#Basic Story Structure

[pangur-and-grim]

alright, I’m annoyed with the class that I’m taking. it’s about writing novels, and I thought it would have cool stuff about balancing your narrative and developing themes etc, but instead she spent the first class talking about how every book fits into the Hero’s Journey (the monomyth template). and I was somewhat of a contrarian, and said “can you give us examples of books that don’t fit into this template?” and she said “no. because all books fit.”

but I dunno man, I just finished reading this Korean book where the plot is just the character having a string of hookups and reflecting on them without changing in any way. I don’t know if it’s possible to contort that into the Hero’s Journey.

[bangjiazheng]

The HERO'S JOURNEY - Joseph Campbell

This is a basic story structure, but many stories do not follow this structure. This is a useful reference for story creation, but it also has predictable shortcomings.

[ambigrueity]

Incredibly long post about Trey and Riddle's Relationship that I vaguely said I'd do in the tags of my posts somewhere

Disclaimer: this is not intended to be shipping in any way I very much view them as family, even more so after these updates. To start with I'm going to separate their relationship into 3 distinct stages and focus on their perceptions of each other at each stage. I think their relationship is wonderfully written As usual, I ramble so sorry in advance, but I really want to analyze how complex they are.

Stage one: Childhood: ||Riddle|| A friend: Trey and Chenya were Riddle's first friends. Riddle had spent his whole life knowing the four walls of his home and his mother and both Trey and Chenya were his gateway to experiencing the world outside his windows. As such, they're immensely valuable to him. Under his mother he had no other way to grow socially, so when provided with a logical reason for going out and playing (Chenya stated his grandpa believed play is a form of study) he jumped at it because he wanted that connection. Trey specifically was his ideal. I think he looked up to him a lot. Normal home life. His mother didn't confine or trap him in any way. And he could eat whatever he liked. That's why when Trey said that one or two slices of tart wouldn't hurt, it was good enough to sway Riddle. All his life he'd grown up hearing about sweets being poison. But Trey seems happy and fulfilled so surely it's not as bad. However, breaking his mother's rule made him lose everything. The momentary friendship he'd built and any chance of freedom. It impressed upon him the importance of following the rules because breaking them lead to loss. And on top of that, it left him with guilt. I talk a lot about Trey's guilt in this situation (and I will talk more) but Riddle has his own guilt too that just manifested in a different way. More on that later.

||Trey|| A brother: While Riddle might have viewed Trey as a friend (no doubt because he was an isolated only child with a different perception and a lot of baggage tied to the world family), Trey saw him as a brother. He expressly states in his dream that Riddle was smart enough to identify plants and flowers and had enough magic control to get their soccer ball out of the trees, and he felt proud to have a smart little brother. And this sort of label is easier for him because he comes from a rather healthy family with siblings and has a blood brother around Riddle's age. Instinctively, Riddle became someone he wanted to care for, spoil, and cherish. That's why after knowing Riddle wanted to try a tart he wanted to let him. Later on, he tries to dismiss or come to terms with his actions in various ways, stating that it was not his place and of course anyone would get upset if their house rules and dietary restrictions weren't being respected. He tries to make it out into a joke, saying it's become a family incident of sorts that they just laugh about. "Who gets that mad at children playing." But underneath all those attempts to bury his own trauma, lies guilt. Because he feels, deep down, that as a brother he should have protected Riddle better. And instead, after just 2 months, he had to see everything that made Riddle happy stripped away again. More on this later. Stage 2: Riddle's First Year

