Super Mary Sues . . . or Why Consequence Matters

Barry Allen is doing his thang when he hears a police report of two hackneyed supervillains, Captain Cold and Heatwave, causing chaos by attacking innocent civilians far across the city while attempting to rob DC’s version of a Brinks truck for its tasty monetary content. So our boy Barry spins ablur into his red-with-golden-bolt superhero suit and the Flash streaks at over 700 mph from one end of the ginormous city to the other in seconds, arriving on the scene lickety-split.

Where he stops moving fast and fights the rampaging villains (who are nothing more than two normal men armed with a heat and freeze gun) with normal punches and normal kicks. He even gets grazed by a few shots while dodging at normal speed before finally dispatching the bad guys despite it being previously established that the Flash can move so fast he can basically make time stand still for everyone but himself.

So what’s wrong with this scenario?

Everything!

And it’s the reason why I stopped watching The Flash television show years ago: disgust.

Who the f#$& would arrive on scene in a streaking blur then for no reason other than to establish fake tension stop moving fast and start moving at normal speed?

Exactly.

That’s just stupid.

And it’s bad, lazy writing.

Let alone if one can move so fast then they can think that much faster thus making them the most intelligent being on the planet able to consider a million options during the second it takes the villain to attempt punching them once.

I have the same problem with Superman or Wonder Woman, both of whom can move almost as fast as the Flash whenever they want and yet they almost never do. Because they are overpowered to the point of boring.

Superman is only a superhero when fighting someone who possesses his only weakness: kryptonite. Remove the kryptonite and you remove the consequences. Remove the consequences and I stop caring.

(Yeah yeah, Superman is weak against magic now too, though DC only added this flaw to his character after decades of wearing thin the whole kryptonite spiel, but you get my point.)

There’s nothing worse than overpowering your protagonist only to realize halfway through your story how overpowered they really are because you’re trying to live vicariously through your Super Mary Sue and so you’re forced to de-power them through stupid, illogical situations.

That special power you blessed your protagonist with which separates them from the rest of the normal herd must have an equal if not predominant consequence for its use. Otherwise why don’t they just go around using it constantly?

I love fantasy (so much I write it!) but I also hate it. Because the fantasy genre is one of the most abused genres in all of fiction existence.

Ignorant hacks who’ve read a few Harry Potter books and nothing but think: ‘Hey! I’ll make my protagonist an insecure adolescent outcast with a big heart who goes to wizard school where he meets other wizard friends who also don’t fit in with the cool kids but they’ll eventually fight an evil wizard to save the day and become the bestest wizards evar!’

These are the same uncreative writers who upon watching the Twilight series of movies immediately sat down to pen their next great novel revolving round their own version of a human/vampire/werewolf love triangle because originality is too much like real work.

Same imbeciles who’ve watched (because god forbid they actually read the novels) the Lord of the Rings movies also think: ‘I want to write a fantasy novel so first I’ll start with elves and dwarfs and hobbits and orcs and dragons and wizards, all apparently taking place in medieval England where swords never dull and socks never get wet and rabbits abound that feed every belly while containing all necessary nutrients because rabbit starvation doesn’t exist or anything!’

My biggest gripe about fantasy is the wizard character who shoots wizard’s fire or conjures other such spells and their only consequence for it is they get tired.

Really?

Tired?

That’s the f#$&ing best you can come up with?

Whenever I peruse my local used book store, I’ll begin by hunting through my favorite writers for an hour, and then I’ll make a point of spending another hour with random selection of authors I’ve never read or heard of before. I slip a book from the shelf, I glance at the cover, then I flip it over and read the back blurb.

If I read anything about elves and dwarfs and wizards and hobbits and orcs and dragons and a Big Evil brooding inside Castle Doom high atop Scary Mountain, I immediately return the book to shelf while making a mental note to never read anything by that author.

Because they’ve just proven to me they are: 1. completely unoriginal, 2. a talentless Tolkien thief, and 3. they assume me an idiot entertained by overused stereotypes.

If you care so little about your fantasy world and characters that the only effort you put into it is stealing from other writers, then I care even less about reading it.

When I first conceived the protagonist of my fantasy Soothsayer Series, way many years back when before I even considered writing it down because I instead preferred my active imagination, the thought popped into my head about the whole concept of how smoking one cigarette supposedly takes six minutes off your life as told us by my 7th grade health teacher Mrs. Sprunger.

No big deal, right?

Until you add up twenty years of habitual smoking and realize you’ve knocked off ten years from the rest of your shorter life.

Accumulative, that.

Also a sure consequence for instant gratification.

Enjoy it now, pay for it later.

Smoke up, Johnny!

My imaginary protagonist (not yet named Banzu) could slow time around him while he continues moving at ‘normal’ pace, though to an outside observer he appears sped up. As consequence, because he’s accelerated, he ages slightly faster in trade than everyone else while using his ‘power’. Not a big deal in the short run, but in the long run it slices off a big chunk of his lifespan. Use it for short bursts every day for ten years and he’s aged an extra five or so in cruel exchange. Just like the whole cigarette concept only applied to character.

I did this because every time Banzu even considers using his power his next thought will always be: is this really worth me dying sooner?

Ergo: conflict wrought from consequence.

And that’s my point.

Affording your protagonist a power with no consequence for using it parallels handing them a gun that fires an infinite amount of bullets. Sure it’s fun in video games, but in novels the tension comes when our MC Sureshot runs low on or out of ammo and there’s still bad guys aplenty armed to the teeth.

Isaac Newton declared, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. And when it comes to fantasy protagonist superability I declare, for every power there must be an equal if not predominant consequence for using it.

Is your protagonist psychic? Then hit them with a crippling headache for hours after they glean someone’s thoughts, or have them so scatterbrained thereafter because of the confusing jumble of memories they hardly remember their own name until the other’s memories fade hours later.

Is your protagonist superstrong? Collapse them into a one-day coma after they spend ten minutes throwing garbage trucks at the bad guys, or render them weak as a mewling newborn kitten between their short bursts of superstrength.

Can your protagonist fly without wings or plane? Then power their supernatural ability with the sun though with the caveat that during nighttime their ‘internal gravity’ becomes twice times their normal, making them sluggish with leaden bones, or heck even paralyzed until the sun rises again.

Or determine the strength of their power by the cycle of the moon so it waxes and wanes with beautiful Luna ala werewolves.

You catch my drift.

There’s a plethora of options afforded you when it comes to administering interesting consequences to protagonist powers.

Breathe underwater? Give them debilitating asthma outside of it.

Turn invisible? Only while naked and staying completely still.

Perfect night vision? Blind them during the day.

Immune to poison? Make their sweat toxic to everyone they touch.

Terrible nearsight to counterbalance super farsight, or vice versa.

Or determine your protagonist’s power by a rare element ingested (Brandon Sanderson framed his Mistborn series around this concept).

If your Super Mary Sue possesses an awesome power but with no consequence for using it then our immediate question is always: why aren’t they constantly using it?

But if you pair their power with an equal or greater consequence then we know why and don’t question it because the rarity of its use is logical.

Protagonist power should always come at a considerable cost to its wielder because this heightens the risk to reward ratio for its use.

One of my favorites is an alcoholic character I wrote who can ‘shoot wizard’s fire’ though only after ingesting strong amounts of alcohol to fuel it, so he must be drunk, and when he burns up the alcohol so too his fire dies out, leaving him powerless and with a grumpy hangover.

Then there’s Banzu who ages minutes over the course of seconds to everyone else while using his acceleration ability, not only shaving time off his total lifespan but putting into question his every relationship because he knows he’ll die much sooner than those he cares about.

So the next time you think up an awesome power for a cool fantasy superhero protagonist, your immediate question should be: how bad can I punish them whenever they use it?

Marvel’s Stan Lee is famous for the line, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

But I suggest when crafting your characters you change it to, “With great power comes great responsibility and even greater consequence.”

Happy writing!

Parry Purple Prose . . . or Learn how to Speed Read in less than 5 seconds!

Pick a novel, any novel.

Now I’m going to teach you a little trick I discovered myself years ago, and it takes less than 5 seconds to learn the ‘secret technique’ of its single enlightening sentence.

Ready?

Read only the first sentence of every paragraph . . . and also all dialogue.

BAM!

Now you know how to speed read.

But let’s extrapolate on why and how it works, shall we?

This secret technique works because the first sentence of a paragraph is the main point of the paragraph. Every sentence which follows expands upon that first sentence.

And dialogue (at least in well written novels by competent authors) contains pertinent information to the story or the characters involved otherwise there’s no reason for it to exist, because the point of dialogue is to present relevant information to the reader about either story-surface plot or underlying-character development.

A good indication of bad writing, by the by, is to peruse some dialogue when you’re deciding to buy a novel to read. If characters are talking about nothing that moves the story or any character relationships forward, are Hello’ing and Goodbye’ing all over the place, or there’s no subtle nuances of gestures happening during the exchanges of speech then you should buy a different novel to read.

Consider modern movies a moment. When was the last time you remember someone on screen answer their phone with a Hello then end the conversation with Goodbye? Exactly. These are unimportant to the story and the characters involved so producers have learned to cut them out to make space for more relevant information elsewhere (along with lots of other little editing cuts because all of those seconds add up to minutes better used to present the audience plot and character development).

My secret technique also helps you avoid the dreaded purple prose.

And what’s purple prose?

Extraneous description that is too elaborate or ornate while presenting little if any relevant information to the reader.

Meaning?

Let’s lead by example:

He moved slowly, at length, and carefully on tip toes through the dark room with an entirely unnecessary gaze trained on the red, wooden front door beckoning him closer, inch by creeping inch.

Yuck!

 And better summed:

He crept toward the door.

Now don’t get me wrong because not all prose is slathered in purple dread. Often it’s lyrical and poetic while crisping your imagination to vivid detail. But let’s not lose track of our focal point.

The average reader reads at 300 words per minute.

The average paperback novel (depending on trim size of mass market or trade, font and margins employed, paragraph breaks and dialogue length, white space, blah blah blah . . .) contains 300 words per page.

So considering all the various options we put into a blender then pour out we get an estimated 1 page for 1 minute of reading time (this also provides a good indication as to how long a standard paperback novel takes to read: 300 pages = 300 obvious minutes).

But my speed reading secret technique cuts that time by a factor of 10 (an estimated 10 pages for 1 minute of reading; 300 pages = 30 minutes . . . or even less once you grow accustomed to it).

Now, I don’t normally read this way because I enjoy reading . . . though sometimes you strike that boring novel in the middle of a beloved series which is obvious filler and fluff because the author is padding their novel with purple prose to their publisher’s expected word count, and you just want to get through it so you can move on to the next and better novel. Sure you’ll miss some minor details speed reading this way, but I guarantee you’ll still retain the overall important gist of the story.

Don’t believe me?

You and a friend choose an unread novel. Have your friend read it as normal while you speed read it using my secret technique. Now both of you write down a summary of the story you just read on a single sheet of paper each, exchange papers then compare and you’ll discover other than some minor details that both of your summaries are the same. Only it took your friend multiple hours to read the same novel that it took you to read in about 20 or so minutes (if we’re talking a standard paperback, mind, because as porn stars can attest to: size matters, baby).

You see, all that crap you’ve watched or heard about people running their fingers down the page in about 2 seconds while ‘speed reading’ every word of an entire book in 5 minutes is nothing more than a lie used to sell you expensive speed reading programs. As well science has already proven that it’s impossible for the human mind to actually speed read in such a way let alone retain the information.

