#plot structure

[ellesliterarycorner]

Writing a Retelling

I used to not like reading or writing retellings, but I actually think that writing a retelling might be on my bingo card for 2023, so I decided to do some research on writing them and share it with y’all! I think the reason I used to dislike retellings was because they can go SO wrong, and they are really hard to write. But, the more I’ve looked into this, I’ve decided writing retellings is actually a really good exercise for writers. The world’s been around for so long that there are no completely new plots, and taking the essentials plots of one story and turning them into something new is a great exercise in the basics of plotting and understanding the nature of characters. 

Back to the OG

Read the original story! That might seem like an obvious thing, but sometimes it doesn’t feel every author remembers to do this. If it’s a story you haven’t read since you were little, don’t rely on your memory, especially if its a story with a lot of different remakes. Are you writing a retelling of the Disney movie Cinderella or the original Greek folk tale? Spoiler alert, they are not the same. You can write a retelling of either, but you do need to decide early on which one you are doing and stay consistent to it. I also think rereading the original story will remind you why you decided to write a retelling. Something about the story you loved so much you wanted to bring to a new audience or maybe something that felt unfinished or unanswered, and you just had to finish it and find the answered. 

Notes, Notes, Notes

I love taking notes, and I think that especially when writing a retelling copious notes are your best friend. Unfortunately, you aren’t going to be able to fit everything into your retelling, but writing notes on the most important things in the original story will help you have a guiding light and keep you organized. I would definitely recommend that you make a list of characters and their roles in the story. Are you keeping the same protagonist? Do you want to write from the antagonists point of view? Or give a side character their time to shine? I would also make a list of all of the settings in the story. Decide whether or not you’re keeping the same setting or revamping it for your story. Finally, make a list of all the major plot points. You’ll probably add more plot points into your story, but making sure that you know and understand the major plot points in the original story will help you as you’re writing. 

Inspired By or Retelling?

This may just be a personal nit-picky, schematic thing, but imo, a book can be inspired by something without being a retelling. Point and case being my favorite book to bash: A Court of Thorns and Roses. People have stopped leaning on this as much as they used too (mostly because ACOTAR has been rebranded as adult), but when it first came out ACOTAR was very much marketed as a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Me personally, I did not realize it was supposed to be a retelling until one of my friends told me after I had read it. Now, that either means that I have a poor level of reading comprehension or that the book is not a very good retelling. Obviously, I don’t like one of those answers, so let us presume that ACOTAR is not a very good retelling. I would say agree that elements of it are inspired by Beauty and the Beast, but I do not think that it is a retelling. SJM fails to keep many of the major themes and motifs of Beauty and the Beast which I think are necessary elements to qualify under the label retelling. 

But What’s the Twist???

Don’t be afraid to take risks and try new things when you write a retelling! Just because you’re writing a retelling doesn’t mean that you aren’t writing a story in your voice and your style of writing. Stay true to yourself, so long as you treat the original story with respect. A lot of retellings either give the story a new protagonist, a new setting, or set the story in a completely different genre. To get yourself going here are are a few questions to ask yourself after you’ve finished rereading the original story help you figure out what the twist of your retelling is going to be. 

Which of these characters do you feel curious about?

Which of these characters is the most hated / misunderstood?

Which of these characters could have the most interesting growth / character transformation through the course of this story?

How would this setting affect the protagonist and the other main characters? 

How would this setting affect the major conflict of the story?

How would this setting affect the themes of the original story? 

Which themes would be preserved and which themes would no longer feel relevant?

Elle’s Retelling Recommendations

And of course, I had to end this with a few retellings recommendations! Reading other retellings and seeing what other authors did well or not well is a great way to sharpen your own skills. 

Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood

I actually really liked this book, but I think its because even though I like Greek mythology, I admittedly am not the most knowledgable on the subject. I know the basics of Greek mythology, but unless something was blatantly wrong, I wouldn’t be able to tell. Apparently, this book had a lot of important Greek mythology plot points missing, but I thought it told the stories of Helen and Klytemnestra very well!

Circe and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 

I first read Circe for school, but I went back and read it a year or two ago. I vastly prefer Circe to Song of Achilles as I didn’t really like SoA all that much, but both are definitely retelling masterclasses. Madeline Miller is definitely the Queen of Greek mythology retellings.

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor 

This is one of my favorite books ever! I loved the Great Gatsby, and I am a Daisy Buchanan apologist. I love that this book fleshes out all of the female characters from the Great Gatsby, gives them proper back stories and answers one of the biggest questions from the original novel. 

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

This book is not the best book, and I only recommend it because it is in my opinion how not to do a retelling or even an inspired by book. My friend group was obsessed with this book in middle school, and the best way I can describe it is if Percy Jackson and Twilight had a baby. Take that as you will. 

[whimsyqueen]

what is Freytag's Triangle and why is it bad?

Oh you have opened a can of worms my friend @approximately20eggs I hope you’re ready

So everyone actually knows what Freytag’s triangle is in its most basic form (more response below the image because I’ve got thoughts):

It’s not like….. BAD, right? It’s just how Aristotle announced that you should set up a dramatic tragedy (based off of Oedipus the King) and everyone just kinda went “oh cool so that’s entirely what plot should be always and forever!” when like….. that works well and good for a dramatic tragedy, and CAN work for plot, but absolutely should not be how we base ALL PLOT in stories. And also, fiction transcends drama, does it not? We’ve like???? Moved past that???

Anyway, here’s a quote from Jane Alison’s Meander, Spiral, Explode that does an excellent job of explaining a lot of the feelings I’m trying to articulate:

“If you ask Google how to structure a story, your face will be hammered with pictures of arcs. And it is an elegant shape, especially when I translate arc to its natural form, a wave. Its rise and fall traces a motion we know in heartbeats, breaking surf, the sun passing overhead. There’s power in a wave, its sense of beginning, midpoint, and end: no wonder we fall into it in stories. But something that swells and tautens until climax, then collapses? Bit masculo-sexual, no? So many other patterns run through nature, tracing other deep motions in life. Why not draw on them, too?”