||Riddle|| A stranger. Riddle's changed. He's developed some of his mother's anger. He's been confined for years. And because of that one incident with the tart, he firmly believes that growth and by extension fulfillment can only happen under the rules. Moreover, since Trey represents that period of his life where he learned that lesson rather harshly, he ices Trey out, pretending he barely knows him. After all, they might as well be strangers after all these years. Especially since Trey is banned from his house. This is a result of the guilt I mentioned earlier. He failed to follow his mother's rules and the punishment put Trey and his peaceful family that he looked up to in the crossfire. I think a part of him doesn't know how to face Trey after all that, worried that he might hate him. However, he cannot fully erase his own memories. So it is Trey he consults when he asks how to challenge a dorm leader for the seat. Even if he's distancing himself by calling him "Clover-senpai" Trey still remains someone he trusts to a degree. After Riddle takes the throne he makes a decision I find interesting. He doesn't select a vice, instead he leaves it to the popular vote. This could be read two ways IMO. Either, he didn't feel the need to have a vice because he was so confident in his own skills, but was aware that it was customary to have one so it didn't matter to him who it was. Or, deep down, he was afraid that no one would be willing to work with him. After seeing his dream, I do think it might be the latter. All of the darkness versions of his card soldiers showed some form of disloyalty. Willing to go along with the idea that they might jump ship, or that Riddle could be overpowered. It's this insecurity born from his own fear of his mother. He knows he's become a reflection of her, and he's worried how other people might react to it. In the end, he's still chasing those relationships from childhood, but is stuck believing that rules are the only way to keep what little happiness he has which alienates him from Trey to a degree. ||Trey|| A brother still: Despite the years, Trey's feelings about Riddle hadn't changed much other than being swamped with underlying guilt. Upon realizing that Riddle was going to attend NRC, his first instinct was to create a space for him. Trey generally, is introverted but excited to see his childhood friend again, he ends up talking to the people around him saying that Riddle was a quiet but studious boy and he hopes that people will welcome him. That was at least, before he saw what Riddle had become (he ended up fighting Floyd at the entrance ceremony) leaving Trey with the realization that this was not the boy he knew anymore. And worse, he was pretending not to know him. I'm sure it hurt, but even so, when RIddle asked about dueling the housewarden, he did try to accommodate him (after getting over his initial shock). The thing that gets me the most, however, is that Trey still saw the good in him. Trey in the rose maze part of Riddle's dream tells Ortho that the first thing Riddle did when he became housewarden was tend to the roses. To him that was a sign that Riddle was still somewhere in there and he was willing to support that. He would have been resigned to accepting that he was a stranger to Riddle if he hadn't been elected vice, but regardless of how Riddle felt, Trey still felt responsible for him. Both out of guilt and because he was still family.

[triaelf9]

Dealing with Dragons: Cimorene sketch ^_^

Been re-listening to Dealing with Dragons recently (anyone who knows me knows I will not shut up about how formative this series was for me re: many things but mostly dragons) and so I got the urge to draw Cimorene again (I sketched her like a year or so ago, but can't find it, so I thought a redesign with my new style was perfect!)

Also, my fav book reviewer (I have one of those now?? What??) Just covered the first book of the series, so if you want to check out a great reviewer AND my favorite book of all time, here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMaKkwHQQKM

Not me trying to speak into existence an Enchanted Forest Chronicles graphic novel series that I get to adapt, whatttt noooo... ^_-

[anghraine]

ngl I always find it wild to see Star Wars stuff that's like "if you think about it in terms of realistic statistics/science then..." about almost any aspect of it.

I mean, what about the Star Wars films gives the impression that this universe abides by realistic statistics, or realistic anything else? SW is broadly a fantasy epic projected onto an IMAX screen with a space background painted on it. Yeah, the planets and moons in the films almost always have improbably limited biomes and two major locations max, because narratively these locations are usually just fantasy city-states with space aesthetics.

Starships travel at the speed of plot and we simply jump past the amount of time that presumably is passing, and sort of imply the passage of that time through shifts in the character dynamics. But this passage of time cannot be analyzed with any kind of consistency because the only logic governing it is the pace of the story.

Just how long did it take the Empire to send a full contingent of forces to Dantooine, search the entire planet, find the Rebel base, and then report back to Tarkin between one scene and another? No one says and no one appears to care. How long did it take Han and Leia to reach Bespin and what exactly went on between them while Luke was, in the same time frame, going through a protracted training over multiple days at an absolute minimum? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

How do giant space worms survive inside asteroids that somehow have an Earth-approximate gravitational field and I guess an atmosphere? Shhhh don't think about it. The point of the sequence is not "how does the giant space worm subsist off this random asteroid and how does it breathe and how does gravity work in this context, seriously" but that the giant worm sequence is fucking sick.

There's probably some after the fact EU justification invented by people who had nothing to do with the original writing of the space worm (or perhaps there are several mutually incompatible explanations) and I am profoundly disinterested in them. Nothing could make this even slightly realistic and it was never intended to be. Star Wars sings space shanties at scientific/mathematical realism as it sails past on a completely different ship going in the exact opposite direction.

And I do mean "sails" because while astronomy might tell us that space is unfamiliar and wild on a level we as Earthbound lifeforms can barely comprehend, Star Wars understands that space is basically an ocean, yet with stars and cool but survivable planets in it, or sometimes it's air but combined with a super cool space background so you can have early 20th century aerial combat that would make no sense in actual space conditions and doesn't need to.

"If you consider relativity, then just running the Empire would be..." General relativity does not govern the galaxy far, far away. Space magic does. I'm not sure there are even time zones.