That’s because my secret technique is the real way to speed read.

Do I recommend reading for leisure this way?

No, bitches!

Reading is fun and you should enjoy every minute of it. Especially so if you’re a writer because the more you read the more your writing improves. If I had to advise an aspiring author to spend one year writing every day but no reading or spend the year reading every day but no writing I would advise the latter every time.

But if you hit a slog of a novel, or even a slog of a chapter in an otherwise good novel, then you can apply my secret technique and instead of trudging through it while regretting your time you’ll actually enjoy yourself while still retaining the overall gist of the story and the characters involved.

My secret technique works great for the aspiring author seeking a fast track to learning and understanding plot, too. Sit with a handful of novels, as well a pen and notebook beside you, spend the next couple of hours speed reading all the novels you chose and after finishing each one write down a couple paragraphs about the overall story. You will notice that what you remember most and write about are the important plot points involved.

My secret technique also works great for lazy students who hate reading and are assigned a novel to read but put it off until the last minute.

Again, I do not recommend always reading this way, but the process of my secret technique provides you a valuable tool for learning as a writer. It also helps you as a reader to continue reading instead of setting aside a terrible novel.

So the next time you read a novel but a chapter or two in you pause and think, 'Ugh, this is pretty bad', say screw it, apply my secret speed reading technique and breeze through it.

Just remember:

Read only the first sentence of every paragraph . . . and also all dialogue.

You’re welcome!

Plots Galore! . . . or I've got Ninety-Nine problems but a Plot ain't one

So you say you want to write a story but you have no idea what to write about?

Perfect!

We all suffer this problem from time to time, and they don’t make little blue pills for it promising to increase the size of your brain by several inches with their special proprietary blend of exotic herbs.

Here’s a list of ninety-nine tried and tested and proven plots so vague yet detailed just enough that you can pick and choose then apply one (or any combination thereof) to your potential story without paying any child support and no one will be the wiser that you stole it like the cunning little thief you really are.

Most of the following examples provide perfect Inciting Incidents (Act 1) while others include their natural course of Complications (Act 2), and still others supply the logical Resolutions (Act 3):

1. The Protagonist, having obtained the MacGuffin early, must transport it across a long journey while being hunted.

2. Time-travel is discovered and implemented, causing historical calamity, so that the Protagonist is tasked with using time-travel to destroy time-travel.

3. The Protagonist awakes in another body each night they go to sleep, and vice versa every morning, living two separate lives they eventually learn to combine (spiritually and/or physically).

4. A utopian society proves anything but so that the sojourning Protagonist (once welcomed into the fold after performing some admirable task) exposes while changing it from the inside out after infiltrating then destroying the secret sect controlling it all.

5. The captured Protagonist fails to resist the native culture then joins their convincing cause against those whom sent him to infiltrate them.

6. An evil tyrant or regime wipes out a people . . . but unfortunately for them the vengeful and cunning and particularly skilled Protagonist survives by thinnest margin.

7. Locked in a dire survival situation, the Protagonist struggles to maintain the group’s diminishing integrity while they slowly turn on each other in savage abandon.

8. A determined cop (or inspector or whatever depending on the time period) who steps over the line is ordered to turn in their badge and gun (or sword or other armaments; again, time period) but refuses to surrender their obsessive investigation they continue in secret.

9. The braggadocios Protagonist tells a story about themselves that depicts them as a ludicrously overpowered badass . . . then they must prove it when an evil arises that’s the perfect match for their proposed set of skills they possess nothing of yet learn to acquire through toil and struggle, becoming the actual badass they claimed to be though all the humbler for it.

10. A group of friends fall prey to greed and turn on each other while hunting for fabulous treasure.

11. Sworn enemies of two opposing groups (each possessing a particular skill or trait or what have you which complements the other’s) are forced to work together to achieve the survival of their warring peoples in a struggle through which they become true friends.

12. A humble lowborn character attempts to keep their arrogant highborn charge out of constant trouble when their royal superior refuses to avoid increasing dangers (and perhaps even seeks them out) while attempting to accomplish a task (usually to comedic effect as well they become best friends or lovers while enduring their shared adversity together).

13. The Antagonist and/or their forces takes over the Protagonist’s home (village; town; city; what have you) so that the extradited Protagonist gathers a ragtag group of overlooked underdogs, each possessing a particular set of seemingly inconsequential skills, who prove themselves the only ones gutsy enough to take it back.

14. The wrongly accused Protagonist must escape an inescapable prison.

15. The Protagonist searches for a lost loved one everybody else accepts as dead while refusing them any help and believing them delusional.

16. The ill-prepared Protagonist discovers an item of power they should not possess, as well they must return it to its proper owner (or destroy it) through a harrowing journey while the Antagonist and their forces attempt to take it and implement it into their grand scheme.

17. An infamous criminal believed reformed after serving their sentence is now using perfectly legal means to commit immoral acts, and it’s up to the Protagonist to expose them.

18. Two rivals compete for a special prize then must work together to destroy it once the evil purpose of it is revealed (sometimes one saving the other from the prize’s increasing influence of corruption upon their humanity).

19. The apathetic Protagonist pretends themselves another person and must continue the charade or lose everything they’ve gained in trade while drawn into the unwanted conflict of a mission important to the infiltrated group . . . until the Protagonist, now dedicated to the cause, reveals their true self to those they’ve bonded with and discovers their relationships are stronger than the lie that initially tied them together.

20. In an otherwise ordinary world, the Protagonist develops a supernatural ability while accidentally exposing themselves publicly, causing some to believe them Christ returned while others to condemn them for the Anti-Christ.

21. A mysterious cult travels from town to town, converting its citizens and sacrificing those who refuse to join, all the while spreading their influential rule.

22. Two serial killers are brought together over the same victim then agree to compete for the highest body count . . . until one of them takes their contest too far while making it personal so that the other must kill the better killer.

23. The Protagonist is captured and brainwashed then sent to execute someone of high station, but something snaps them back to reality before or during the assassination attempt so that they turn the tables on the ignorant Antagonist.

24. A disgruntled team of retired heroes rally together for one last escapade against their former Antagonist’s revenging offspring . . . but do they have what it takes anymore?

25. A group in distress sends one of their own on a harrowing journey to request help from refusing others needing convinced because of their peoples’ clashing history of contention. The tested Protagonist proves their worth while convincing the others and eventually returns to help their people as well unites the warring communities.

26. The Protagonist, who idolizes someone they view as a virtuous hero and finally gains the opportunity to work alongside them, discovers them not the flawless paragon of virtue they presumed and, after refusing to join their evil and secret schemes, they dedicate to stopping them.

27. The Protagonist endures great difficulty honoring the last requests of a deceased person while learning a new and wiser point of view on life.

28. The Protagonist, famous for their past deeds though unrecognized albeit age or scarring or disguise, is taken hostage by Antagonist forces and must save the day without blowing their cover and earning immediate death.

29. A group of characters must run a business they are initially inept at doing after its owner is discovered missing or imprisoned or murdered, as well they must compete with the Antagonist business the owner of which is behind the kidnapping/imprisonment/murder.

30. A group of thieves make an agreement that the valuables they’ve stolen will go to the last surviving member of the group while they engage in a desperate game of elimination through murder.

31. The group of people caught during some necessary illegal step to eventually performing their grand caper argue a convincing reason for it so that the investigating Protagonist joins them.

32. A troubled Protagonist’s only way to overcome a spiraling life crisis is to defeat his worst enemy: himself.

33. The Protagonist makes deals with a whole bunch of people in order to get what they want, all of them conflicting, so that the groups’ leaders discover the ruse and untie against the lying Protagonist.

34. An abused Protagonist unleashes the same kind of abuse on their oppressor(s) after escaping their survival, accruing new skills, then exacting sweet revenge.

35. The Protagonist (usually on the lam after escaping imprisonment while awaiting trail) must prove their innocence of the crime they’re accused of committing while ousting the true Antagonist perpetrator who set them up.

36. The Protagonist takes it upon themselves to prove the innocence of someone wrongly accused of a crime despite all evidence indicating otherwise (and sometimes, in double twist, the ‘wrongly accused’ reveals to the Protagonist only that they actually did it but only after their ‘innocence’ is proven and they are freed).

37. A single-minded Protagonist must find the truth to an intriguing mystery before she is swallowed by the darkness she desperately seeks to expose.

38. The assassin Protagonist is marked for death by those he worked for, discovering their definition of retirement is far different than his.

39. The assassin Protagonist is marked for death by the criminal families of those he victimized now that he’s retired from service and no longer under his former employer’s protection.

40. Because the Protagonist didn’t dispose of a previous plot device correctly, another upstart Antagonist steals then utilizes it to foul purposes even worse than before.

41. An extramarital affair leads to blackmail then murder.

42. An arrogant, superpowered Protagonist loses their powers and, while dealing with Antagonist forces in a new way, learns to live with the specialness of their new normalcy while gaining appreciation for those they once deemed beneath them.

43. The Protagonist gains then struggles with then overcomes addiction (gambling, drinking, drugs, et cetera).

44. The Protagonist tells a little white lie that spirals out of control to utmost detriment until they eventually admit the truth.

45. A secretly dispatched character of public prominence (who died, has taken ill, or was murdered) looks just like the Protagonist so that they must impersonate them until the unknown Antagonist is revealed and dealt with.

46. An unwitting Protagonist must survive at all costs when he is dragged into a life or death situation he never saw coming and cannot escape.

47. A weapon of mass destruction has gone missing or stolen so that the Protagonist must retrieve or destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands or is put to foul use (and sometimes the weapon goes haywire, either on its own or through Antagonist meddling, so that the Protagonist must destroy or disable it while racing against the ticking clock).

48. The Protagonist and Antagonist reluctantly join forces to defeat a mutual enemy before returning to fighting against each other . . . or do they?

49. A driven Protagonist must lead a group of Allies to retrieve a prized possession through a perilous journey that wasn’t what the Protagonist expected.

50. The adventurous Protagonist attempts to prove an ancient and famous voyage really happened by performing it themselves . . . but of course everything goes wrong.

51. The Protagonist makes a ‘deal with the devil’ to save a beloved friend or relative, suffers the consequences then turns the tables and gains their freedom.

52. The Protagonist must retrieve a rare or precious item through difficult expedition to save another’s life.

53. By accident, the Protagonist discovers their perfect community closed off from the rest of the world an oppressive lie so that they must convince their people of the shocking truth and revolt against their alien controllers harvesting disappearing children for their delicious organs.

54. The Protagonist thinks their fake test has ended . . . again and again and again, while gaining continuous insight and clues then attempting to confront the manipulative Antagonist behind it all.

55. An inadequate Protagonist must rise above an extremely difficult situation to be with a uniquely unlikely partner who is the only one capable of bringing her peace.

56. The Protagonist, sold into slavery, escapes then returns and frees her fellow slaves.

57. The poor Protagonist discovers an apocalyptic event is about to occur to devastating consequence and only the rich elite among them who are hiding its known cause can afford its escape so that the Protagonist seeks to replace them with those more deserving of survival.

58. A suspect can only be proven innocent by finding the true culprit and making them confess.

59. The Protagonist attempts to warn everyone about something from which they barely escaped, but the dismissive others just dither about until it shows up anyway, leaving the Protagonist and those that survived to deal with it—again!