So yeah! It isn’t exactly that I think that Freytag’s triangle is bad, it’s just so western and so tired— and so many people are crafting such beautiful and interesting stories and it’s like…. Idk why are we listening to some dead white guy from thousands of years ago just because he was able to tell us how someone ELSE successfully constructed ONE story? Why do we not approach storytelling from a more individualistic point of view, because everyone is going to tell stories that speak to THEIR perspectives, so why not construct them in the way that best speaks to them instead of trying to force them into this pre-approved narrative structure?

It shits on like…. nonlinear storytelling, abstract storytelling, so many forms of storytelling that aren’t like the most basic Hero’s Journey of Storytelling (which also isn’t bad!!! IT HAS ITS PLACE!!) and I just think that if we were able to separate ourselves from that and not teach it as the end-all-be-all for people learning how to construct a plot!!

I can talk about this all day, this is truly just me barely skimming the surface of the matter, and if you’re interested in plot constructions that AREN’T arc/wave based, I can make an entire other post about that (and I’m MORE THAN HAPPY TO, this is literally what I’m going to school for!!)

I’m also gonna tag @faeriegutz and @moonscribbler bc they expressed interest in some of my grad school notes and this DEFINITELY falls under that category, and if you read this far and want more of my notes PLEASE let me know and I’d be happy to start tagging you in my posts like this!!

[tinyreviews]

Writing Tips: Save The Cat! Or the 15-Beat Plot Structure

ACT 1:

Introduction to the world, what is happening, what is the style.

Exposition, coincidences, information.

Who, what, where, when, why.

 1. Opening Image

Short. Open by giving the reader questions that need answers. What is happening in this world.

 2. Theme Stated

The theme is outright stated by one character to another. A tiny blurb stating what the character needs/is missing to grow.

 3. Set Up

Many scenes. Explore what is in this world. Meet the main characters and what the need to grow. This ends with the inciting incident.

 4. Inciting Incident

Usually before the 1/4 mark in the story. Interruption in the hero's normal life.

 5. Debate

Slow, the hero reacts to the inciting incident. Reflection and contemplation by the hero.

ACT 2:

Escalating stakes and risk and action.

 6. Break Into Two

A deliberate decisive action by the hero. Visual shift: enter a new world.

 7. B Story

Introduction of subplot. Introduction of a new character: 9/10 a love interest. New character that usually will push the hero into growing.

 8. Fun And Games

Many scenes. Entertainment for the reader. Exploration of the world. Hero is grappling with the main conflict. If it is a bank heist movie, this is where the bank heist occurs.

 9. Midpoint

Abrupt shift: take away what your hero cares for the most False victory or defeat. The battle is won, or we have screwed up and lost. Causes escalation of stakes: the battle is won, no wait, it isn't. Or, oh shit we screwed up, we have to regroup and find a way.

 10. Bad Guys Close In

Escalation of stakes. Forces of antagonism is getting stronger and clearer.

 11. All Is Lost

The lowest point for the hero. All is lost, nothing can be done, why are we even trying, we cannot win this.

 12. Dark Night of the Soul

Slow scene. A mirror of the Debate beat. Moment to recover and make a new plan. Hero receives words of wisdom and source of hope. A council where everyone bickers.

ACT 3:

Most emotional moments.

Seeing the hero grow and resolve a conflict.

Escalation in pace and action.

No coincidences. Things happen because the hero make it happen.

No more new questions or conflicts. Things are being solved.

 13. Break Into Three

Hero makes a choice and acts on it.

 14. Finale

Last extended scene. Hero becomes who they need to become and face the threat. A critical choice is made and brings resolution.

 15. Final Image

The final feeling for the reader. Farewell to the reader.

This is part of my Writing Tips series. Everyday I publish a writing tip to this blog.

[absurd-revolting]

im putting my entire soul and bussy behind the following writing advice:

learn about a bunch of different ways that stories are traditionally structured (optional but i'll always encourage it)

eventually have it strike you like lightning from the heavens that traditional plot structures all follow the character development of the protagonist, which means that

it is absolutely possible to pace your plot in a way that strays from traditional storytelling but still feels like a natural and satisfying progression for your readers, as long as you structure it roughly along the path of whatever the fuck is happening with your protagonist

sounds like a small obvious thing but this can save you from a lot of headaches if you've been struggling to cram your plot into a traditional model where it might not even belong in the first place. try to isolate the character development of your protagonist, and make that your primary guide instead

[fixyourwritinghabits]

Hi:) so i was wondering if I can ask something since your blogs always helped me in some way!!:D

I was wondering how do you start an outline for a really big and specific book project? If you guys have any type of templates to show that would be really helpful!! (ofc, your dont have to show the template if you don't have one)

I'm going to go ahead and say there are loads of plotting techniques out there, and if one doesn't work for you, try another one. Here's as many as I can think of:

The Synopsis Method - a synopsis is a detailed guide to every major plot point in your story. You'll need one eventually if you want to traditionally publish, so it's a good place to start when drafting.

The Snowflake Method - Start with the big concept and branch out from there. The Mind-Mapping Method is similar - you take your big idea and flesh it out as much as possible, adding branches and twists as they come to mind. These techniques are great for people who need to plot visually.

Save the Cat Outline - Save the Cat is a script-writing method that focuses on landing certain 'beats' to keep your story on pace and always moving forward.

The Bookend Method - Start from the beginning and end, and work your way plotwise to the middle. This way you'll know how your character will develop and why.

The Character Driven Method - Lisa Cron's Story Genius method relies on focusing the plot exclusively on what the character decides to do next and why.

The Flash Card Method - Summarize every scene on a flashcard, and lay them out to see how they work together.

I use a wide range of techniques - an adapted version of Save the Cat within a four-act structure, as well as flashcards just to see if anything needs rearranging. This is as chaotic as it sounds, but it works for me, and if any method makes you hit a wall, switch to a different one to see if that works better.