[lazuliquetzal]

I keep on telling people you're the only one who knows how to plot. Can you teach all of us how to plot, please? I love you.

I AM SUMMONED? PLOT BRAIN SUMMONED?

I love plotting. It's my favorite part of the writing process. Plot is "things that happen" and the best part of writing is imagining things that happen. I'm going to assume that whoever may be reading this knows how to imagine The Happenings, so I'm gonna be talking more about structure, but in like, a kinda abstract sense.

A good plot is a little bit more than a string of events. Plot is like music: there's variation in rhythm and sound and melody, but ultimately there's cohesion, because it's all one song. You can have a bunch of wild things happening, but no matter how strange, there should be something that links them all together, because you're telling one story.

Plot structures are patterns in stories. I'm pretty sure most of them were developed as analysis tools (as in, story already exists > look! it follows this pattern) rather than as writing tools, but people use them as writing tools because it's a neat little way to organize the chaos that is "shit happens." Stories follow patterns for the same reasons music follows patterns: we enjoy the certainty of hitting certain beats. But we also like being surprised. A good pop song doesn't sound like a random collection of sounds, but it also doesn't sound like the middle slider of other songs.

There is this shared concept in both music and writing: the idea of tension and release. Basically, you're playing with reader expectation: there's an imbalance in the experience (tension), and we want to see that imbalance resolved (release). All the common plot structures deal with this basic pattern:

You set an expectation

There are complications to the expectation

You meet the expectation

And this rhythm is happening on multiple levels in writing. Scenes follow this structure (we're gonna get past that door, we're gonna find the murder weapon, we're gonna collaborate and come up with a plan) and all those scenes feed into the overarching expectation (we're gonna solve this murder!). I usually think of chapters as their own mini-story, part of the larger whole. And I think of scenes as their own mini-story, part of the larger chapter. I have engineer brain. I see the gears spinning in the clock. That's why all my chapters have at least One Important Thing happening, because that's that particular chapter's Step #3.

And One Last Important Thing:

In music, a delayed resolution is almost always more interesting than the standard resolution. In writing, that means you wanna drag out Step #2 for as long as you can. That's where the bulk of the story is happening, that's how you build tension, that's how you get people to turn the page.

So when you write a fake dating fic, those bitches better not get together until the very end. I came here for fake dating, not for real dating, damn it. If you resolve that expectation early on, you better replace it with a different expectation that's just as engaging.

But also don't drag it out for too long. Sorry. The hard part of writing is learning the difference between too short and too long. Writing is unfortunately a nuanced skill which is why my advice is like "do this but not too much teehee." But tension and resolution is just rhythm, you can build a sense for it if you engage with enough stories.

[cctinsleybaxter]

Artists who admit to not knowing small details about their characters and worldbuilding have inadvertently given better advice than any character design post on social media tbh. as fun as it is to come up with what your guys would order from a restaurant or the contents of their backpack or their favorite color I've run into very few people who can leave that stuff in a story (or even leave it offscreen as paratext) without it being distracting and poorly written because it's rarely in service of the narrative. a lot of that is def just down to personal taste, but it feels more like designing characters for a TTRPG

[cinderella-ish]

Momiji, Kyo, and what it means to protect the ones we love (part 5 of 5)

From the beach arc onward, we see Kyo intentionally spending more time with Tohru. He asks her to hang out in Kyoto, he eventually agrees to be in the play, they spend the New Year together, and he does little nice things for her when he can, like washing her scarf, or giving her the paper flower when he sees how upset she is.

This isn't wildly different from S1 Kyo, of course. He's done little nice things for her right from the beginning, like going to pick her up from work in E2. But he's more intentional with it now, and he's aware of his feelings for Tohru and desire to spend time with her. He may still feel unworthy of her, but he finally accepts that his presence makes her happy, so he's willing to quash his self-hatred enough to spend time with her, for her sake.

And we see Momiji work at protecting Tohru, most notably in Ask Him For Me, when he tries to accompany her on her mission to find Kureno, and when she insists on going alone, he draws her a map, tells her to stick to the bushes and give his name if she's caught, and tails her to make sure she doesn't get into trouble as she searches for Kureno. (Just look how worried he is! And look at him getting Tohru out of there!) He sees that Tohru feels very strongly about being involved, so he does absolutely everything he can to make sure she can do so as safely as possible. We even see his memory of the night Akito scratched Tohru's cheek, just to make his worries crystal clear.

He also doesn't try to distract or manipulate Tohru when he realizes she's upset. He asks her what's wrong and listens, and he even cries with her.

Takaya also connects Momiji and Kyo in the structure of Ask Him For Me/manga chapters 74 and 75. Momiji's section of this episode is almost bookended by two appearances from Kyo.