60. The Protagonist discovers through accidental means the Antagonist’s guarded secret and is hunted for it (often with spread rumors of false Protagonist crimes to turn society against them as well some if not all of their friends and family killed in the chasing process).

61. Two former friends, on the worst of terms after a past falling out, are forced to work together and eventually rekindle their friendship proving all the stronger.

62. An outsider’s only way to save his individuality is by going against the many who wish to integrate him into their fold.

63. In a world of digital reliance, an E.M.P. discharges from the sun and renders all Earth technology useless. Global chaos ensues through barbarous survival and primitive methods of war to restore humanity civilized.

64. The Protagonist learns of their Protagonistic destiny kept secret from then until a particular age, event, or discovered by accident.

65. An older and begrudging Protagonist with their better days behind them is punished by their superior for some major or minor infraction into teaching a group of rambunctious, defiant youths a particular trade/skill, who in turn teach the Protagonist a new outlook on life while they learn from each other for the betterment of both parties as proven by some climactic test.

66. An intoxicated Protagonist spills their darkest secret and must deal with the consequences that change their life forever after.

67. The Protagonist is invited into a popular, exclusive crowd, but they must leave their friends behind. And so they become ‘one of them’ while rejecting their friends and their former self, then, after realizing how little they like their new self through some harm inflicted upon their former best friend, they reject the group while exposing it and rejoin their friends.

68. The former Antagonist now Protagonist rejects his previous life and seeks to make amends with those they harmed who reject them . . . until another Antagonist arises and the Protagonist proves their sympathetic regrets by confronting them for the good of others.

69. Several of the Protagonist’s enemies team up and scheme revenge against the ignorant Protagonist and all they hold dear.

70. The Protagonist is exiled from their community into a harsh new world, but they possess a particular set of skills or traits or knowledge that allows them to adapt while surviving and entering the new society of outcasts.

71. The natural world rebels against humanity as the Earth itself seeks human genocide through a sudden change in predatory animal and carnivorous plant evolution.

72. The Protagonist seeks to kill everyone on their hit list (or learns they are on the hit list of another).

73. Two best friends/siblings/rivals fall in love with the same person unwilling to choose between them so that a contest ensues . . . until the Protagonist discovers the lover no sincere lover at all but someone from their past who planned it all and is manipulating them into murder out of spite.

74. A culpable Protagonist is forced to save a trapped group of people from being killed by a monster she inadvertently unleashed.

75. A uniquely special Protagonist must defeat an opponent with stronger capabilities by using the same powers that disconnect him from the people he hopes to save.

76. The Protagonist is kidnapped and forced to pretend loving the kidnapper . . . then actually falls in love with them, and protects them when others come to the Protagonist’s rescue seeking to punish the kidnapper.

77. A person unrecognizable to the Protagonist after being away for many years turns out to be the one who murdered then is impersonating them after the suspicious Protagonist investigates but nobody will believe them.

78. The Protagonist enters a tournament for its precious prize and discovers a sinister ulterior purpose instead.

79. The Protagonist fakes an illness to get out of some minor obligation then must continue the charade or be exposed.

80. The Antagonist manipulates the Protagonist into doing something bad by poisoning and refusing them the only antidote until the task is accomplished.

81. When a character can’t fight something bad, they build something worse to scare it away . . . and now the Protagonist must fight the new and worse menace.

82. The Protagonist is tricked into searching for a nonexistent thing while the Antagonist meddles behind their distracted back.

83. A character contracts a terrible illness but refuses treatment for it, and instead accepts one last, defining quest before they die to punctuate their limited life and hires the Protagonist to chronicle it.

84. The Rapture turns out to be an alien species’ mass harvest of humans (for eating, or slavery, or whatnot).

85. The unwilling Protagonist is forced to accompany another person (usually famous) on a harrowing journey who, after defeating the Antagonist together, reveals their choosing of the Protagonist to continue their legacy, the journey itself their test of the Protagonist’s worth.

86. A disabled Protagonist is forced into action and through it proves their disability not the flaw they believe but an unexpected virtue.

87. Members of a gang of criminals orchestrate a plan to free their incarcerated leader from prison before the public execution.

88. The Protagonist enters a secret competition of likeminded others possessing equal skills, all of them intent on proving themselves the best at their particular trade while eliminating the competition.

89. The blackmailed Protagonist must recover the stolen evidence of their guilt and destroy it before the Antagonist exposes them, all the while performing horrible tasks for the lording Antagonist.

90. A reclusive Protagonist develops a strong bond of friendship with an animal they once hunted or hunts them (either by saving the injured animal or the animal saving the injured Protagonist) then survive together against opposing forces until one of them dies through self-sacrifice for the other, leaving the griever changed thereafter.

91. The ruling elite create a global pandemic and force the population into accepting their vaccine which really injects alien DNA into the panicked subjects from the elite’s true alien masters.

92. The human ‘immortal’ gene is discovered and stern population control instituted thereafter by the government, as well these ‘immortal’ humans must now feed on human blood instead of plants and animals.

93. An innocent Protagonist’s only way to defeat the prejudices of a group is to change himself without losing what made him the group’s target of disdain in the first place: his uniqueness.

94. Two spies become lovers then are ordered to assassinate the other or else both of them will die.

95. The Protagonist discovers a secret location that only appears or is accessible for certain periods of time then enters its incredible new world proving the mirror opposite of all that they knew as true.

96. A covetous Protagonist must learn to undo a spell he wished for before it turns into a curse he can’t undo.

97. The desperate Protagonist borrows from the wrong people and must pay it back in trade of crimes or else lose everything they love.

98. Contesting theocracies replace all political governments, and holy wars ensue while each religious populous seeks sole dominance in the name of their ‘true’ god.

99. An object to obtain and limited time to obtain it.

!BONUS!

100. The Antagonist attempts to eliminate all differences between a people through Communism, which never works as proven throughout all of recorded human history, until the unique Protagonist thwarts the tyranny (usually through inspirational public martyrdom) while proving to the waking masses that our individualism is what makes us a special and free society.

The Ultimate Master Plot Formula . . . or How to Math your Novel

A plethora of plot formulas exist for writers of every genre, too many to count and all of them different in various ways. I’ve presented plenty of them. But the beauty of life is that proven methods evolve and improve through continued use because such is the wonderful wonders of evolution.

So here we’ll go over my evolved Master Plot Formula, the evolved Love Story Subplot Formula, and how to combine them into the Ultimate Master Plot Formula.

(The Evolved Master Plot Formula)

-ACT 1 (Flaw)-

1. Old World Stasis: The Protagonist’s ordinary world of home, work, and social life where stasis = death. Because if nothing changes then they will continue to live their unfulfilling existence. Here you present the Protagonist’s dominating character flaw needing fixed through the exchange of its opposite virtue that will complete them.

2. Inciting Incident: The Protagonist’s first introduction to the central story conflict through a major problem or big opportunity influencing their world in as permanent a way as possible caused by the Antagonist while also establishing the Protagonist’s desire which is dominated by one of three potential outcomes: Possession of something, Relief from something, or Revenge for something. The Inciting Incident also tests the Protagonist’s character flaw, proving its burden upon them though at this point they don’t acknowledge it yet.

3. New World Flux: The conflicted Protagonist strives for balance in their newly disrupted world as they debate what can and should be done about the major problem or big opportunity of the Inciting Incident while clinging to their character flaw.

4. Pressure to Proceed: But people are lazy and tend to avoid conflict by instinct unless necessary, so the Protagonist attempts to avoid the consequences of the Inciting Incident impacting their influenced life, often trying to ignore it while hoping another character deals with it instead, but pressure surmounts until they have no choice but to face it themselves.

5. Physical Crossing: The Protagonist finally decides to act and usually physically leaves their old world of restrictions behind for the new world of possibilities ahead. The Physical Crossing (its parallel scene the Spiritual Crossing) is the link connecting Act 1 and Act 2, and it is a collapsing bridge of No Return. Once this bridge is crossed, the Protagonist cannot return home again until the story’s main conflict is resolved or else they’ll live an even more miserable stasis = death existence.

-ACT 2A (Flaw vs. Virtue)-

6. Things Come Together: The fish-out-of-water Protagonist makes new friends and enemies while shedding old flaws (though not their dominant flaw) for new virtues (or its fulfilling opposite virtue) as they progress toward resolving the central story conflict. Several forms of training also commence, testing the developing Protagonist’s new skills and relationships.

7. Pinch Point: The Antagonist flexes their muscles in a minor way (and usually indirectly through a minion) against the Protagonist, having realized something minor disrupting their ‘evil’ plans.

8. Betrayal Set-up: Someone trusted who is jealous of or dislikes the Protagonist schemes their future ruin behind the scenes.

9. False Victory: Working together as a team, the Protagonist and Allies achieve their biggest success yet toward resolving the central story conflict though not the central conflict itself while earning the full attention of the Antagonist and their frustrated minions. At this point it is clear to both Protagonist and Antagonist that the other is the main obstacle standing in their way to success and needs be removed.

10. Midpoint Twist: A stunning revelation and reversal of fortune causes the momentum shift of the Protagonist from reaction to proaction against the Antagonist.

*#’s 7 and 8 are interchangeable depending upon your particular story.

-ACT 2B (Virtue vs. Flaw)-

11. Things Fall Apart: The Protagonist’s team of Allies suffers internal dissension as external enemies close in.

12. Punch Point: The Antagonist flexes their muscles in a major way against the Protagonist.

13. Betrayal Pay-off: The Protagonist is stabbed in the back at the worst moment.

14. False Defeat: Someone dies and/or something precious is taken from the Protagonist during this the Antagonist’s false victory where all seems lost in this the Protagonist’s lowest point thus far.

15. Spiritual Crossing: The depressed Protagonist is struck with the inspirational epiphany to continue one last (and usually suicidal) assault against the Antagonist. The Spiritual Crossing (its parallel scene the Physical Crossing) is the link connecting Act 2 and Act 3. This is another collapsing bridge of No Return, and crossing this bridge makes possible or inevitable the final confrontation between Protagonist and Antagonist as well its resolution of the story’s main conflict.

-ACT 3 (Virtue overcomes Flaw)-

16. Tool Up: The determined Protagonist gathers the necessary tools for the task ahead while making amends with Allies and inspiring them into rejoining the cause.

17. False Solution: All remaining subplots outside the Protagonist are resolved as the surviving Allies of the Protagonist and the minions of the Antagonist are eliminated.

18. Separation: The Protagonist is separated from all remaining Allies so they can face the Antagonist one-on-one as only the unique Protagonist can.

19. True Resolution: The Protagonist defeats the Antagonist or dies trying.

20. Aftermath: The immediate effects of the Protagonist’s victory or defeat.


**The Kickers: All Protagonists must achieve character growth throughout and because of the adversity of their story. As the writer it’s your job to “kick” them toward that character growth, and here’s how:

ACT 1 Kicker: Somewhere during Act 1 your Protagonist demonstrates their emotional shield earned from a past traumatic event they carry around to protect them from future harm. Show don’t tell the Protagonist hiding behind the false safety of their emotional shield they have no intention of discarding.

ACT 2A Kicker: Somewhere during the first half of Act 2 either the Protagonist or someone close to the Protagonist notices the hindrance of their emotional shield weighing them down and expresses as much through dialogue, forcing the Protagonist to question the true value of their emotional shield and the scary possibility of living without it.