Here are some links:

How to Write a Book Synopsis

The Snowflake Method for Designing a Novel

How to Mind Map a Novel Plot

How to Write Your Novel Using the Save the Cat Beat Sheet

The Four Act Novel Structure

Story Genius for Pantsers

Flash Card Plotting

[jailforwriter]

Today we're looking at...

Okay, so, there are about as many plotting devices as there are writers out there. We all have different bits and pieces of advice that work for us and our stories, and since storytelling is inherently versatile, I'm afraid that this is a "no one method serves all" kinda deal. So... thanks for stopping by, catch you next time! 😘

HA, GOTCHA. Sit back down, please. There's a "however" coming.

However, most outlining practices come down to the same few plot beats that narratives must usually hit to keep the pacing tight, the characters developed, and the audience from pulling out the pitchforks.

One such method is 3 Act Structure. Yes, the very one you've already heard all about – it is widely popular, and for good reason! It's an effective way of arranging our fake little people doing their fake little stuff, but like, satisfyingly. It's through outlining that we make sure we didn't just ramble on for 400 pages, boring the reader to tears. A lot of times, when we think of a novel as being "badly written" (or, as I once saw someone describe The Metamorphosis by Kafka: "wtf"), we don't just mean that the prose itself was bad, but that the actual core of the narrative (what happens, in what way, and because of whose fuckery) was... well, wtf.

Now, believe it or not, I'm a corny soul with a bleeding heart, so I wanna help you be a little less lost in the tumultuous waters of the plotting sea. The waves of pacing and development do not need to wreck your boat, mate. To this end, I shall attempt to impress upon you the specific configuration of 3 Act Structure methods that I, Tumblr user jailforwriter – who is NOT an authority on any topic, making this post NOT legally binding – think works best.

Without further ado, we're looking at how each Act is subdivided into six subcategories, starting with Stage 1 of Act 1.

Act 1

Firstly, let's look at an overview of what needs to happen in roughly the first 25% of your novel. This section is all about introductions and setup: of the main players, the world, the stakes, the obstacles, and the themes. Chances are you're already clear about what'll happen in this section, because we humans are generally pretty good at beginnings and ends and pretty bad at everything in-between (see: The Roman Empire).

One thing to note here is that, while a lot of exposition will naturally happen at this stage, we must valiantly fend off the Frank Herbert-shaped demon on our shoulder telling us to take up three pages describing hyperspace travel. And it's not that we can never describe it – it's that it needs to be relevant and not detract from the tension, which exists in a fine balance between worldbuilding and action upset by the merest suggestion of power converters. But don't worry, I know that doesn't actually tell you much, which is why I'll go into further detail in another post, the sneaky devil that I am.

With that out of the way, let's delve a bit deeper and look at Stage 1.

Stage 1: Living My Truth

Well, not my truth. Your character's truth. Let's play a little game: reach for a novel right now and read the very first page, if you would. Unless it's a dream sequence or a flashforward/back or something wacky like that, chances are your protagonist is just hanging out in their world, doing their thing. This is called the Status Quo.

Oftentimes, the story will begin at a particularly crummy day for your protagonist, and they may or may not know why, and may or may not be aware that their life is about to go places. Bad places, for the most part, but places.

Let's look at an example. (*SPOILERS* for the beginning of the The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins).

In The Hunger Games, we open on Reaping Day, which sucks unfathomably for a lot of reasons. But Katniss knows about it, and that will affect the flow of information from her to us. What she does not know, however, is that her sister is about to be handpicked for a deathmatch, meaning that she doesn't know her life is about to change, which puts a crafty little asterisk in the way she's been conveying information to us so far and shakes everything up deliciously.

In this case, it's the author's job to get us up to speed on all the information relevant to understanding Katniss' situation without overwhelming us. Now, nothing exists in a vacuum, so it's worth noting that the audience will likely come with some preinstalled notion of what a dystopia is, so it's alright to leave certain details up to interpretation if it means not bombarding us with exposition.

Let's now look at a different example. (*SPOILERS* for the beginning of The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang).

In The Poppy War, the story opens with Rin having no clue that she's about to be sold off to be married, and the events from that point onward unfold as a direct result of her deciding that she ain't about that life, actually, and that she intends to do something about it.

In this case, we're as clueless as Rin walking into this situation, and while it's still the author's job to ensure we're not completely lost, there's a bit more leniency in how to go about it, since Rin is stumbling through the scene alongside us. She's learning the stakes, too, and the stakes suck so bad we instantly understand her urge to get the hell outta dodge.

Finally, if you permit, I'm afraid that I must be cringe and use an example from my own WIP, not because I think it's better than a published novel or really even close to it, but because my brain is fried from working on it and it's an easy-made example for what I want to discuss.

In The Paradox of Nonchoice, Nahia is well aware that she's about to walk into an exam, and that her future (and her family's, to an extent) depends on how well she performs in it. The focus of this scene is in getting across what the audience needs to know in terms of worldbuilding and stakes, which, in this case, are most important for understanding what's happening and why we should, y' know, care.

In this case, the tension is directly impacted by the protagonist's actions. The dynamic, along with the flow of information, is much more one-sided here, as there is no mystery being revealed to Nahia, or to us. In such instances – where we as authors control the narrative more closely – it's crucial that we ensure the stakes are clear and the consequences sucky.

Okay, so what can we get out of these examples, then? Well, for one, that there's a handful of things that Stage 1 of Act 1 needs to cover if we want things to flow naturally. Let's list them so we can refer back to these whenever we need:

Introduce the main character: the more, well, character that you can imprint upon the page in the first couple scenes, the better. The audience will be more likely to want to follow them if they find them interesting, or think that they stand out, somehow.

Introduce the world: and what's most immediately relevant for the audience to understand in order to follow along. We can reveal little morsels of worldbuilding throughout the rest of Act 1, so don't feel pressured to stick everything into Stage 1.