Near the beginning, Tohru asks Kyo about Kureno, and he warns her not to go looking for trouble. And at the end, we have that rooftop conversation.

Tohru: It's only natural to want to be with the person you love, to want to be by their side, right? Kyo: What is it? Are you in love with some guy? Tohru: N-n-n-no! It's not about me! Kyo: Don't worry. When you do fall in love, you'll have my full support.

So, in this episode, we have Momiji trying to protect Tohru, and Kyo trying to cheer her up and spend time with her, a complete reversal from where they started relative to each other.

And then, Momiji grows up.

After Golden Week, a bunch of the kids gather at Shigure's house for dinner, and when Tohru notices that Kyo isn't with them, Momiji volunteers to go get him (Momiji really is always the one to invite Kyo to join everyone). In the manga, Tohru starts crying when she notices that Kyo's not with them, no doubt thinking of Kyo's upcoming confinement.

When Momiji arrives in Kyo's room, they have this exchange:

Kyo: You guys are gonna eat here, too? Momiji: It's okay, we settled on curry. Kyo: Whatever. You grew a lot, huh? Momiji: Right? Pretty soon I might be taller than you, and better looking! And then, and then... maybe Tohru will accept my proposal? Do you get that if you give up, something like that might happen? So you shouldn't give up. I'm gonna stop going, 'There's no point in thinking about this,' and giving up. Wouldn't it sting if some other guy took Tohru from you? Well, look at the time! We better go help make curry! Come on!

In the manga, it's made clear that Kyo is horrified that everyone knows he loves Tohru. He stands separate from the rest of the group at the barbecue. In the manga, he and Tohru share a cute moment of blushing eye contact.

I love how Momiji says he'll stop thinking it's pointless, too, after he encourages Kyo not to give up. In a conversation where he could have focused on the fact that Kyo is his romantic rival, he instead focuses on the fact that they both might have futures worth fighting for. They're fighting beside each other, even if they can't both be the one Tohru loves romantically.

Later that episode (or a few chapters later), Momiji's curse breaks. He now has a real future ahead of him, but he sees how Tohru looks at Kyo, and he knows that his own future won't be at her side like he wants.

Kyo: Momiji? Jeez, you're here of all places. Tohru and them are inside looking for you, so- Momiji: What? Kyo: Huh? Uh, nothing. Did something happen? Momiji: My curse is broken. Would it surprise you if I said that? Kyo: What? Listen, you- Momiji: Yours breaking would make Tohru happier than mine breaking. I'm sure she'd be happy. I mean... you know, right? I'm the one this stings. Kyo: Shut up. I don't wanna realize that. It's too...

Gosh, this scene breaks my heart every time. On both of their behalves. Momiji is dealing with his first real heartbreak, and Kyo is dealing with his extremely complicated feelings about loving Tohru, his guilt over Kyoko's death, and his upcoming confinement in the Cat's House.

It's clear Kyo cares for Momiji in this scene, and Momiji really tries to put on a happy face for Kyo, but he can't. Megumi Han does an outstanding job as Momiji in this scene. The way her voice breaks when Momiji smiles and says, "Would it surprise you if I said that?" is just crushing.

The visual storytelling is stunning, too. The wide shots, emphasizing how lonely both Momiji and Kyo are. The way the scene is composed to emphasize the distance between them. The close-ups on their faces when they're each grappling with the thing that's gutting them. The way Momiji's smiles are always immediately followed by the saddest looks. The way their solo shots mirror each other's, at the beginning, middle, and end. We also don't see Kyo's eyes between the moment Momiji says his curse is broken and when Kyo is saying, "I don't wanna realize that."

Before the beach arc, I don't think Momiji would have watched that sort of interaction from a distance, and I don't think he would have let it stop him from making plans with Tohru. He would've just wanted to make her smile and spend as much time with her as possible, even if that meant ignoring her feelings. And he definitely wouldn't have let himself feel sad. Momiji's pain in this scene is evidence of his growth.

That night, Momiji goes to speak to Akito, after having dismissed her the night before. His speech to her might be my favorite moment of the whole series. It's the climax of Momiji's arc, at the very least.