Midpoint Twist Kicker: Somewhere during the Midpoint Twist the Protagonist battles against maintaining hold of their emotional shield growing heavier as the central story conflict progresses. Here they briefly set the shield aside and for it we catch a glimpse of who they will become without it in a daring display of potential, though this moment is fleeting because they have not yet achieved their full character growth so they pick their emotional shield back up and hide behind it again out of habitual practice.

ACT 2B Kicker: Somewhere during the second half of Act 2 the Protagonist overcomes the heavy burden of their emotional shield, finally lays it down as the false protection they realize it for and steps away from it as a changed character.

ACT 3 Kicker: But change is a scary process, so somewhere during Act 3 the Protagonist briefly regresses and picks up their emotional shield, but now it proves too heavy a burden and doesn’t offer them protection as the changed Protagonist they’ve become so they throw it aside forever and achieve full character growth.


The premise of 99% of love stories is simple: love conquers all. You prove this premise by taking the loveless Protagonist from Hole-hearted in Act 1 to Whole-hearted in Act 3. And you accomplish this puttying of their fractured heart by inserting the Love Interest into their life.

(The Evolved Love Story Subplot Formula)

-ACT 1 (Hole-hearted)-

1. Hole-hearted 1: Introduce the loveless Protagonist.

2. Hole-hearted 2: Introduce the loveless Love Interest.

3. Meet Cute: Protagonist and Love Interest meet for the first time (at least on page, though they may know each other from before during backstory) with shared though unspoken attraction.

4. Never Mind: But their opposing points of view and conflicting personalities divide them.

5. Are You Kidding Me?: Yet they are forced to interact together from here on in, linked by fate and possibly working toward achieving a common goal though through different methods of attack (or, perhaps and rarer, conflicting while each attempts to achieve an opposing goal to the other).

-ACT 2A (Falling in Love)-

6. Whatever: Both Protagonist and Love Interest voice their distaste for the other while working together, and agree to disagree for the sake of the common goal.

7. You Too?: Common bonds and beliefs flourish through their discovery of shared interests.

8. Mutual Attraction: Undeniable temptations fester during several uncomfortable situations they find themselves together in.

9. Sexual Frustrations: Pent sexual frustrations strive for the surface while causing false conflicts between them because both refuse to admit their attractions aloud.

10. Sex at 60: Protagonist and Love Interest surrender to their overwhelming passions and have sex (or for the kiddies share their first kiss) while proclaiming their mutual desires for each other.

-ACT 2B (Retreating from Love)-

11. Sucker Punch: Their personalities conflict, because sex doesn’t fix their opposing methods of attack.

12. Splinter: Deepening doubts of their new relationship burgeon from their misplaced fears as previously shown in Act 1 why they lived loveless in the first place.

13. Fear vs. Love: Both voice their fears of being hurt again to protect their guarded hearts.

14. Projection: Suspicions (especially so those carried from previous failed relationships) prove true—or so they believe while manifesting their fears upon the other. If men always leave her then he leaves her now. If women always cheat then he assumes she has even if she hasn’t.

15. Break Up: They break up while retreating into fear, and usually go their separate ways to achieve the common goal alone.

-ACT 3 (Whole-hearted)-

16. 1 Is The Loneliest Number: Lonely despair intrudes, the bleak world grey and not so bright; both are miserable and incomplete, even worse than when they started.

17. Inspiration: One of them lingers in the clinging grips of fear while the other chooses love over fear and aims to prove it.

18. Grand Gesture: Either the Protagonist or the Love Interest proves to the other through a courageous act that they’ve chosen love regardless the consequences.

19. Whole-hearted: The Protagonist and Love Interest reunite in requited love proving all the stronger because love conquers all.

20. Happily Ever After: Holding hands and kissing during a beautiful sunset, together all that matters, while promises of their future together flourish between the happy couple restored in stronger glory.

*Or the tragic end . . .

17. Epiphany: The despairing Protagonist refuses to accept blame and clings tighter to their flaw deepening into fault as fear dominates. Unrequited love turns to obsession so that they devise a scheme to force the Love Interest into loving them.

18. Errant Gesture: The Protagonist attempts to force the Love Interest into loving them regardless the consequences but the Love Interest refuses.

19. Tortured Soul: The failing Protagonist is driven mad by the Love Interest’s rejection and so lashes out while harming them in some way out of spite, either emotionally, physically, or both (and possibly killing them or causing their death).

20. Unhappily Ever After: The lonely Protagonist flounders in misery, their future bleak.

**I’ve included this slight Tragedy alteration as an alternative to the typical course, though remember that 99% of Love Story Subplots end as Comedy which is why it is the most referenced here, same as Protagonist triumph over Antagonist.


Understand that almost all of these suggested plot points can be written as separate scenes unto themselves though, more usual, plenty of them should be combined. Such as Old World Stasis and Hole-hearted 1, combining both introductions of your Protagonist as is obvious logic because you cannot introduce the Protagonist twice to the reader.

Next you take out your trusty pack of index cards, title them one to each of your scenes, then describe the specific purpose of each scene as according to your particular story in one concise, descriptive sentence per index card.
*I suggest spending at least a week or two on this index card plotting process (spending as much time per day on it as you normally would writing) since through this method you are planting the crux of your novel’s Mother Root from which everything of its story branches and blooms. I also suggest making doubles and triples of each index card so you can arrange and rearrange them while eliminating the bad ideas which are usually the first ones that come to your mind. Remember: the first ideas that come to your mind while plotting might parallel the first presumptions that come to the reader’s mind while reading, and that removes all unpredictability from your story. Nothing ruins a story more than being able to guess what happens next before it happens.

Now you’re going to math your novel.
And how do you accomplish that?
Decide upon then take your novel’s desired total word count, divide it by your total number of scenes, and there you’ll have an estimated word count per scene as well a good expectation of how long it will take you to finish writing that pesky first draft.
And remember to stick to the #1 rule of assured writing productivity: Write first, Edit last.
Most writers fail through incomplete manuscripts because they’ll spend a couple hours each session writing then spend twice as many going back and editing everything they’ve just written. But you can always edit later once your first draft is finished. And you need to acknowledge that editing your manuscript before its first draft is even finished is futile at best. Changes you make now you may and probably will have to revise again because something inspiring only occurs to you several chapters later. Don’t spin your wheels. Write and keep writing and don’t look back until your first draft is finished. Only then should you edit . . . which will be all the easier once you put all those words to page.
Adhere to the absolute law of sure writing progress: write at least 1,000 words per day, every day, because diligence is the skeleton key to unlocking the finished novel.

But let’s rehash a moment, shall we?
Aristotle claimed all stories can be categorized and condensed as either Comedy (happy ending) or Tragedy (sad ending).
First, decide your Protagonist’s dominant character flaw and thus its opposing virtue.
Now, decide if your story is a Comedy (and most common; the Protagonist makes the most significant change in terms of their dominant flaw, and thus they learn and embrace its opposing virtue in the end) or a Tragedy (and least common; the Protagonist fails to change from their flaw most significantly and therefore fails to gain their potential virtue in the end because they embrace their opposing flaw ever tighter into fault).
Now decide the outcome of their Love Story Subplot, if they “get the girl” at the end (Comedy; and most common) or “lose the girl” at the end (Tragedy; and least common).
In basic terms your Protagonist’s main character arc is either from Flaw to Virtue (Comedy) or from Flaw to Fault (Tragedy), and your Protagonist’s Love Story Subplot character arc is either from Hole-hearted to Whole-hearted (Comedy) or from Hole-hearted to Tortured Soul (Tragedy).
But remember, these two options provide multiple outcomes and just because you choose Comedy for your Protagonist’s main character arc does not mean you must also choose Comedy as their Love Story Subplot arc. You can choose both character arcs as Comedies, or both as Tragedies, or a combination of Comedy and Tragedy. Like so:

-Example A: Comedy (the Protagonist achieves the story goal and ends up better off than when they started)-
1. main character arc: Comedy
2. subplot character arc: Comedy

-Example B: Comi-tragedy (the Protagonist achieves the story goal but ends up worse off than when they started)-
1. main character arc: Comedy
2. subplot character arc: Tragedy

-Example C: Tragi-comedy (the Protagonist fails to achieve the story goal but ends up better off than when they started)-
1. main character arc: Tragedy
2. subplot character arc: Comedy

-Example D: tragic outcome (the Protagonist fails to achieve the story goal and ends up worse off than when they started)-
1. main character arc: Tragedy
2. subplot character arc: Tragedy


Goals are important because they provide you a finish line to travel toward.
And you accomplish this by mathing your novel then dividing and conquering it.
First we choose an approximate total word count for your novel-to-be. For this example we’ll work with 80,000 total words because that provides a nice average length of novel.
Next we divide that intimidating 80,000 total word count into four smaller writing chunks:

Act 1: 20,000
Act 2A: 20,000
Act 2B: 20,000
Act 3: 20,000

Then we divide these into eight even smaller writing segments:

-Act 1-
1. Old World Stasis: 10,000
2. New World Flux: 10,000

-Act 2A-
3. Things Come Together: 10,000
4. False Victory: 10,000

-Act 2B-
5. Things Fall Apart: 10,000
6. False Defeat: 10,000

-Act 3-
7. False Solution: 10,000
8. True Resolution: 10,000

Now we divide these into even smaller plot points:

-Act 1-
1. Old World Stasis: 4,000
2. Inciting Incident: 4,000
3. New World Flux: 4,000
4. Pressure to Proceed: 4,000
5. Physical Crossing: 4,000

-Act 2A-
6. Things Come Together: 4,000
7. Pinch Point: 4,000
8. Betrayal Set-up: 4,000
9. False Victory: 4,000
10. Midpoint Twist: 4,000

-Act 2B-
11. Things Fall Apart: 4,000
12. Punch Point: 4,000
13. Betrayal Pay-off: 4,000
14. False Defeat: 4,000
15. Spiritual Crossing: 4,000

-Act 3-
16. Tool Up: 4,000
17. False Solution: 4,000
18. Separation: 4,000
19. True Resolution: 4,000
20. Aftermath: 4,000

Lastly we add the integral Kickers as well interweave the Love Story Subplot while dividing this conglomeration of our promising story into the smallest writing scenes.
Also, we don’t forget to add a few scenes from the Antagonist’s point of view unfiltered by the Protagonist’s biased perspective because there’s nothing worse than a static, unrelatable Antagonist, as well remember that if your Protagonist’s main story is Comedy then your Antagonist’s story is Tragedy.

The Ultimate Master Plot Formula

(M = main plot, K = Kickers, S = subplot, and A = Antagonist P.O.V.)

-ACT 1 (Flaw / Hole-hearted)-

1. (M) Old World Stasis: The Protagonist’s ordinary world of home, work, and social life where stasis = death. Because if nothing changes then they will continue to live their unfulfilling existence. Here you present the Protagonist’s dominating character flaw needing fixed through the exchange of its opposite virtue that will complete them.

2. (S) Hole-hearted 1: Introduce the loveless Protagonist.

3. (K) Act 1 Kicker: Somewhere during Act 1 your Protagonist demonstrates their emotional shield earned from a past traumatic event they carry around to protect them from future harm. Show don’t tell the Protagonist hiding behind the false safety of their emotional shield they have no intention of discarding.

4. (S) Hole-hearted 2: Introduce the loveless Love Interest.

5. (M) Inciting Incident: The Protagonist’s first introduction to the central story conflict through a major problem or big opportunity influencing their world in as permanent a way as possible caused by the Antagonist while also establishing the Protagonist’s desire which is dominated by one of three potential outcomes: Possession of something, Relief from something, or Revenge for something. The Inciting Incident also tests the Protagonist’s character flaw, proving its burden upon them though at this point they don’t acknowledge it yet.