Background: some background details may be important for the audience to know as the first few scenes unfold and they get to know the characters and setting. For instance, it's okay to let us know that your protagonist hates makeovers if they're suddenly thrust into Queer Eye as their new mystery contestant.

Tone and atmosphere: this is crucial. The first few scenes should reflect the tone of the rest of the book (i.e. don't make the first scene hilarious if the rest of the novel is going to be an abject tragedy. The reader will feel scammed, I promise). Same goes for establishing atmosphere, with the caveat that you can sometimes play with it to subvert expectations or otherwise get a point across. I wouldn't recommend doing it right off the bat, though.

Themes: I cannot stress this enough: your themes will make your story! There is an absolute encyclopedia to be written about themes, and I will go into it with the fine-toothed comb it deserves in the future, but just know that your first scene needs to get across your themes. That's the core of your story! It matters!

Foreshadowing: listen, there's a reason they say you should write your first scene last. You need to be foreshadowing the events of the climax from the very beginning – this is part of the "setup" stuff we've discussed for Stage 1. Again, I'll be going into detail regarding foreshadowing as part of the Symbolism series, so please hang on tight if you're not sure how to go about it!

Finally, it's worth noting that there are cryptids who fly by with their galaxy brains and insane improv abilities as their only guide, having never once needed a word of plot structure advice yet still making it work, somehow. We'll delve into this "discovery writing" stuff later, to cover all our bases, but I just want to say, if you are a discovery writer reading this... how does it feel to know that you're God's favorite? Do you think She looks upon you with pride, and us disdain? Food for thought.

Anyway, that's it for now, thanks for sticking around for the long post!

Happy writing!

[yolatirra]

Ted’s Save the Cat Character Arc

Introduction

The Save the Cat plot structure originally intended for screenplays and described by Blake Snyder (to learn more, look up his book and the novel-focused version by Jessica Brody). While I can’t be sure the Ted Lasso writers are intentionally using it, the beats do map onto the show very well, and since we know the show was originally planned as three seasons, we can assume everything up to the end of season 3 is one complete arc. Thus, there’s a lot to be learned by using this plot structure to analyze the show.

Save the Cat can be applied to a story’s overall plot, but in a character-focused show like Ted Lasso it often makes more sense to apply it to each character’s arc individually. So in this analysis I’ll mostly be focusing on Ted.

I know this structure pretty well, as I’ve used it for my own writing and to analyze several other stories from various kinds of media. That said I’m not an expert, so if you also are familiar with it and have differing ideas, I’m very interested in your perspectives on the show.

But first, a disclaimer. I ship Ted/Trent and while I originally set about writing this analysis as neutrally as possible, that kind of went out the window when I realized how much the plot is pointing to their relationship being deeply important for Ted, whether it’s romantic or not. So while I’m not assuming their relationship is romantic in this analysis, I definitely talk about how important they are to each other and how intertwined their stories are.

Also, I didn’t spend a ton of time on this, so I apologize if it’s not entirely coherent or I’ve missed or misremembered things.

So, what is Ted’s plot arc? In one sentence, it’s this: Ted struggles to heal from his past while searching for a new sense of belonging in the aftermath of his marriage.

ACT 1

Act 1 Summary: Ted’s starting point and important relationships are established. He adapts to life as the manager of AFC Richmond and accepts divorce.

Opening Image

The first actual scene we get of Ted (not including the news report of him dancing with his American football team) is of him on the airplane to England. Initially he’s alone, and then he’s with Beard except the two are not seated together, so even though Beard is with him he’s still kind of alone. And then the lights go out and everyone tries to sleep, but Ted sits awake looking at Michelle and Henry on his phone, the light from the screen illuminating his face and setting him apart from everyone else. He is alone in a crowd.

Also, no one believes in him. He asks Beard if what they're doing is crazy. Beard says it is, and so does the “ussie” guy.

From this we can take away that Ted is isolated from family and friends. He doesn’t fit in, he is apart from others. Beard is with him, but that isn’t enough. No one believes in him in the way he wants or needs.

Set-Up

This beat is usually the first 20-25% of the story. Episodes 101-104 and the first half or so of 105 set up the world and the main characters. We learn about Richmond (the town) and AFC Richmond (the team). We learn who most of the main players in the plot will be and most of their initial relationships with Ted are established.

Theme Stated

So this is a really interesting beat in this show. Normally the theme in this beat is a lesson the protagonist needs to learn, and it’s usually said to them by a secondary character. But in episode 103, we get this line, said by Ted to Trent:

“For me success isn’t about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas to be the best versions of themselves on and off the field. And that ain’t always easy Trent, but neither is growing up without someone believing in you.”

Ted says this about the people on the team and it does summarize many of their character arcs, but it also describes Ted’s character arc. He has to heal from his father’s suicide (growing up without someone believing in him) and his upcoming divorce, before finding his new place in the world (be the best version of himself). He also needs someone to believe in him. But at this point, he doesn’t realize this is a journey he needs to go on. That’s the lesson he needs to learn. That he also needs to heal and find people who believe in him in order to be the best version of himself.

Interestingly, this is opposite but complementary to Trent’s arc. Trent has people who believe in him (he’s a well known and respected journalist), but he doesn’t have something (or someone) to believe in. He comes to believe in Ted and The Lasso Way, and over time that belief inspires him to change his life and be more freely himself.

Catalyst

Michelle and Henry come to visit, and at first it seems to be going well. Then Ted catches Michelle crying, and she says she’s trying to love him again. This is the moment that leads to Ted realizing he has to let Michelle go, which sets him on his path of healing and self discovery.

Debate

Ted spends the second half of episode 105 thinking about what Michelle said and debating with himself (and the soon-to-be Diamond Dogs) about what to do. This is pretty short for a debate beat, but Ted has done a lot of thinking about this relationship before Michelle showed up in England, and the showrunners likely didn’t want to or couldn’t have Michelle be a significant character for two episodes, so it makes sense that everything from the Catalyst to the Break Into Two beat is squeezed into one episode.