Momiji: I'm sorry I sent you home alone yesterday. I spent the whole day thinking. Wondering why my curse is gone... only mine. I couldn't think of anything that would cause it. But I can say this: Akito, I can't stay by your side for the rest of my life. And you can't tie me down anymore. [Akito slaps Momiji] Akito: Monster! Traitor. Traitor! [Akito beats her fists against Momiji's chest] Akito: If you leave here, leave me, you've got no place to go! Your mother and father won't just welcome you back! No one will! You'll never be happy! Momiji: I know. I've become so free, and so lonely. The curse breaking doesn't mean I'll get the girl I want. And the bonds that unconditionally connected me to everyone are gone. It's too late. I can't go back to before things were broken. But... but don't tell me that not having those things means I can't be happy! Don't just decide that! I feel vulnerable being free, but a happiness might exist for me! It might be somewhere in the future, waiting for me to catch up! I'm going to finally start walking along my own life's path. What about you? How long will you stay here? The person most afraid that if they leave this place, they'll have no home and no happiness... Akito: Shut up. Just shut up. Get lost. Momiji: Okay.

It's almost the credo of the whole series, isn't it? That it's better to make your own way, with no guarantee of love or happiness, than to cling to bonds that have become a burden and wish for things to never change. What Momiji's saying is what Akito needs to accept in order to be free herself.

And Momiji, despite all the loss he's suffered, despite having his heart broken that very afternoon, he's still determined to keep going.

I love this as the climax for Momiji's arc because it showcases the ways he's grown while also showing us the things that have always made him such a special character. He's standing up for himself and his future, not afraid to make Akito angry or say things she doesn't want to hear. He's acknowledging that it hurts, and that he might never have the family he so desires. But he also might.

It's a waste of time to think about loss or life getting harder. The traveler never thought about that stuff.

He still has hope, even as everything seems so dark. And he still tries to help Akito, even after everything she's done to him.

The parallels between Kyo and Akito in this episode/chapter are so well done. For both of them, the pain of moving forward is just too much right now, but Momiji still wants to see them both move forward anyway, and he's telling them this in a straightforward, mature way, rather than manipulating them.

And Momiji's not done affecting Kyo's arc.

After Kyo asks Tohru if she loves him, we see Momiji's face and hear him say, "I mean... you know, right?" Once more, it's Momiji whose voice Kyo hears at such a crucial moment.

It's painful for Kyo to finally accept that Tohru loves him. He doesn't know she already knows about his confinement, and worse still, he knows he has to tell her about the day of her mother's death.

But again, it was Momiji who led Kyo to realize that he loves Tohru in S2, and now it's Momiji leading Kyo to realize that Tohru loves him, too.

After Kyo unloads his guilt on Tohru, and Tohru falls from the cliff, it's really Yuki who gets Kyo to take the final step toward accepting Tohru's love, so I won't say much about that except to point out that Yuki says making Tohru smile was protecting her, and that only Kyo could make her smile like that.

I think this scene, where Momiji and Kagura team up to tease Kyo, is the last time we see Kyo and Momiji together. But they're still affecting each other's arcs all the way to the end.

After Kyo and Tohru get together, they visit Kyoko's grave, and Kyo asks Tohru to move away with him.

It's selfish, and it's going to take Tohru away from everyone else, but he still asks anyway. It's a very Momiji-like thing for him to do.

And then, he says this:

I'm taking her with me. You good with that? I'll keep my promise. I know I'm really late, but... I'll protect her for life. So, we're good, right?

He's taking her with him, and he'll protect her for life. He's learned from Momiji, but he's still Kyo.

As they get ready to leave, Tohru starts reminiscing and starts to cry because she'll miss everyone so much.

Kyo: Clearly you don't get it. Listen up: everyone loves you more than you think they do. So it'll be okay. This isn't the last time you'll ever see them. It's the start of a new banquet, right?

In his last appearance, Kyo hugs her and cheers her up and offers a healthy dose of optimism for their future.

And the last time we see Momiji, he's sitting at the dojo with Haru and Rin.

Momiji: More importantly, how dare Kyo take Tohru with him! I bet he just wants her all to himself. I wanna pinch him! Really hard! Haru: Why not pinch him tomorrow? Momiji: Nah, I can't do it in front of Tohru. Oh, but thanks to him, I have another dream. I'm going to find an amazing significant other, and we're gonna go visit them just to show off! So Tohru had better stay happy. She'd better keep on smiling, or I'll be disappointed.

He's complaining and getting annoyed at Kyo (and threatening light physical violence!), but he's still dreaming of a bright future for himself. And he's trusting Kyo to keep cheering Tohru up in their new home.

When I started thinking about writing this series, the point I thought I'd be making was that Momiji functioned as Kyo's mentor in Fruits Basket. But after putting these posts together, I really think it'd be more accurate to say they were each other's mentors. Their relationship has a mutuality from the start. I hope they remained close as adults.

And I really hope Momiji found an amazing partner.

