story template

8/4/2019 Story Template

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Story TemplateUse this template as a guide to create your story.

I. Life goes on: A title in waitingII. Premise

III. SettingIV. GenreV. Archplot

a. Inciting Incident (the beginning)b. Reaching the Object of Desire (the

end)c. Progressive Complications (the

middle)VI. Characters

a. Character ArcsVII. Controlling IdeaVIII. Storyboard Structure

a. The Easy Beginningb. The Rough Middlec. The Easy End

Life goes on: A title in waiting

The title of your story can wait until you are finishedwriting your story. Therefore, spend your timewriting your story instead of thinking of a title ornames of your characters.

Premise

What would happen if ...? Answer this question.Write down anything that comes to mind. If yourmind is drawing a blank, go to a news site and readsome of the news. Write down everything you canimagine.

Setting

Where and when does the story take place? In thepast in a galaxy far, far away? Today? In the future?The Old West? Chicago, 1934?

Genre

If you know the genre, list is here. Is it fantasy,detective novel, noir, space-opera, fan-fiction,murder-mystery, historical fiction, science-fiction,horror?
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thinking of character names. Instead, focus on yourstory and use any name that comes to mind. Later,you can refine the names.

1. Character A: What does he do? What doeshe want? How does it conflict from thosearound him?

2. Character B: What does he do? What doeshe want? How does it conflict from thosearound him?

3. Character C: What does he do? What doeshe want? How does it conflict from thosearound him?

4. Character D: What does he do? What doeshe want? How does it conflict from thosearound him?

5. Character E: What does he do? What doeshe want? How does it conflict from thosearound him?

Character ArcsLike the story in general, each character also hashis ownCharacter Arc. These arcs are also oftenthe subplots. Do this arc for each main character inyour story.

1. What is the inciting incident that reversesyour character's world?

2. What object does your character want thatwill restore the balance in his life?

3. What are the complications that keep yourcharacter from obtaining his desire?

4. How does your characters' desires conflictwith the rest of the cast?

5. Will your character reach the object ofdesire?

Controlling Idea

Look at your main character(s) after they reach (ordon't reach) the object of desire. If you werewatching your story on a movie screen, what wouldthe story mean to you? This is your story'scontrolling idea.

Storyboard Structure

Here is where you begin planning your scenes. Youknow where your story is heading and you have abasic understanding of your characters. Never letanything become set in stone. Instead, let this be aguide to your story.

The Easy BeginningThe beginning will set us up for the inciting incident.Don't focus on trying to introduce anything. Instead,simply get right to the story. What does your
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character do before the inciting incident? How canyou setup the inciting incident? Develop a sequence(a series of scenes) that sets up the incitingincident.

The Rough MiddleOnce you hit the inciting incident, create a new

sequence (or a couple of sequences) that sets howyour character will initially react to it and calls him torespond to it. Once your character accepts the callto action, you have finished Act One.Congratulations!Now you're on the road to your progressivecomplications. Once new writers hit this part of theirstory, they run out of steam. But the middle makesup the largest part of your story. To make themiddle more manageable, split the middle into twoparts: A and B. Work your sequences up to the endof part A to create a major reversal that sets yourcharacter back from achieving the goal. Then beginpart B as a renewed effort to obtain the object ofdesire. As you reach major reversals in your story,you can begin a new act. Read more inpersuasiveessay writingonline.

The Easy EndThe end of Part B will contain the crisis point thatwill require your character to use all his energy toachieve the goal.

Character ArcA character arc is the status of the character as it unfolds throughout the story, the storyline or series ofepisodes. Characters begin the story with a certain viewpoint and, through events in the story, thatviewpoint changes. Some examples include:

In Tootsie, Dustin Hoffmans character begins as a misogynistic chauvinist but when he is forced to pla ythe part of a woman, he also experiences a change in how he views women and becomes a differentcharacter by the end.

In Empire of the Sun, Jim begins as a carefree young boy. After the Japanese take over Shanghai and he

is separated from his family, he is forced to suffer trauma because of the war. In The Godfather, Michael Corleone at first does not want to have anything to do with his fathers crime

business. When his father is attacked and barely survives, Michael realizes his love for his father andbegins a war of retribution on those responsible.Unlike a story arc, the character arc is not confined within the limits of one story. The character arc mayextend over to the next story, a sequel, or another episode. In episodic TV series, the character arc hasbecome the hook with which the writers use to ensure viewers continue watching.

Over the course of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Anakin Skywalker goes from a protector of the OldRepublic to becoming corrupted by Palpatine and, in the end, he becomes the villainous Darth Vader.
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Smallville focuses on character arcs for each of its main characters as they progress into their Supermancomic book identities. Clark Kent's arc revolved around the gradual acceptance of his destiny andbecoming a hero. The series also tracks Lex Luthor's progression into darkness and Lois Lane'semulation of her cousin Chloe as she becomes a hardened journalist. Other characters have theireventual character arc alluded to but never explicitly defined or realized onscreen, such as Perry White'srise to editor of the Daily Planet and Pete Ross's ascension to Vice President of the United States. As

well as individual characters, there are arcs involving many characters which intertwine to tell theformation of the Justice League.

In Gargoyles, the coming of age of Brooklyn is subtly portrayed as his difficulties in his personal life andhis eventual promotion and adjustment to the clan's second in command position develop until theysimultaneously come to a head when Goliath, Elisa and Bronx disappear on their world tour.

Over the course of the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Gabrielle starts from a young, idealisticGreek farm girl to becoming a warrior, and in the end, she becomes Xena's successor.

A serial killer is striking the city, seemingly at random. The police have no idea what the connection

between the victims is, and the media is having a field day with the story. A sort of mania grips the city,

and the body count just keeps getting higher and higher. Is it even possible to write a good, fair play

detective story around this premise? You bet! And when its done right, its one of my very favourite plot

ideas.

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