Break Into Two

Ted tells Michelle she doesn’t have to keep trying to love him, choosing to let her go and accept divorce. From this point on, Ted has begun his journey, and we have entered Act 2.

It’s interesting to note that most other characters got their Catalyst, Debate, and Break Into Two beats in 104, but Ted gets an episode all to himself. The show itself can’t move into Act 2 until Ted does, so he’s the last, and he’s the title character, so he gets the most focus.

ACT 2

Act 2 Summary: Ted builds his new relationships and accepts his struggles with mental health, taking steps toward managing it and healing from past traumas. He struggles with feeling torn between his new life in England and his son back in the US, as well as a shaken belief in the Lasso Way, leading to depression and apathy toward his job.

Fun and Games

This beat encompasses everything up until the midpoint of the story, so episodes 106 to 206. The world and the characters and Ted’s relationships with them are further developed, setting up the second half of the story.

B-Plot

The start of the b-plot is usually a character being introduced or re-introduced soon after the start of Act 2. This character is normally someone who will help the protagonist learn something, either through words or actions, intentionally or not. This is often a romantic interest, but it certainly doesn’t have to be.

Ted gets a new b-plot each season, (as do the other major characters), but Ted’s show-long b-plot character is Sassy.

Sassy is introduced two episodes after Ted agrees to divorce Michelle. The only other character introduced in this time is Dani Rojas, but he’s the b-plot character for Jamie, not Ted.

So what does Sassy teach Ted? Honestly I’m not sure yet, and that makes me think there’s still at least one significant scene between Ted and Sassy we haven’t seen yet. We could say that she teaches him that casual sex is okay. This wasn’t established by the theme as something Ted needed to learn but we can argue it’s part of finding his new place in the world. We can also argue that she helped him realize he’s a “work in progmess,” which would be part of healing from his past. But neither of these things feel significant enough. I think overall her role is to help Ted move on from his divorce, and it’s possible that’s all she needs to do and has already done it, but I just feel like something is missing with her still.

Ted’s season 2 b-plot character is Dr. Sharon. She’s introduced in episode 1, but doesn’t interact with Ted very much until Ted starts trying to be friendly with her. She of course teaches him that he has trauma from his father’s suicide and that he needs to acknowledge that in order to heal from it.

And Ted’s season 3 b-plot character is Trent, who joins AFC Richmond to write a book about Ted the team. Unlike Rebecca, Trent doesn’t want anything from Ted except to understand him. He is fascinated by Ted and wants to see where his story goes.

I’m pretty sure that between these three characters, Ted learns and gains everything he needs to in order to complete his arc.

Sassy helps Ted heal from his failed marriage.

Dr. Sharon helps Ted heal from his past.

And Trent selflessly believes in Ted. He just “can’t help but root for him.”

First Pinch Point

Technically this isn’t part of the Save the Cat structure. I’m pulling the idea of pinch points from Dan Well’s 7-point structure. But I often find that pinch points fit well into Save the Cat, and since this is a long story told over three seasons, they help provide some additional context for the story’s structure.

A pinch point is a moment in the story that redirects the protagonist and the audience toward the main plot. It usually involves an increase in stakes. The first pinch point is Ted’s final scene of season 1, where he tries to preemptively quit and Rebecca refuses to let him go. Ted hasn’t done what he needs to do yet. He can’t leave. Also, while Rebecca does believe in Ted and has genuinely become friends with him by this point, her belief in him comes from a selfish place. She wants to believe that Ted can win because she wants Rupert to lose. It isn’t really The Lasso Way that she believes in, at least not for its own sake. She wants something from Ted. Still, while this isn’t the belief that Ted ultimately needs, it is a step in the right direction. However, now he has the promise of winning the premier league on his shoulders, and that is certainly a heightening of stakes.

Midpoint

The midpoint is Ted’s first major panic attack during the quarterfinal game in 206. This is the point where Ted can’t ignore his own issues anymore, which means he starts to heal.

Bad Guys Close In

“Bad Guys” represents the rising stakes of the plot. For Ted, this means everything that happens with Nate, Trent’s article about his panic attacks, and his distance from Henry and lingering feelings for Michelle.

Second Pinch Point

This is Trent’s article about Ted. The article is essentially a test of how far Ted has come this season. While the article is not an easy thing to deal with, Ted actually manages the aftermath quite well. He has come to terms with his mental health enough to talk about it not only to his friends but also to the press. It also reminds the audience that Trent exists, foreshadowing his importance in season 3, and makes sure we know that he and Ted have enough respect for each other that even a seeming betrayal like Trent’s article won’t hurt their relationship. They haven’t spent a lot of time together on screen yet, but their relationship is very important.

All is Lost

This is Nate’s outburst at Ted in episode 212. Ted fails to see that something is going wrong with Nate for the whole of season 2 (or at least fails to realize the depth of it), and eventually it blows up in his face.

Even though it is never outright started, I think much of Ted’s depression and apathy in the first half of season 3 comes from his loss of confidence in The Lasso Way, and especially because much of what Nate said to Ted echoed things that Ted feels toward his father. For the first time Ted starts to question his whole philosophy. The man telling everyone to believe has stopped believing. I think as season 3 continues we’ll see that the Lasso Way didn’t actually fail for Nate, but Nate needed some time apart from Ted to learn and grow on his own.

Dark Night of the Soul

I think a lot of peoples’ criticism of the pacing of season 3 is coming from how long this beat is for Ted. And it is very long. Ted starts the season depressed, and continues to be depressed until he starts climbing out of it at the end of episode 305. Depressed characters can be frustrating to follow, because they don’t feel like they’re doing very much. And while I do think they might have dragged it out a little long, or made Ted a little too passive or apathetic without giving more explanation for why he’s behaving that way, I also think that’s kind of the point. He’s depressed, and it’s uncomfortable and frustrating and we the audience are feeling what he’s feeling.