Momiji and Kyo: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Here's a plug for my fic, Bloom Within Us. It's a canon-divergent AU where Tohru dies after falling from the cliff. I've really enjoyed exploring Momiji and Kyo's relationship in that story. If you've enjoyed this series, I hope you'll check it out!

[bangjiazheng]

3 Act Structure - Story Structure Tips - Screenwriting

[hidey-writes]

six sentence sunday

Under Gu Yiran’s hands, the chicken van bumps along the uneven road like a living thing, and he tightens his grip against it. Beside him in the passenger seat, Zheng Bei stares out the side window in silence. Gu Yiran had made Zhao Xiaoguang show him the map, during one of the endless waiting afternoons in the hospital when Zheng Bei wasn’t there. He’d reached out to trace the circled spots, all three, the sleeve of his hospital shirt catching against the edge of the paper as Zhao Xiaoguang said, Ge wanted us to check all of them, even though he was pretty sure you could only be here, pointing. A cluster of rectangles marking the abandoned crematory buildings north of Halan. Zhao Xiaoguang had left a fingerprint smear of grease along the entry road, right where it ran along the train tracks.

another snippet from the start of ch5! it feels so weird to be back to down drafting now that ch1-4 have shifted the story so far from the original final chapter outline that literally none of the draft material is appropriate anymore lol but it's really enjoyable to just sit and type the most medium sentences in the world without having to do any higher-level thinking about pacing or subtext or anything :) brain off drafting my beloved :)

[greensaplinggrace]

"You can say 'all are welcome' but if wolves and sheep are both welcome you're only going to get wolves" is a quote that I think maybe end of season two alina needs to hear at some point tbh

[chatonyant]

yknow i was trying to figure out how to draw him pretty and then immediately got sidetracked into drawing him as a bastard as the author intended.

[tangledinink]

Do you know where you want tmwn to end? Like will it end around the same time the movie ended (in the bridge) or will there be a few more chapters with an aftermath of the movie that later leads to it closing off?

My current plan is for TMWN to 'end' after defeating the Shredder. The fic already stupid long, lmao, if I took us all the way through the movie and beyond it would end up being a ridiculous length. (Did you know it's already longer than Dune? I am deranged. It's my favorite fun fact to tell people outside of the fandom space. Their reactions are incredible.)

I do have this very vague thought of perhaps one day writing a 'sequel' fic that goes through the events of the movie, but I really want to finish the original fic, first, and I'm also not 1000% sold on the idea yet! My relationship with Apocalypse Timelines and such is a little complicated so I'm not sure right now. ^^;

[loren91]

Young Royals and the three act structure, Part two

Here we go again! Last time we spoke about how season one is constructed within the three-act structure. If you haven’t read the previous post I’d recommend you do so, because I’m not gonna explain each plot point again. Now we shall look at how this applies to the rest of the show, and based on that make a small prediction about season three.

So now that we’re all up to speed, let’s get to it!

I wanna take a moment first to consider Wille’s Want vs Need in regard to season two. The Want hasn’t really changed - He still wants to be with Simon. Although we are now aware of his Need, because of how the previous season ended, his struggle now is more about how to get there. Essentially, coming to terms with taking accountability and committing to his values. Consider where he’s at the start of the season, compared to the end. In episode one he calls his mother and literally blames her and the court for everything. Missing the point that it was his own lack of communication that drove Simon away from him in the first place. He’s not ready to take accountability yet. That’s why he can’t have what he wants. In the end though, in episode six, that’s exactly what he does. He admits he was in the video with Simon, to correct what he did wrong. The emotional journey he’s been through this season pushes him to actively make decisions based on his own beliefs, not letting the crown manipulate him anymore. Wille has become fully aware of what he Needs.

We continue our structure analysis with season two. And I gotta be honest for a second, I struggled a bit identifying some of these beats. They’re not as grand as they were in the previous season, making the structure a bit less obvious. The way I see it, the second act this time around is veeery long. But once again, if you disagree with me, let’s chat!

Act 1

Act tension - Can Wille and Simon resume their relationship?

Sequence 1

Set up/Hook - Since this is season two, we already know most of the characters and there’s no need to go deep about what is plaguing Wilhelm, we know what happened last season. But when we catch up with him, it’s clear he’s had a terrible Christmas. He’s sad and alone in the castle, doesn’t speak to his mother, and is very angry at August. Then he returns to Hillerska.

Sequence tension - What’s gonna happen when Wille and Simon reunite?

Point of attack - Wille is eager to be around Simon again, but Simon is trying to avoid him and even asks for space.