6. (M) New World Flux: The conflicted Protagonist strives for balance in their newly disrupted world as they debate what can and should be done about the major problem or big opportunity of the Inciting Incident while clinging to their character flaw.

7. (S) Meet Cute: Protagonist and Love Interest meet for the first time (at least on page, though they may know each other from before during backstory) with shared though unspoken attraction.

8. (S) Never Mind: But the Protagonist’s and Love Interest’s opposing points of view and conflicting personalities divide them.

9. (M) Pressure to Proceed: But people are lazy and tend to avoid conflict by instinct unless necessary, so the Protagonist attempts to avoid the consequences of the Inciting Incident impacting their influenced life, often trying to ignore it while hoping another character deals with it instead, but pressure surmounts until they have no choice but to face it themselves.

10. (S) Are You Kidding Me?: Yet the Protagonist and Love Interest are forced to interact together from here on in, linked by fate and possibly working toward achieving a common goal though through different methods of attack (or, perhaps and rarer, conflicting while each attempts to achieve an opposing goal to the other).

11. (M) Physical Crossing: The Protagonist finally decides to act and usually physically leaves their old world of restrictions behind for the new world of possibilities ahead. The Physical Crossing (its parallel scene the Spiritual Crossing) is the link connecting Act 1 and Act 2, and it is a collapsing bridge of No Return. Once this bridge is crossed, the Protagonist cannot return home again until the story’s main conflict is resolved or else they’ll live an even more miserable stasis = death existence.

12. (A) Antagonist P.O.V. 1: The Antagonist’s point of view and their ongoing plans unfiltered by the Protagonist’s biased perspective; their reaction to and action against the Protagonist’s current progress.

-ACT 2A (Flaw vs. Virtue / Falling in Love)-

13. (M) Things Come Together: The fish-out-of-water Protagonist makes new friends and enemies while shedding old flaws (though not their dominant flaw) for new virtues (or its fulfilling opposite virtue) as they progress toward resolving the central story conflict. Several forms of training also commence, testing the developing Protagonist’s new skills and relationships.

14. (S) Whatever: Both Protagonist and Love Interest voice their distaste for the other while working together, and agree to disagree for the sake of the common goal.

15. (K) Act 2A Kicker: Somewhere during the first half of Act 2 either the Protagonist or someone close to the Protagonist notices the hindrance of their emotional shield weighing them down and expresses as much through dialogue, forcing the Protagonist to question the true value of their emotional shield and the scary possibility of living without it.

16. (S) You Too?: Common bonds and beliefs flourish through the Protagonist’s and Love Interest’s discovery of shared interests.

17. (A) Antagonist P.O.V. 2: The Antagonist’s point of view and their ongoing plans unfiltered by the Protagonist’s biased perspective; their reaction to and action against the Protagonist’s current progress.

18. (M) Pinch Point: The Antagonist flexes their muscles in a minor way (and usually indirectly through a minion) against the Protagonist, having realized something minor disrupting their ‘evil’ plans.

19. (S) Mutual Attraction: Undeniable temptations fester during several uncomfortable situations the Protagonist and Love Interest find themselves together in.

20. (M) Betrayal Set-up: Someone trusted who is jealous of or dislikes the Protagonist schemes their future ruin behind the scenes.

21. (S) Sexual Frustrations: Pent sexual frustrations strive for the surface while causing false conflicts between Protagonist and Love Interest because both refuse to admit their attractions aloud.

22. (M) False Victory: Working together as a team, the Protagonist and Allies achieve their biggest success yet toward resolving the central story conflict though not the central conflict itself while earning the full attention of the Antagonist and their frustrated minions. At this point it is clear to both Protagonist and Antagonist that the other is the main obstacle standing in their way to success and needs be removed.

23. (S) Sex at 60: Protagonist and Love Interest surrender to their overwhelming passions and have sex (or for the kiddies share their first kiss) while proclaiming their mutual desires for each other.

24. (M) Midpoint Twist: A stunning revelation and reversal of fortune causes the momentum shift of the Protagonist from reaction to proaction against the Antagonist.

25. (K) Midpoint Twist Kicker: Somewhere during the Midpoint Twist the Protagonist battles against maintaining hold of their emotional shield growing heavier as the central story conflict progresses. Here they briefly set the shield aside and for it we catch a glimpse of who they will become without it in a daring display of potential, though this moment is fleeting because they have not yet achieved their full character growth so they pick their emotional shield back up and hide behind it again out of habitual practice.

-ACT 2B (Virtue vs. Flaw / Retreating from Love)-

26. (A) Antagonist P.O.V. 3: The Antagonist’s point of view and their ongoing plans unfiltered by the Protagonist’s biased perspective; their reaction to and action against the Protagonist’s current progress.

27. (S) Sucker Punch: The Protagonist’s and Love Interest’s personalities conflict, because sex doesn’t fix their opposing methods of attack.

28. (M) Things Fall Apart: The Protagonist’s team of Allies suffers internal dissension as external enemies close in.

29. (S) Splinter: Deepening doubts of their new relationship burgeon from the Protagonist’s and Love Interest’s misplaced fears as previously shown in Act 1 why they lived loveless in the first place.

30. (S) Fear vs. Love: Both Protagonist and Love Interest voice their fears of being hurt again to protect their guarded hearts.

31. (S) Projection: Suspicions (especially so those carried from previous failed relationships) prove true—or so the Protagonist and Love Interest believe while manifesting their fears upon the other. If men always leave her then he leaves her now. If women always cheat then he assumes she has even if she hasn’t.

32. (M) Punch Point: The Antagonist flexes their muscles in a major way against the Protagonist.

33. (M) Betrayal Pay-off: The Protagonist is stabbed in the back at the worst moment.

34. (S) Break Up: The Protagonist and Love Interest break up while retreating into fear, and usually go their separate ways to achieve the common goal alone.

35. (M) False Defeat: Someone dies and/or something precious is taken from the Protagonist during this the Antagonist’s false victory where all seems lost in this the Protagonist’s lowest point thus far.

36. (A) Antagonist P.O.V. 4: The Antagonist’s point of view and their ongoing plans unfiltered by the Protagonist’s biased perspective; their reaction to and action against the Protagonist’s current progress.

37. (K) Act 2B Kicker: Somewhere during the second half of Act 2 the Protagonist overcomes the heavy burden of their emotional shield, finally lays it down as the false protection they realize it for and steps away from it as a changed character.

38. (M) Spiritual Crossing: The depressed Protagonist is struck with the inspirational epiphany to continue one last (and usually suicidal) assault against the Antagonist. The Spiritual Crossing (its parallel scene the Physical Crossing) is the link connecting Act 2 and Act 3. This is another collapsing bridge of No Return, and crossing this bridge makes possible or inevitable the final confrontation between Protagonist and Antagonist as well its resolution of the story’s main conflict.

-ACT 3 (Virtue overcomes Flaw / Whole-hearted)-

39. (S) 1 is the Loneliest Number: Lonely despair intrudes, the bleak world grey and not so bright; both Protagonist and Love Interest are miserable and incomplete, even worse than when they started.

40. (S) Inspiration: One of them (Protagonist or Love Interest) lingers in the clinging grips of fear while the other chooses love over fear and aims to prove it.

41. (M) Tool Up: The determined Protagonist gathers the necessary tools for the task ahead while making amends with Allies and inspiring them into rejoining the cause.

42. (A) Antagonist P.O.V. 5: The Antagonist’s point of view and their ongoing plans unfiltered by the Protagonist’s biased perspective; their reaction to and action against the Protagonist’s current progress.

43. (M) False Solution: All remaining subplots outside the Protagonist are resolved as the surviving Allies of the Protagonist and the minions of the Antagonist are eliminated.

44. (S) Grand Gesture: Either the Protagonist or the Love Interest proves to the other through a courageous act that they’ve chosen love regardless the consequences.

45. (S) Whole-hearted: The Protagonist and Love Interest reunite in requited love proving all the stronger because love conquers all.

46. (M) Separation: The Protagonist is separated from all remaining Allies so they can face the Antagonist one-on-one as only the unique Protagonist can.

47. (K) Act 3 Kicker: But change is a scary process, so somewhere during Act 3 the Protagonist briefly regresses and picks up their emotional shield, but now it proves too heavy a burden and doesn’t offer them protection as the changed Protagonist they’ve become so they throw it aside forever and achieve full character growth.

48. (M) True Resolution: The Protagonist defeats the Antagonist or dies trying.

49. (M) Aftermath: The immediate effects of the Protagonist’s victory or defeat.

50. (S) Happily Ever After: Holding hands and kissing during a beautiful sunset, together all that matters, while promises of the Protagonist’s and Love Interest’s future together flourish between the happy couple restored in stronger glory.


*Please note that your unique plot formula will be different depending on your particular story’s application, its order of scenes and chapters, its pace and flow, as well the characters and events involved. My example is only for ease of reference. Also note that some of the exampled scenes will and should be combined, again depending on your particular story, and that you may choose fewer or more Antagonist point of view scenes to inject into your unique master plot formula.

So . . . 80,000 total words divided by 50 scenes = 1,600 words per scene.
If you commit yourself to writing just one scene per day that’s 50 days from plotted outline (remember those trusty index cards!) to finished first draft. After which you return to page one and begin meticulous editing, also working on at least one scene per day for another 50 days.
100 days from start to finish ain’t so bad.
(But let’s say you’re a busy beaver working two jobs while maintaining a house full of rambunctious kids, and that 1,600 words per day is just too much to squeeze into your packed schedule even after going to sleep a half hour later each night and waking up a half hour earlier each morning to grant you that precious one hour of writing per day. Okay, then split the 1,600 difference while breaking the 1,000 words minimum per day rule though sticking to it as close as you can and write half a scene per day at 800 words. This still allows you 100 days for a finished first draft and 200 days for the edited final draft).
Don’t forget: even at writing only 1,000 words per day, this allows any diligent writer to complete the first draft of a 365,000-word novel per year. Suddenly all those tired excuses as to why your puny-by-comparison 80,000-word novel remains unfinished cling to your tongue unspoken, huh?
And when you’re done you’ll wonder why it takes some authors so long to write their darn novels (here’s looking at you Patrick Rothfuss and George R. R. Martin).