ACT 3?

At this point I’m not sure if his Break into Three moment happened in episode 306. If so it would be the whole barbeque sauce-induced hallucination about triangles leading to him choosing to use Total Football. I can’t say for sure until I’ve seen the rest of the season. But if that wasn’t it, I definitely think we’ll see it by the end of episode 308. The fifth episode from the beginning had his Break into Two moment, so it would make sense that the fifth episode from the end would have his Break into Three moment, especially since both episodes involve Michelle and/or Henry visiting him in England. There’s parallels happening!

Conclusion (For Now)

We’ve either just entered Act 3 or are about to enter it, which means shit is gonna start happening. All we have left is the Finale and the Final Image. The finale can be broken down into five separate beats, but not all finales use those beats, so I’ll wait to get into those until I know more. For now, uh, I hope someone found this interesting and I’ll try to add onto this post either with edits or reblogs once I’ve seen more episodes and have more to say.

[jadethest0ne]

Hello again!! 😄 I hope you’re having a good day!

I wanted to ask! If you had to choose which TMNT series is the best in terms of story, which would you pick? I personally adore the 2012 show! I’ve been rewatching the entire series and I’m loving it!

Thank you and have a great day! 😁

Hello there! Thanks!

Oooh that's a tough question... It kind of depends on what you mean by "story"

If you're talking pure plot, I actually think 2003 has the best overall plot, in that it is very tight-knit, streamlined, and leaves little to no dangling plot threads. I enjoy that version the least out of the animated series, but I think it's got a fantastic story structure and I wish other shows had as smooth a flow.

But if you're talking character, I think Rise of the TMNT's way of handling character development and dynamics is the best. I really like how you see some of the characters' issues in the background of their shenanigans, but then it comes out in a big way during major conflicts or fight scenes. The character's stories and progression throughout the series is fantastic, especially Splinter's and Raph's in the show and Leo's in the movie.

Then there's 2012. I'm still in the middle of my re-watch of that series, so some of these opinions might change as I go on. But while I don't think it has as tight a plot as 2003 nor as consistent character progression as Rise, I think it has the best balance between the two. TMNT 2003 focuses mostly on plot, and Rise mostly on character, but TMNT 2012 juggles the two very well and I think it's an excellent in-between because you get the best of both worlds.

(do keep in mind that this is me putting on my "critique" glasses and putting aside personal preference of said series', since you asked for "best" and not "which I liked more")

Side-note/shout-out to the 1987 version for having a plot that goes all over the place and doesn't focus on its story til later. If I could isolate specific seasons of 1987, I'd say that some had really good over-arching stories that were well-made and perhaps even better than the other three series', but as a whole the 1987 show is kind of mess [affectionate]

[ailelie]

Structuring IF Side Plots

In a Choice of Games novel you must have multiple plots the player can pursue and that lead to a variety of end states based on the level of attention and success the player put toward that particular plot.

Central Plot

I am structuring my story with a central plot everyone plays through. The choices for this plot will focus on how they approach a task, why they're doing the task, and how they feel about the task. The choices will not focus on whether they do the task.

This central plot holds the story together, but also contains the least amount of player agency and so is also the least interesting plot available. Every single other plot though can connect to it through a character, a threat/stake, or other similar property.

Side Plots and my Struggle to Structure Them

These other plots are side plots. Each side plot should be engaging and something the player can care about. Each side plot should also have equal weight, which means I cannot hundreds of thousands of words on each. (Though I'm sure some writers do! There are CS games with more than a million words!)

Each side plot should also maximize player agency. One option would be to structure each plot as a series of questions or choices, but that did not work for me. I found I needed to know the what before I could put words to questions about it.

I explored narrative plot structures, but pinch points, second plot points, and so on rely on a high degree of authorial control. Players would rebel, I think, if you forced them to fail. Increased stakes or added danger? Yes. Required failure? No.

I looked up various blogs online to see what they said, but most focused on how to organize scenes into choice or dependency structures.

So I turned back to game mastering and writing up adventures for others to use. I read through adventures I'd written for Fate, Trinity Continuum, 7th Sea, and D&D--all very different systems. And, it was through doing that, that I landed on something that I think is going to work.

Learn - Explore - Act

Learn is when the player character (PC) becomes aware of the problem and the stakes. This is also an opportunity for the PC to reflect on the problem and to (re) commit to addressing it.

Choices in the Learn stage focus on how the PC feels about the situation and whether they want to (still) pursue it.

Explore is when the PC investigates or encounters the problem. (For example, the Thing was stolen! (Learn) Then, a man in a grimy cloak thrusts the Thing in the PC's hands and runs off (Explore-Encounter).)

Choices in the Explore phase focus on the PC's approach (e.g., how will the PC learn more), obstacles, and opportunities/useful diversions.

Act is when the PC must make a decision about what they've learned, gathered, and done. Acting leads to irrevocable change. It is the Point of No Return.

Choices in the Act phase focus on the PC's decision and completing the steps for carrying it out. These steps may involve choices related to approach, obstacles, and opportunities.

These are not strictly linear. The process is more like this:

(Description: A drawing of a system connecting letters with a series of one-directional arrows. L1 goes to E which either goes back and forth with L2 or to A. A goes to L1, L2, or C)

Note: In this case "C" is the conclusion and end of the plot. L1 is the hook for a new problem while L2 is the intensifying of the existing problem. A plot can contain more than one problem, depending on player actions.

As shown here, the Explore stage can lead to Act, but it can also lead to another Learn stage. The Learn stage, though, never leads to Act. While it may make sense to reflect on the problem and stakes before Acting, I think the tension is tighter if Exploration leads to a moment of Must Decide Now.

The Learn stage can lead to 'this is what I want to do,' but that triggers an Explore phase for pursuing that action and Explore continues until the Point of No Return.

The Act stage can lead to a conclusion, but may also lead to a new problem or the worsening of the current problem.

Why Is This (Potentially) Useful?