Inciting incident - Wille finds out about Simon’s date with Marcus.

Sequence 2

Sequence tension - What is Wille gonna do with this new information?

Things are moving rather quickly here because again, this is the sequel, there’s no need to linger on the set up. So we are immediately faced with the first major plot point, the Lock-in - Wille calls the royal court and blames them for everything that’s gone wrong so far. He also makes the decision to actively fight them, by threatening to renounce the crown. This also establishes the royal court as the main antagonist for this season. August is still an antagonist, but no longer the main one. The main tension is also established.

Act 2

Act tension -  How will he win Simon back?

Sequence 3

The protagonist starts this sequence having learned something new - Simon is making attempts to move on. Wille responds with petty anger. Then we get a pinch point - Jan-Olof shows up to remove Wille from Hillerska. Demonstrating the royal court's power. 

Sequence tension - Can Wille stand up for himself against the crown?

Sequence 4

The build-up towards the midpoint - Felice advises Wille to be around Simon as much as possible, to keep trying, and that he does. Like bargaining with Simon about having a secret relationship, helping Simon get a spot on the rowing team, and confronting him about his relationship with Marcus.

Sequence tension - Is Simon actually moving on?

And here comes the dreaded midpoint once again - Wille sees Simon and Marcus kiss. He now believes he’s lost Simon forever. What we could call “A false defeat”. This changes his aim from winning Simon back, to attempting to move on himself. 

Sequence 5

Wille is trying to adjust to this new reality where he can no longer hope for Simon to come back to him. We could identify two pinch points here. One is the locker room fight, where Simon admits he can’t accept Wille's title. And the other is when Simon shows up at the ball with Marcus. Both of these remind Wille of the fact that he can’t be with Simon. 

Sequence tension - Can Wille let Simon go?

Again, some subplots advance here - Sara and August’s relationship intensifies.

Sequence 6

Starting with a plot point, a moment of reflection for our protagonist - Despite Wille’s attempts to let go, Simon runs after him at the ball. They end up kissing.

Sequence tension - They still love each other!

Wille is overjoyed by this turn of events, and for a moment believes that they can be together again.

Sequence 7

Just like last time, Young Royals drags out the drama by adding an extra sequence here. A pinch point - Another reminder of the royal court's power. Kristina telling Wilhelm that August is next in line to the throne after him. Their argument in the music room could also be accounted for here.

Sequence tension - Wille is starting to realise how much his title affects Simon.

Wille’s offer to give up the crown could be more considered as a character-building moment, rather than a plot point. And Simon’s decision after this is more of a plot point in his own storyline.

The crisis that serves as build-up to act three - August threatens to report Simon for the drugs, if he reports August for the video. Wille reacts very strongly and takes it as a personal attack. 

The end of act two, where the protagonist faces their biggest challenge yet - The aftermath of the field scene. Wille is alone again, Simon isn’t talking to him, and his title has badly hurt Simon once again. On top of all this, he has to do the speech. 

Act 3

Act tension - Can Wille do the speech?

Sequence 8

Here the protagonist will make a big decision - Though perhaps is more Simon making the decision, to have a secret relationship.

Then we have the last major plot point, the twist - Despite the fact that Wille absolutely does not want to do the speech, he does it anyway, because he can’t let August be rewarded. 

Sequence 9

Sequence tension - What is he gonna say in this speech?

The climax - Wille stops, considering the contents of the speech, and disagrees with it. He decides to admit it was him in the video. 

Resolution - The smile they share I guess? But it’s still an open ending since this monumental decision leaves us with many question marks. Preparation for season 3.

The show obviously consists of so much more than just these beats, like subplots and character-building moments. The purpose of these things should be to strengthen the characters, as well as add more depth to the main plot. Take our beloved fish scene as an example, it doesn’t really do much to advance the plot. But it’s a very good moment for solidifying Wille and Simon’s relationship! Which is important to keep us, the audience, invested in their story. 

Subplots are quite interesting and tricky to get right. They tend to follow the same structure as the main plot. It’s also common for subplots to cross paths with the main plot as well, and sometimes even fundamentally affect it. However, since the main plot should always focus on developing the protagonist, you shouldn’t let any of the other character’s arcs hijack it. But you also generally don’t wanna keep the two narratives completely separate, because then the subplot might end up feeling forced and meaningless. A great example from Young Royals is the drug plotline between Simon and August. Let’s break it down real quick.

Act 1 - the deal

Set up/Hook - August approaches Simon. Clearly, they are not friends. Inciting incident - August asks Simon to get booze for him. Lock in - Even though Simon initially declined the offer, he eventually agrees to help August.