As to that last bit . . . here’s a parting rant on authors who write series:

I have to say this because it’s a festering irritation that’s been stuck in my craw for years not just as a writer but more so a reader.
Some writers spend a ridiculous amount of time between novels, and worse they often lash out at their fans while claiming they owe them nothing after asked when the next novel in their beloved series is coming out.
In 2009, Neil Gaiman informed a fan that “writers and artists aren’t machines” and George R. R. Martin was “not your bitch” for having spent years writing the fifth Game of Thrones book, A Dance with Dragons (which wouldn’t be published for another two).
Others have also defended Patrick Rothfuss in similar fashion (especially so his taint-licking sycophants) while labeling his curious fans as ‘entitled’ and ‘undeserving’. Before Patrick published The Name of the Wind in 2007, the first novel in his Kingkiller Chronicle series, he made the mistake of boasting the trilogy already finished and stated it would be published with a year between each novel. This proved bad form while inviting deserved criticism because many of his readers only bought his first novel because of his promise (a lot of readers prefer to wait until a series is finished before investing their time and money because nobody wants to read an unfinished series . . . or fear that the elder author or reader will die before the series is completed—yes, this is a thing).
Patrick has also yelled at and cussed out several of his fans publicly just for asking about his next book, and even told one to “Fuck off” between wasting his time tweeting or streaming video games online instead of actually writing. His sequel, The Wise Man’s Fear, was published in 2011, and the final novel in his Kingkiller Chronicle trilogy, pending title Doors of Stone, has yet to be released—it’s been over 10 years as I write this since the second novel, and over 14 since the first.
It’s understandable to spend a few years between writing novels, especially so those of longer than average lengths such as with typical fantasy tomes, but 10 or more?
You’re a writer! What the hell are you doing all day if you’re not writing?
Procrastinating writers like George R. R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss have become running internet jokes because of the ridiculous amounts of time they spend between published novels in their series. If you don’t believe me then just type Pat’s name into the urban dictionary and you’ll get the following definition: “A person who starts a great thing but can never finish it. In other words, the worst kind of asshole.”
There are, of course, revered writers contrary to Pat’s and George’s lazy ilk such as Brandon Sanderson who not only appreciate their fans but also prove themselves the diligent workhorse (Brandon not only finished Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, he churns out great novels and multiple series like they’re going out of style).
So not to pick on Neil or Pat or George too much more . . . but yes, you arrogant douchebags, you do owe your fans, because without their loyal and monetary support you wouldn’t have a career. Choke down some humble pie, stop being such miserable pricks about the profession you chose to pursue in life, and be thankful anybody even cares about the interesting lies you call story.
You are living the dream 99% of other writers aspire to: being able to write full-time while its wealth supports and sustains you.
As a writer, when you publish the first novel in a series you enter a silent pact with your readers that you will continue writing and eventually finish your series in a timely manner out of respect to your readers. Your fans spend their hard-earned money on and their precious time reading your work when they don’t have to, because there are a million other novels out there to read but they chose yours.
I point this out because plot formulas are proof that if you spend an exorbitant amount of years between novels in your series then you are being just plain lazy and unappreciative. And worse, you’re proving that you obviously don’t care about the fans who made you. As a result you and only you are responsible for turning once-loyal fans away who out of understandable spite vow never to waste their money buying or their time reading anything by you ever again, let alone the bad word of mouth they spread about your unappreciative laziness to other potential readers.
Sure you’re the one doing all the writing work, and yes that takes time, but without readers you’re just a nobody writing shit that never gets read.
So the next time someone asks you when the next novel in your series is coming out, instead of yelling at them to “Fuck off” like a miserable douchebag, be grateful and thank them for caring.

(*note: I don’t know Neil or Pat or George personally, nor have I ever met any of them because I’m a reclusive hermit, and I know it may seem as if I’m picking on Pat especially, but I do so because he is the perfect example of how not to treat your fans. And if Pat in particular ever reads this . . . know that I would take great satisfaction in bitch-slapping you upside your bearded Hagrid-from-Harry-Potter-looking face if I ever do run into you if only because of the terrible way you treat your readers).

The only thing that pisses me off more than squandered talent is those who rudely dismiss its praises from adulating others who adore it.
Writers write.
It’s what we do because our writing passion is an integral part of who we are as human beings.
And as The Rock has so eloquently said, “Know your role and shut your mouth!”

End rant.

It's Raining Plots! . . . or There's More than One Way to Skin a Story

Sometimes plot formulas are short, crisp, and easy to please . . . such as Rod Serling’s simple Twilight Zone plot formula: ordinary people forced to confront extraordinary circumstances that conclude with a big twist of fate (deserved, undeserved, or ironic).


Or the proven classic ten-word Quest plot formula: an object to obtain and limited time to obtain it.

Though we can always extrapolate the basic Quest plot formula with Lester Dent’s ingenious take on it: 60,000 total words per novel, divided into four sections of 15,000 words, six chapters in each section, no chapter longer than 2,500 words.

*Each chapter must contain elements that advance the action (with a dire event occurring every four pages) while presenting the familiar tale of a fallible and reluctant hero who tries to avoid responsibility but ends up being pitted against vastly superior, even superhuman forces all while multiple people compete in a quest to gain a much-sought-after object or MacGuffin such as the Holy Grail, the Maltese Falcon, the gold of El Dorado, blah blah blah.
And don’t forget the “Only six days to save the world! Then five days, then four . . . then hours . . . then thirty seconds!” time-clock ticking away throughout the story while providing constant increasing tension.

**You can also pair Lester Dent's proven plot formula with Derek Murphy's 24 Chapter Novel Writing Template (to which I’ve added a minor bit of personal tinkering):

Act 1: Hero and Ordinary World
1. Really Bad Day: Ordinary world, empathy, conflict. Show flaw and lack. Want, Problem, Need.
2. Something Peculiar: Something unique or strange happens, but they dismiss it.
3. Grasping at Straws: Trying to regain control of ordinary world but setbacks mount.
4. (Inciting Incident) Call to Adventure: Something extraordinarily different happens they can’t ignore. Major setback.
5. Head in Sand: The new interrupts the old and causes conflict. Reveals dissatisfaction with ordinary.
6. Pull out Rug: Trying to fix ordinary world problems while resisting the lure of the supernatural world . . . until they accept their role, prepare then leave 'home' (Point of No Return).

Act 2A: Exploring the New World
7. Enemies & Allies: Explore new world; meet characters, find their place and role. Introduce all main characters.
8. Games & Trials: Struggle to belong. Frustration and doubt. Trials and challenges. Promise of premise.
9. Earning Respect: Small victory as lead proves capable. Fun and games. Begrudging acceptance.
10. (First Battle) Forces of Evil: Stakes are raised, antagonists revealed.
11. Problem Revealed: Surprise problem or situation. Demanding answers.
12. Truth & Ultimatum: New information, vulnerable share. In or out? (Midpoint shift of lead from Reaction to Proaction).

Act 2B: Bad Guys Close In
13. Mirror Stage: Self-realization or a discovery. Victim to Warrior.
14. Plan of Attack: Plan of action to thwart antagonist’s forces or overcome main problem.
15. Crucial Role: Trusted with an important task.
16. (Second Battle) Direct Conflict: They execute the plan, and come into direct conflict with antagonist’s forces.
17. Surprise Failure: The plan goes horribly wrong, faulty information or assumption. Consequences.
18. Shocking Revelation: The antagonist’s full plan/true identity is revealed. Stakes are raised. Guilt and anger (Dark Night of the Soul).

Act 3: Defeat and Victory
19. Giving Up: Lead loses confidence; the forces are too great. What they want is unattainable.
20. Pep Talk: Encouragement from ally or inspirational source. Vulnerable share, inclusion. What’s at stake; choice.
21. Seizing the Sword: Deliberate choice to continue, even if slim chance of success.
22. (Final Battle) Ultimate Defeat: Triumph of Villain. All hope is lost. Confront fatal flaw.
23. Unexpected Victory: Secret weapon or ability, deep resolve, new understanding, unlikely ally. Remove glass shard. Sacrifice.
24. Bittersweet Return: Temporary victory. Innocents saved. How far they’ve come. Return to the ordinary world (Rebirth) in death of former self from ambition to service. Acknowledgment ceremony.

Sometimes plot formulas contain just a feather-tickling touch to the balls more detail while focusing on your protagonist’s and antagonist’s internal conflict over external plot:

-Protagonist-
1. a Problem (or flaw needing fixed)
2. a Want (or goal they pursue)
3. a Need (or life lesson to be learned)

-Antagonist-
4. a Motive (or reason for contesting against the protagonist)
5. an Opportunity (or how they arrive at doing it)


Or something so simple as the basic Love Story plot formula:

Act 1: boy meets girl
Act 2a: boy gets girl
Act 2b: boy loses girl
Act 3: boy gets girl back


Or they can present just a smidge more detail, as with Terry Goodkind’s basic plot formula (*note that this is a relevant parody of Terry’s ‘Sword of Truth’ series of works and not from the author himself):

Each novel has a Magical Problem which instigates the heroes into a Forced Separation. This quest lasts the entire novel, with the heroes encountering new people they convince to join them via the excruciating Political Monologue which is always repeated ad nauseam. Eventually at the end Richard discovers the Lost Magical Power which conveniently fixes the Magical Problem. Unbeknownst to our heroes though, the Lost Magical Power comes with Unforeseen Consequences which usually manifest at the start of the next novel as a New Magical Problem. Rinse and repeat.


Some plot formulas present nonlinear structures to work with, such as John Truby's 22 Steps of Master Storytelling plot formula; *(!!!) mark the minimum 7 steps that, according to Truby, are essential to every story:

1. Self-revelation, need and desire: combination of steps 20, 3 & 5.
2. Ghost and story world: the hero’s counter-desire.
3. (!!!) Weakness and need: the hero’s flaws are keeping them from having the life they desire.
4. Inciting event: outside event that spurs the hero to action.
5. (!!!) Desire: the hero’s story goal.
6. Ally or allies: the hero gains an ally.
7. (!!!) Opponent and/or mystery: an opponent or mystery that keeps the hero from reaching their goal.
8. Fake-ally opponent: a shapeshifter or false friend.
9. First revelation and decision (changed desire and motive): a revelation causes the hero to make a decision that results in a change in direction.
10. (!!!) Plan: the hero’s plan to overcome their opponent and reach their goal.
11. Opponent’s plan main counterattack: the opponent’s plan to overcome their opponent and reach their goal.
12. Drive: increasingly desperate (and possibly immoral) series of actions the hero takes to defeat the opponent and reach the goal.
13. Attack by ally: an ally confronts the hero about their increasing desperation and immorality.
14. Apparent defeat: lowest point when the hero believes they’ve lost. For fall arcs, this may be an “Apparent victory” instead.
15. Second revelation and decision: obsessive drive, changed desire and motive: the hero receives a new piece of information that allows them to continue towards their goal.
16. Audience revelation: the audience learns a vital piece of information that’s kept from the hero.
17. Third revelation and decision: the hero learns something about the opponent that will help them win.
18. Gate, gauntlet, visit to death: pressure on the hero grows and they’re forced to face difficult trials.
19. (!!!) Battle: a final (violent) conflict that determines who wins.
20. (!!!) Self-revelation: the hero learns who they truly are.
21. Moral decision: a decision that proves what the hero has learnt in the self-revelation.
22. (!!!) New equilibrium: the need and desire have been fulfilled and the world goes back to normal, though the hero has changed.


While other plot formulas present more linear steps, such as the James Bond formula provided in Umberto Eco’s 1981 book ‘The Role Of The Reader’ presenting the Bond formula as a nine stage structure that kicked off with Goldfinger (*each step occurs in every film, and though they aren’t always in this exact order, all are guaranteed components of a post-Goldfinger Bond film):

1. M gives a task to Bond.
2. The villain appears to Bond.
3. Bond gives the first check to the villain or vice versa.
4. ‘The girl’ shows herself to Bond.
5. Bond possesses the girl or begins her seduction.
6. Villain captures Bond then the girl or both at the same time.
7. The villain tortures Bond and sometimes the girl.
8. Bond beats the villain, killing him or his representatives.
9. Bond possesses the girl whom he then loses, because she either leaves him or she is killed.


