Character Name:

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Friend #10 Character Name:

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

This character complicates or advances the protagonist’s achievement of his goal by:

Next week, we continue to add layers by developing the foes.

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.

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.