Advanced Writing Workshop: Plotting

Notes from the workshop given at MarsCon by Allen Wold.

There are some questions that every story must answer. If you lack one of these elements, you may have a piece of literature but you do not have a story. Answer each one before going on to the next.

• Who is your protagonist?
• What is the opening setting--the place where the character starts?
• What is happening at the start? (Always start from "your character's normal situation". You may start telling the story from some point after this but you need to know what his "normal" is).
• What does he really want?
• What is the starting event? (the beginning of the tale is some decision which has inevitable consequences)
• What ending do you the writer want?
• What strength does your character not know he has?
• What is his weakness?
• Who helps him along the way?
• What are the obstacles standing in his path?
• What significant change happens to the world as a result of this? What has been done that can't be undone?

When you have all this, you have enough for a story. You may change some of it as you go along, but this will get you started. Plot is what happens between the hero's beginning and the author's ending.

Example: Star Wars

• Who is your protagonist? Luke Skywalker
• What is the opening setting--the place where the character starts? He's a farmer in a desert.
• What is happening at the start? (Always start from "your character's normal situation". You may start telling the story from some point after this but you need to know what his "normal" is). He's picking out new droids.
• What does he really want? To become an Imperial fighter pilot.
• What is the starting event? (the beginning of the tale is some decision which has inevitable consequences) He picks a droid who has a message from a princess.
• What ending do you the writer want? Death Star go BOOM.
• What strength does your character not know he has? The Force is strong with that one.
• What is his weakness? He doesn't know about the Force, the Jedi, the Rebellion, the...
• Who helps him along the way? R2, Obi-Wan, Han "I shot first" Solo, and Leia.
• What are the obstacles standing in his path? The Empire and particularly Vader.
• What significant change happens to the world as a result of this? What has been done that can't be undone? Luke is a hero of the Rebellion.