Of course there’s also the longer typical James Bond movie plot formula as detailed by Mauler:

1. Intro: Bond theme and classic gun barrel intro.
2. Opening Scene: Bond escapes certain death in spectacular stunt sequence. Key characters such as the Henchman often introduced.
3. Opening Credits: Women and guns set to an original song by an established artist which includes the title of the movie in its lyrics.
4. Bond receives his mission: Bond flirts with Miss Moneypenny and receives his latest mission from M.
5. Bond visits Q: Bond receives the latest gadgets from Q along with standard gadget-based humor while Q remarks on Bond’s immaturity.
6. Bond heads out: Bond leaves to the exotic location of the Villain’s Evil Plan. Sweeping vistas are shown.
7. Bond meets Bond Girl: Flirtation begins. The Bond Girl often has a name with a sexual connotation as in Pussy Galore, Plenty O’Toole, Holly Goodhead, Miss Goodnight, or Octopussy.
8. Bond has a run in with Villain’s Henchman: Bond is overconfident and barely escapes.
9. Bond investigates: Bond begins to learn the Villain’s Evil Plan.
10. Chase Scene: An extended Chase Scene occurs involving Bond, various enemies, perhaps the Bond Girl, fantastic vehicles, incredible stunts, and much destruction.
11. Bond infiltrates Villain’s Fortress: The Fortress is usually located in a fairly inaccessible place such as on an island, on top of a mountain, inside a volcano, on a stealth ship, et cetera.
12. Bond battles Villain’s Pets: Usually sharks, but may be piranhas, sea bass or other predator.
13. Bond Captured!: The Villain captures Bond and the Bond Girl inside the Fortress. Rather than killing Bond outright, the Villain places him in a situation involving ridiculously slow yet almost certain death and continues with his Evil Plans as if Bond was already dead.
14. Evil Plan revealed: Around this point the Villain insists upon telling Bond his twisted scheme.
15. Bond Escapes: Bond miraculously and implausibly escapes and proceeds to wreak havoc.
16. Bond Army: A large group of good guys assists Bond in a huge battle with the Villain’s usually jump-suited forces. May be the U.S. army, ninjas, coast guard divers, the British navy, et cetera.
17. Bond triumphs: Bond has the Villain on the run. Unless the Villain is Blofeld, Bond kills him.
18. Destruction of the Fortress: Huge explosions.
19. Final Battle with the Henchman: The loyal Henchman fails to avenge his employer’s death.
20. Bond stranded with Bond Girl: Usually the Bond Army is trying to retrieve them but they wish to remain stranded. Kissing ensues.
21. Credits Roll: The words “James Bond will return” appear at the end of the credits.

*Key Elements: these can happen at any time during the movie:

1. Bond requests a vodka martini “shaken not stirred” at some point in the first half of the movie.
2. Bond introduces himself as “Bond. James Bond.” at some point in the movie, usually to a woman.
3. Bond cracks one liners, usually about the deaths of bad guys.
4. Bond gambles in a scene usually involving a bad guy and a woman. Bond appears to be losing at first but then wins with a sudden stroke of luck (or is it?).
5. Fallen Friend: one of the good guys is killed in a poignant scene.
6. Bond employs Q’s gadgets in a desperate situation to spectacular effect.
7. A satellite plays an integral role in the plot.

Though Mauler also adds a shorter typical James Bond movie plot formula, with the best ones tending to follow this pattern:

1. Bond is asked to investigate a seemingly minor matter: someone is smuggling gold, the theft of a space shuttle, a missing bomber pilot, that sort of thing.
2. While on this seemingly minor mission, Bond discovers something else is up: a plot to rob Fort Knox, a facility for making poison gas, a pair of missing nuclear missiles, et cetera.
3. As Bond digs into the matter, he discovers the person he’s investigating has a girlfriend the guy never sleeps with and so Bond uses her as an “in” to get closer to the person.
4. The girl is initially loyal to the bad guy, but eventually she succumbs to Bond’s irresistible charms. It’s about a 50/50 shot if she lives through the film. There are often two women, one who dies and one who makes it.
5. We the audience learn what is really up: Fort Knox is going to be nuked, Miami is going to be nuked, the whole world is going to be nuked, whatever. *Actually the better Bond movies present villains with less ambitious plans than “take over the world”.
6. Bond, of course, saves the day.
7. Bond still has to fight off the villain or one of their henchmen. He gets the girl at the end.


Or you can just stick with the bare bones basics and use the ol’ reliable eight sequence plot formula:

-Act 1-
1. Inciting Incident: introduction of the story’s central conflict to the flawed protagonist.
2. Physical Crossing: the half-committed protagonist leaves her comfort zone to resolve the central conflict.

-Act 2A-
3. Pinch Point: the progressing protagonist’s developing traits are tested in a minor way while she abandons old habits for new skills.
4. Midpoint: the changing protagonist achieves a big success in resolving the central conflict though not the central conflict itself . . . followed by a logical though surprising Twist which raises the personal stakes for all involved.

-Act 2B-
5. Punch Point: the regressing protagonist is tested in a major way while relying on old flaws over new virtues out of stubborn habit.
6. Spiritual Crossing: the determined protagonist abandons her central flaw for her new opposing virtue through enlightening epiphany and takes the suicidal fight to the antagonist.

-Act 3-
7. Subplot Wrap-ups: all subplots outside the tenacious protagonist are resolved before her final confrontation with the antagonist.
8. Resolution: the changed protagonist embraces her central virtue to fullest potential, defeats the antagonist and wins the day.


Then there’s the Therefore/But story structure plot formula:

The co-creators and lead writers for South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, revealed their simple rule for rewriting and improving story.
“We call it the rule of replacing ands with either buts or therefores.”
A common trap a lot of writers fall into is describing actions and events in a typical “This happened, and then this happened, and then this happened, and then this happened . . .” But this type of X and then Y and then Z progression, similar to creating a list of random events, is not engaging because this approach to writing (or even speaking) is dull and generates zero momentum let alone sustains little interest.
“Whenever we can, we go back in the writing and change that to “this happened, therefore this happens. But this happens . . .” Trey continued. “Each individual scene has to work as a funny sketch. You don’t want to have one scene and go ‘Well, what was the point of that scene?’ So we found out this rule that maybe you guys have all heard before, but it took us a long time to learn it. But we can take these beats, which are basically the beats of your outline. And if the words ‘and then’ belong between those beats, well, you’re f*cked, basically. You got something pretty boring. What should happen between every beat that you’ve written down is either the word ‘therefore’ or ‘but,’ right? So what I’m saying is that you come up with an idea and it’s like ‘okay, this happens’ and then ‘THIS happens.’ No no no. It should be ‘this happens’ and THEREFORE ‘this happens.’ BUT ‘this happens’ THEREFORE ‘this happens.’ And sometimes we will literally write it out to make sure we’re doing it. We’ll have our beats and we’ll say okay ‘this happens’ but ‘then this happens’ and that affects this and that does to that and that’s why you get a show that feels okay.”

*To summarize the Therefore/But story structure plot formula: you want to avoid the dreaded “. . . and then, and then, and then . . .” string of arbitrary whims while plotting (especially so during that pesky first draft) because whenever you replace your ‘ands’ with ‘buts’ and ‘therefores’ it makes for better writing.


Or maybe you’re of a particular genre in mind so that you can use the basic Mystery Novel Cheat Sheet plot formula:

-Act 1-
1. Present the crime.
2. Introduce the sleuth.
3. Offer plausible suspects.
4. Introduce crime complications.
5. Introduce private life subplot.

-Act 2-
6. Initial investigations and interrogations reveal clues.
7. Disappearance of the suspect(s).
8. Raise the stakes.
9. Development of subplot.

-Act 3-
10. Reveal hidden motives of stakeholders.
11. Unsatisfying solution reached.
12. Return to overlooked clue from Act 1.
13. Resolution of subplot.
14. Confrontation with true perpetrator.
15. Resolution.


Or the basic Romance Novel Cheat Sheet plot formula:

-Act 1-
1. Introduce the protagonist (who feels incomplete).
2. Protagonist meets the love interest but there is conflict.
3. Characters are forced to spend time together.
4. Characters’ goals are at cross purposes.

-Act 2-
5. Characters are bound together in a situation (where sexual tension occurs).
6. Protagonist’s individual desire conflicts with the growing relationship.
7. A crisis shift to prioritize relationship ends in disaster.

-Act 3-
8. Climax: the protagonist must make a personal sacrifice for ultimately fulfilling relationship.


Yet another example of simplicity, the New and Improved Gary Provost Paragraph shows that a plot formula doesn’t need to be complicated. Here is an archetypal story summarized in one paragraph:

Once upon a time, ‘something happened’ to someone, and he decided that he would pursue a ‘goal’. So he devised ‘a plan of action’, and even though there were ‘forces trying to stop him’, he moved forward because there was ‘a lot at stake’. And just as things seemed ‘as bad as they could get’, he learned ‘an important lesson’, and when ‘offered the prize’ he had sought so strenuously, he had to ‘decide whether or not to take it’, and in making that decision he ‘satisfied a need’ that had been created by ‘something in his past’.


Then there’s the more detailed plot formulas such as Blake Snyder’s ‘Save the Cat!’ beat sheet intended for screenplays (as told by the suggested pages) though adaptable to novels with some creative toying:

-ACT 1- (THESIS)
1. Opening Image (page 1): set tone, mood & style; give “before” snapshot of hero.
2. Theme Stated (pg. 5): declaration of theme, argument or story purpose (by minor to main character).
3. Set-up (pages 1-10): introduce hero’s quirks; how & why they need to change.
4. Catalyst (pg. 12): bad news that knocks down set-up, but ultimately leads the hero to happiness.
5. Debate (pages 12-25): hero questions their ability to proceed.

-ACT 2- (ANTITHESIS)
6. Break into Two (pg. 25): hero (through their own decision) moves into the antithetical world.
7. B Story (pg. 30): break from main story; often a “love” story; meet new characters antithetical to earlier ones.
8. Fun and Games (pages 30-55): provides the promise of the premise; movie trailer moments; whatever’s cool.
9. Midpoint (pg. 55): fun and games over; hero reaches false peak or false collapse; changes dynamic; raises stakes.
10. Bad Guys Close In (pages 55-75): bad guys regroup; internal dissent in hero’s team; hero isolated and headed for fall.
11. All Is Lost (pg. 75): false defeat (that feels real); “whiff of death” (often of mentor); end of old way.
12. Dark Night of the Soul (pages 75-85): darkness before the dawn; hero feels they’re beaten and forsaken.
13. Break into Three (pg. 85): internal B story provides solution to A story.

-ACT 3- (SYNTHESIS)
14. Finale (pages 85-110): triumph for hero; bad guys dispatched (in ascending order); hero changes world.
15. Final Image (pg. 110): opposite of opening image providing proof of real change.


Or the plot formula by Eva Deverell who created the One Page Novel as an amalgamation of some of her favorite methods. As the name suggests, it’s designed to fit on one page, and it uses example fill-in-the-blank scenes to speed up the plotting process:

STORY ORDER:
1. Stasis
2. Trigger
3. Quest
4. Bolt
5. Shift
6. Defeat
7. Power
8. Resolution

Though Eva Deverell’s One Page Novel formula is an 8-stage method that is plotted out of order on purpose:

PLOTTING ORDER:
1. Resolution
2. Stasis
3. Shift
4. Trigger
5. Quest
6. Power
7. Bolt
8. Defeat

Each stage provides a unique function, and they all help to support the larger structure:

1. Stasis: the protagonist isn’t living to their full potential; opposite state to Resolution.
2. Trigger: an internal or external impulse (or both) forces the protagonist to take the first step towards their #3 state.
3. Quest: the protagonist enters the new world of adventure, meets mentors and/or allies and makes a (bad) plan to solve the problem the Trigger created.
4. Bolt: the (bad) Quest plan inevitably goes wrong.
5. Shift: the protagonist makes the paradigm shift necessary for them to inhabit their Resolution state.
6. Defeat: the protagonist makes the ultimate sacrifice.
7. Power: the protagonist discovers a hidden power within themselves that allows them to seize the prize.
8. Resolution: the protagonist is living up to their full potential in their Resolution state.