Act 2 - the money issues

Pinch point - August returns and now asks for drugs, despite being late with the payment. Midpoint - Simon learns August can’t pay him back because August is broke. Pinch point - Simon gives August more drugs to sell, so he may pay him back. Crisis - August threatens to frame Simon for the drugs after the party. (The plot lines cross and affect each other)

Act 3 - the threat 

Climax - Wille manages to convince the others to frame Alexander instead. Resolution - Simon is safe (for now)

The reason why I don’t account for Simon going to see his father here is because I’d argue that them reconnecting is its own subplot, more related to Simons relationship with Sara, than it is to the August situation. It’s also an unresolved plot line still. Micke showing up at Lucia I suspect to only be their crisis point, or maybe even midpoint? Depending on how the rest of it plays out in season three of course.

Another neat trick writers may use with their subplots, is to parallel the main plot, either to highlight the themes of the story, or to explore alternative outcomes. For example, the Sara and August plotline at times resembles Wille and Simon’s plot, for very good reasons. Like how August and Wille are from similar backgrounds, yet they’re very different people. Especially at the end of season two. By that point the emotional journey August has been on, falling in love with Sara and reflecting on his wrongdoings, you’d assume he would have learned something or displayed some kind of character growth. But nope. Instead, he doubles down and causes further intentional harm to the people he’s already hurt. While Wille, in the same episode actively works to redeem himself to Simon. This is meant to strengthen Wille’s position as the protagonist we should root for, by comparing him to August, who remains to be an awful person. So even though it may feel like season two is giving more screen time to the secondary characters, that still has a purpose for the overall narrative.

Young Royals in general like to use their secondary characters to highlight the overall theme of the show. As @darktwistedgenderplural pointed out to me, widening the view of Wille’s Want vs Need to the want of being loved for who you are, and the need to be your most authentic self, we find that the same principle can be applied to all the five main characters. Despite all their journeys being unique, their wants and needs remain universal. They are all there to strengthen the theme of the show.

So what was the point of all this rambling? I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the story consists of exactly three seasons. The way I see it, since the three-act structure can be found in every element of this show, each season is also meant to represent one of the acts. Season one is the set up, season two is the confrontation, and season three will be the resolution. If we try to map out the entire show that we have so far in the structure format, you can quite quickly find the pattern.

Season 1

Set up - Wille is sent to Hillerska where he meets Simon and falls in love. Inciting incident - The video is released. Lock-in - Wille does the statement and Simon breaks up with him.

Season 2

Pinch point - The royal court proves to be a major obstacle to Wille getting what he wants. Midpoint - Wille and Simon kiss at the Valentine’s ball, proving they still have feelings for each other. Pinch point - The royal court is still trying to manipulate him, making him do the speech. Moment of reflection - Wille considers how much his title affects Simon and chooses to come out.

My theory is that at the start of season three, we’ll get to the Crisis point of the over-arcing plot. Where our protagonist will face their biggest challenge yet and be at their lowest point before the climax. And hopefully, we’ll get a proper resolution this time around! (Something more than a cliffhanger at least, please and thank you)

So even though it’s sad that our lovely little show is coming to an end, I think it’s worth looking at the bigger picture here. The writers clearly intended for it to have three seasons so that we would have a satisfying story with a clear beginning, middle, and end. There are so many examples of shows that self-sabotaged by running for way too long and not being able to keep consistent quality. But the Young Royals team got to stay loyal to their story and tell it in their way, and I think that’s beautiful.

Young Royals is a love letter to storytelling, and you can’t convince me otherwise ❤

[anewp0tat0]

sup yalllll hope you're all cool. things are crazy rn but. great too. finally got some free time and what do I do.....

I'm sorry to everyone that won't find this interesting, I did this like 100% for myself. this week I saw a presentation on the show Arcane, and I immediately rewatched it afterwards because after 2 years I remembered how much I love it. especially the art style... I'm sorry but I've always wanted to try it, and with my favorite characters even better. so good thing I had a Sebastian head sculpt lying around which I use for reference. 11 hours later.....

the head sculpt was bald and naked so I had to imagine the rest, but I think that kinda lends itself to the style. I was too impatient to wait for the 3d animation course I will be taking next year if not sooner, so I just painted over the model. and thankfully, I'm happy to say that I'm actually pleased. it's not perfect, but I got what I wanted •v• I can imagine more clearly.

but the most important thing to know is Happy October!!! have a lovely day

[cruorcrave]

Born to make a masterpiece of writing, forced to perpetually say "I'll just do a simple short story this time" that snowballs into a convoluted mess that's never completed