This structure helps me identify the anchor scenes. For each of my side plots, I know I need at least 1 Learn scene, 1 Explore scene, and 1 Act scene. Each of those scenes may contain multiple choices for the player to make.

I can even build an outline shell to fill in with details as I figure them out. For outlines, I like knowing the parameters of my map, but filling it in as I go. I think this will let me do that.

How does this work with Choice of Games?

This structure also maps onto the taxonomy of choices described by Choice of Games

Learn is primarily for flavor and establishing choices. The choices in this stage focus on the character more than their actions.

Explore may start with a forking choice, but is otherwise testing choices of all kinds, including objective testing choices (described in the next link).

Act is for the climax choice or, if too early for that, a forking choice.

Anyway! I'll try to remember to report back on how this does or doesn't work once I begin writing.

How have you identified key and anchor scenes for your stories? What processes and structures have you used?

[indieclarkecreative]

Any other writers out there that want to take breaks from their wip but still want to be working towards their goals or thinking about how to improve their craft, this is my go to podcast to play while I get other tasks done. It's engaging, educational, and easy to digest.

[kcarkwright]

Having Trouble Fleshing Out the Climax of Your Story?

Plot it like its own tale!

A climax is the accumulation of every little thing your story has built. It's the shining cap of a steeple, it's the temple at the top of the hill. It's the end goal, it's the acclimation of change, it's the result of hard work.

It's super easy to fuck up, too, and once it's written, its common for the author to feel like it just doesn't quite hit like they wanted it to. I've definitely felt like that.

A Climax is the peak of the conflict, but a lot of times, we regard it as just that—a peak. A singular bit of action that happens like an explosion of everything that's built to this one moment. Concentrate too hard on the flames, and you'll lose the awe of the explosion—of why it was placed where it was, how it got there and where it was aimed.

That's why, I've found plotting the Climax like it's own 3 point story has made it more impactful as a whole. Fair warning, below 'Keep Reading' is an essay—but hopefully one that'll hold the key to what you're looking to unlock within your story.

We're all familiar with this chart, right? It's the poster child for a perfect story. The Three-Act structure is simply an organizational tool to help you get a hold of that Beginning, Muddle Middle and End. What I want you to concentrate on is the stepping stones of the ascending action. That's what holds the key to creating a well-fleshed out Climax.

Each Climax of each individual Act can also be referred to as it's Plot Point—an incident that directly affects what happens next in the story.

It's Edmund being persuaded by the White Witch to bring his siblings into Narnia, it's Luke returning to find his Aunt and Uncle murdered. It's something that shifts the plot ever so slightly that, by the end, the entire tale has shifted into the storm of the butterfly affect.

Write that butterfly affect.

When you're writing your Climax, whatever it is, start with an inciting incident that gets the ball rolling. In Avengers: Endgame, the Climax is Tony Stark looking Thanos straight in the eye and muttering, "And I am Iron Man," before wiping the foe from existence—but they didn't just get there. The Avengers Compound had to be attacked first, an Inciting Incident to push the rest of the battle into play.

With a Climactic structure like this, luckily, you don't have to wait long for that first Plot Point, either; whatever has incited the fight should immediately dive into the first Plot Point. If you're behind enemy lines, it should be the first attack. If you're trapped at sea, it should be that first giant wave that beats the boat. If you're Luke Skywalker, it's finding Chewie, Leia and Lando captured after avoiding Boba Fett. By dodging Boba Fett and running further into a corridor to avoid him (inciting incident), Luke discovers his friends captured (Plot Point One).

What follows next is the Pinch Point—a reminder of the antagonistic forces. Your character is now engaged in the Fight, and is reminded why it's a fight; because the foe is still oh so strong. Maybe they're wiser, maybe they're stronger. in The Terminator, it's when Reese is wounded by gunfire while escaping from the hotel. This moment is when, after your character hits the town, the town should hit back.

Do this another time: your character(s) need to reach a Plot and Pinch Point. They need to win one, and lose one. This is where I'm gonna drop the allegories and let you in on a cool little secret:

Make the Plot Points here, somehow, reference the Plot Points of your actual story outline!

You ever see something so poetically called back to in media that you can't help but swoon at the writer's capabilities? There's some foreshadow that flew completely over your head, there's an action that connects this character now with someone from their past, or knowledge they learned from someone else's experience?

Yeah, we don't just magically do those things. Unfortunately, they take time, planning, and finesse. Or—you cheat. Like this.

If you reread the biggest Plot Points of your full story, you will, and I guarantee WILL, find pieces you can use as either foreshadow, or a callback. You can use that piece to either give the reader that 'aha!' moment that makes reading worth it, or show that your character has gone through a full arc by having them use something they've learned in the past. You'll find yourself weaving a poetic symmetry between characters, experiences and feelings, and feel all the more confident for it.

Now, once that second Plot Point comes and goes, the second Pinch Point should follow—and this is where you should make things bleak. Your Protagonist is injured, or loses a weapon/tool that, without it, makes the plot impossible to move forward. Maybe someone dies. Maybe they're trapped. Maybe they're swallowed by a whale, who knows. Your Pinch Point—the action that shows the Adversary's power—should lead straight to the Despair, where odds are stacked against them. It's Captain America standing alone and injured against Thanos' entire army in Endgame. It's Miguel plummeting from the backstage to certain death in Coco, it's Chris about to be wheeled to surgery in Get Out, it's Te Fiti missing from the crater in Moana. It's that moment where it looks like everything was for naught, and their mission will fail.

It's that moment that makes the Climax all the more sweeter as they make that leap to victory via the tools, knowledge, and friends you gave them throughout the tale. It's On Your Left, it's Remember Me, it's Jujitsu this motherfucker, it's Let her come to me. It's the moment your character gets to show that they're smarter, stronger, wiser, quicker, than the antagonist anticipated. It's the moment that shocks your reader into place, that makes them do that silly little wiggle we all do when we root for the good guy and they win.