Of course you can always stay classic as with Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey plot formula:

STAGE 1: SEPARATION
1. Call to Adventure: A problem or threat interrupts the hero’s normal life.
2. Refusal of the Call: Initially, the hero is hesitant to embark on the journey. Therefore, they refuse the call.
3. Supernatural Aid: Someone they look up to helps them find the inspiration to join the journey.
4. Crossing the First Threshold: This is the point where the hero leaves on their journey.
5. Belly of the Whale: The hero encounters the first obstacle after leaving on the journey.

STAGE 2: INITIATION
6. Road of Trials: These are the trials the hero undergoes and the beginning of the change in some aspect of the hero. They learn from their mistakes in this step.
7. Meeting with the Goddess: The hero meets the allies that will help them through their journey.
8. Woman as Temptress: The temptation that arises to try and persuade the hero to abandon the journey.
9. Atonement with the Father: One of the major turning points of the story where the hero faces the ultimate reason for the journey. The hero might face a villain or even their own doubt.
10. Apotheosis: From the previous step, the hero learns how they will face the rest of the journey. This is the moment the hero gains profound understanding or knowledge that helps them to prevail.
11. Ultimate Boon: The hero fulfills the reason for their journey.

STAGE 3: RETURN
12. Refusal of Return: The hero is initially reluctant to return to their mundane life.
13. Magic Flight: Though the hero has answered their call and completed the reason for their journey, they are still chased by others. In this step, the hero works to evade those chasing them.
14. Rescue from Without: Again an outside source or mentor works to guide the hero home and rescue them from those chasing them.
15. Crossing the Return Threshold: The hero crosses back into their mundane world.
16. Master of Two Worlds: Since the hero has been on the journey, they need to learn to balance their mundane life and the world they experienced on the journey.
17. Freedom to Live: The hero acclimates back into their mundane life and lives peacefully.


Or Christopher Vogler’s simplified version of Campbell’s monomyth plot formula:

1. Ordinary World: This step refers to the hero’s normal life at the start of the story, before the adventure begins. It’s the starting point, and it provides a glimpse into the character of the hero before the adventure begins. Often, this hero will change over the course of the story. We may see evidence of hamartia or a fatal flaw in the hero at this early point in the story.
2. Call to Adventure: The hero is faced with something that makes them begin their adventure. This might be a problem or a challenge they need to overcome. In general, the hero must make a choice about whether to undertake the adventure.
3. Refusal of the Call: The hero attempts to refuse the adventure because of fear. They may feel unprepared or inadequate, or may not want to sacrifice what is being asked of them.
4. Meeting with the Mentor: The hero encounters someone who can give advice and prepare them for the journey ahead. Acting as a mentor, this person imparts wisdom that may change the hero’s mind.
5. Crossing the First Threshold: The hero leaves their ordinary world for the first time and crosses the threshold into adventure. This step may seem almost inevitable, but it also represents a choice the hero is making. It’s a door through which the hero must pass for the story to really begin.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The hero learns the rules of their new world. During this time they endure tests of strength and tests of will, meets friends, and come face to face with foes. This period in the journey helps define the hero’s relationship with other characters in the story. During this part of the journey the hero learns who will help and who will hinder.
7. Approach: Setbacks occur, sometimes causing the hero to try a new approach or adopt new ideas. This is a lesson in persistence for the hero. When they fail, they need to try again. Often, the stakes are rising, and real overall failure becomes less of an option.
8. Ordeal: The hero experiences a major hurdle or obstacle, such as a life or death crisis. They must come face to face with their weaknesses and overcome them. This will be something the hero barely manages to accomplish.
9. Reward: After surviving death, the hero earns a reward or accomplishes their goal. This is a moment of great success in the story. The hero is a changed person now, though they may not fully realize the extent of the change in their continued focus on the matter at hand.
10. The Road Back: The hero begins the journey back to ordinary life. In some ways, integrating back into their life will prove another challenge because they are different now after the ordeal.
11. Resurrection Hero: The hero faces a final test where everything is at stake, and they must use everything they have learned. This is where personal changes prove useful. The hero is now ideally suited to overcoming the obstacles in front of them.
12. Return with Elixir: The hero brings their knowledge or the ‘elixir’ back to the ordinary world, where they apply it to help all who remain there. This is the true reward for the journey and transformation.

*Here are two examples of story using Vogler’s simplified Hero’s Journey plot formula:

-THE ODYSSEY- (a Greek classic):
1. Ordinary World: Odysseus is at home with his wife and son.
2. Call to Adventure: Odysseus is called to fight the Trojans.
3. Refusal of the Call: He doesn’t want to leave his family.
4. Meeting with the Mentor: The goddess Athena guides Odysseus.
5. Crossing the First Threshold: After the war, the gods are angry, and Odysseus’ ship is taken off course.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: Odysseus and his men must go through several tests, including fighting a sea monster and a cyclops.
7. Approach: Odysseus’ crew opens the bag of winds when they are nearly home, sending them away again.
8. Ordeal: Odysseus must go to the underworld.
9. Reward: Odysseus receives passage home.
10. The Road Back: Odysseus returns home to find his wife is being courted by many suitors.
11. Resurrection of the Hero: Odysseus is patient and dresses as a beggar to test his wife’s fidelity.
12. Return with the Elixir: He learns she has been faithful, and their union is restored.

-BEOWULF- (the old English poem):
1. Ordinary World: Greatland is Beowulf’s ordinary world.
2. Call to Adventure: Beowulf heard stories of Grendel, who has killed many men, so that he’s asked to help.
3. Refusal of the Call: Beowulf chooses not to refuse the call.
4. Meeting with the Mentor: King Hrothgar becomes Beowulf’s mentor, helping him learn what it is to be a good king.
5. Crossing the First Threshold: Beowulf sails across the sea to Denmark.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: Beowulf battles Grendel.
7. Approach: Beowulf learns that Grendel’s mother lives.
8. Ordeal: Beowulf must fight the swamp hag.
9. Reward: Beowulf receives treasures as a reward.
10. The Road Back: Beowulf becomes the king.
11. Resurrection of the Hero: Beowulf fights a dragon to defend his kingdom.
12. Return with the Elixir: Beowulf dies a hero’s death and is remembered by his people.


Or how about Vladimir Propp’s fairy tale and folklore plot formula (abridged version); each tale begins with an ‘initial situation’ (a brief description of the hero’s state and character before the story takes him up) to which are added any of the following functions:

1. Absentation: One of the members of a family absents himself from home.
2. Interdiction: An interdiction is addressed to the hero.
3. Violation: The interdiction is violated.
4. Reconnaissance: The villain makes an attempt at reconnaissance.
5. Delivery: The villain receives information about his victim.
6. Trickery: The villain attempts to deceive his victim in order to take possession of him or of his belongings.
7. Complicity: The victim submits to deception and thereby unwittingly helps his enemy.
8. Villainy: The villain causes harm or injury to a member of a family; or 8a. Lack: One member of a family either lacks something or desires to have something.
9. Mediation (the Connective Incident): Misfortune or lack is make known; the hero is approached with a request or commend; he is allowed to go or he is dispatched.
10. Begging Counteraction: The seeker agrees to or decides upon counteraction.
11. Departure: The hero leaves home.
12. First Function of the Donor: The hero is tested, interrogated, attacked, et cetera, which prepares the way for his receiving either a magical agent or helper.
13. Hero’s Reaction: The hero reacts to the actions of the future donor.
14. Provision or Receipt of Magical Agent: The hero acquires the use of a magical agent.
15. Spatial Transference/Guidance: The hero is transferred, delivered, or led to the whereabouts of an object of search.
16. Struggle: The hero and the villain join in direct combat.
17. Branding: The hero is branded.
18. Victory: The villain is defeated.
19. Liquidation: The initial misfortune or lack is liquidated.
20. Return: The hero returns.
21. Pursuit/Chase: The hero is pursued.
22. Rescue: Rescue of the hero from pursuit.
23. Unrecognized Arrival: The hero, unrecognized, arrives home or in another country.
24. Unfound Claims: A false hero presents unfounded claims.
25. Difficult Task: A difficult task is proposed to the hero.
26. Solution: The task is resolved.
27. Recognition: The hero is recognized.
28. Exposure: The false hero or villain is exposed.
29. Transfiguration: The hero is given a new appearance.
30. Punishment: The villain is punished.
31. Wedding: The hero is married and ascends the throne.


Or you can get infinitely more complex and overly scientific to the extreme, as with the Perfect Horror Movie Formula: (es + u + cs + t) squared + s + (tl + f)/2 + (a + dr + fs)/n + sin x - 1.

Number-crunchers worked out this mathematical formula behind the perfect horror film through rigorous study, and their complex equation identifies why thrillers like Psycho, The Shining, and The Blair Witch Project make such great spine-chillers.
The mathematical model (( (es+u+cs+t) squared +s+ (tl+f)/2 + (a+dr+fs)/n + sin x - 1 )) shows what elements of suspense, realism and gore combine to make a blood-curdling scary movie.
The researchers discovered that suspense comprised four essential categories: escalating music (es), the unknown (u), chase scenes (cs), and the sense of being trapped (t).
Because suspense is one of the most important qualities in a horror movie, the equation is (es+u+cs+t) squared before shock (s) is added to the formula.
And these experts claim for a movie to be truly terrifying it must be realistic. That’s why the next part of the equation sees true life (tl) and fantasy (f) added together and divided by two (tl+f)/2 to find a medium between a plot which is too unrealistic and too close to life.
The smaller the number of characters in a horror movie, the more the audience can empathize with them. And the darker the scene, the more frightening the characters’ isolation can become. So the formula looks at whether the characters are alone (a), in a dark environment (dr), the film setting (fs), and divides it by the number of people (n) in the film (a+dr+fs)/n.
But if a character or situation falls into stereotype, this detracts from the suspense and fear. So the experts have taken blood and guts (Sin x) and subtracted it by the stereotypes (1), to make Sin x - 1.

*The twelve keys to the Perfect Horror Movie Formula are as follows:

1. es = escalating music
2. u = the unknown
3. cs = chase scenes
4. t = the sense of being trapped
5. a = the character being alone
6. dr = how dark the film is
7. fs = the film setting
8. tl stands for true life
9. f stands for fantasy
10. n is for number of people
11. sin is blood and guts
12. s = shock


Whew!
I don’t know about you but my brain hurts after that last one.
And I could go on and on, but I won’t, because there exists a billion and one plot formulas from which you can pick and choose then write your story. The key here is to peruse as many possible then find one that most fits your comfort zone of style and voice and writing productivity then give it a whirl and discover where it takes you.
Off the beaten path?
That’s always good.
But to the dead-end of a half-finished story?
Never any good.
If the latter proves true then just toss the plot formula aside and pick another one, because there’s a bountiful array of helpful formulas waiting to guide your plotting route to a finished novel.
Or just spend some time studying as many as you can then design a plot formula all your own.

Happy plotting!