It's how all these critically acclaimed blockbusters got their praise. And it's how you can get yours.

[ellesliterarycorner]

hi! i just found your blog and it’s amazing! all those wonderful tips, you are a gift to this world.

do you have any tips on how to plot the main plot? or how do you organise everything before/during writing? like, the structure of the plot, if you draft everything first and then start writing, or do you just write a la loca?

tysmmm <3

Omg, you are so so kind. I really appreciate that! So, I am the biggest plotter on the planet. I definitely structure everything before I even think about starting to write, so I'll walk you through how I start plotting my story and give some tips on it along the way!

Step One: A Character Appears

I was actually just talking about this last week in one of my college interviews, but I start every story that I write with a character. I think it’s because I am such a character over plot reader. I love character driven stories the best, and I like to start writing with a character I think will be compelling for my readers. I think this is a good place to start for everyone because in my opinion it’s a lot easier to change a character to fit a world or a plot then change a plot or world to fit a character. Once I have a semi-coherent idea of a character, I interrogate them. I like to know everything about a character before building a world for them to live in. I really like these 100 OC questions by viralremix on Deviantart. I’m not saying that I always actually go through and answer all 100 of these questions, but I go through them and pick out which ones I think will be the most helpful to me as I start writing. I also don’t do every single major character that I have, but I normally do my main protagonist and the person who is the closet to them throughout the story!

Step Two: What in the World

When I work on my plotting/outlining, I group together worldbuilding and my main plot. I’m not sure exactly why I do that, but it makes sense in my head. Now that I have a character to work with, I can start building the world and the plot for them which kinda go hand in hand if you think about it. For Project Starlight, my current wip, I was really inspired by some digital art I saw on Pinterest of a girl laying on a bed reading a book in this super futuristic bedroom and out her window was an asteroid field. I instantly knew that was the world for my MC. After I decided that, I need a basic premise for the story. For this step, I actually use the snowflake method. You basically start with this core idea or theme and then every other aspect of the story is built around it until you flesh it out into something coherent. Kinda like how a snowflake starts in the center but it has different sort of branches, but they all connect back to that idea in the center. The snowflake method is also a good place to start if you don’t want to fully commit to a complete detailed outline, but still want to have a premise and a theme to go off of when you start writing. 

Step Three: A Beginning and An End

Because I physically cannot start writing without having a beginning and an end, once I have my lovely little story snowflake, I plot out the beginning and the end of my story. Above all in my opinion, the beginning and the ending are the most important things in your story. They tell the reader why they should ready your story and wrap up everything to make sure the reader thinks that reading the story was worth their while and possibly entices them to read a sequel or spin-off novel. Once you have your story’s premise, you can then decide what the most effective way of drawing readers into your story is. Whether that be a lot of flashy worldbuilding, a super intriguing hook, or just plopping them right into all of the drama of your world. There’s a lot of pressure on writing the first chapter, but when you’re plotting, just decide how you want to introduce your character and your world! Same thing goes for the ending of your story. How do you want to convince the reader that your story had a purpose? Or convince them to continue reading the rest of the series?

Step Four: Save the Cat???

I have been trying so hard to use the Save the Cat plot structure. But, honestly, for me, I think it works better when I don’t use it until the second draft of my story. I feel like as a plotter, I should love how detailed the plot structure is, but my brain doesn’t like it until the second draft for some reason. Still, it’s a really great plot structure to use, especially for new writers because it pretty much tells you where everything needs to go! Basically, according to the Save the Cat Beat Sheet, there are fifteen story beats that should be included in your story. I’m severely simplifying this, but this link is where I found a lot of information on Save the Cat, and I’m also including the aforementioned 15 beats below. The site goes into great detail about how to use Save the Cat for your story. But, I really do like how everything in this method is broken up into percentages, and I cannot recommend this enough if you’re struggling with plot structure. 

Opening Image – 0% to 1%

Theme Stated – 5%

Setup – 1% to 10%

Catalyst – 10%

Debate – 10% to 20%

Break Into Two – 20%

B Story – 22%

Fun and Games – 20% to 50%

Midpoint – 50%

Bad Guys Close In – 50% to 75%

All is Lost – 75%

Dark Night of the Soul – 75% to 80%

Break Into Three – 80%

Finale – 80% to 99%

Final Image – 99% to 100%

Step Five: Just Start Writing

I feel like I’m saying this in all my posts now, but once you’ve done everything above, there really is nothing left to do but start writing! I freely admit that I am a perfectionist in terms of my story outlines, but as I’ve gotten older that sometimes I use my need to have a sturdy outline as an excuse to procrastinate the writing process. When I’m scared to start writing a project I reason with myself that I can’t start writing if my outline isn’t finished, but I’m also procrastinating finishing my outline cause deep down I’m scared to start writing. It’s a never ending process. So, when you’re working on figuring out the main plot and the structure of your story, try not to stress about it! I can’t tell you how many times things change while I was in the middle of writing or in later drafts of the story! 

I really hoped this help! Thanks for sending in the ask and being so nice!

[fangirl-follies]

The comment I hear often is that Japanese movies, TV, and anime are plotless, but I'm here to tell you otherwise. Western ...

[laurenfoxmakesthings]

Working out the plot structure of my book while watching the PsychOdyssey has been interesting. You know, seeing people work on development while you're in the same mindset. This has got me to relearn something: whether you're collaborating or working on your own, there will always be cut ideas. Always.

[writersrumpus]

The Differences Between PLOT and THEME ... and How They Intertwine

The Differences Between PLOT and THEME … and How They Intertwine

[seasolsel]

new blog post!

it’s been a while (half a year...) since i last wrote something for my blog, and since i’m constantly thinking about trains and trying to avoid thinking about writing, i wrote something involving... the both of them?

i’d love if you read it, shared it, and told me what you thought! i actually really like this piece!

new post is here and entire blog is here if anyone wanted to check out my earlier work!! mwahhhhhhhhhhhhh xx