Thomas Funicello's Blog - Posts Tagged "suspense"

Last night I finished updating my Story Structure spreadsheet that helps me layout my stories and keep them on track. Although it sounds absurd, the spreadsheet is now 7505 rows!

I never start a story with this sheet, I typically start with a condensed version with only 329 rows.

Once again, the structure is not meant to be rigid but allows me to present story ideas at the right time and help me develop new ideas.

In a previous post I discussed the concept of breaking down your story into Act Parts or quarters: Thesis, Hypothesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis.
This quartering concept can be used to further breakdown your story. Here is my method:
A story has 4 quarters called Act Parts (Act I, Act IIa, Act IIb, Act III).
Each Act Part has 4 quarters called Sequences.
Each Sequence has 4 quarters called Scenes.
Each Scene has 4 quarters called Segments.
Each Segment has 4 quarters called Elements.
Each Element has 4 quarters called Moments.
These are the terms I prefer to use; they may not align with industry terms, but I find this concept critical.
This structure helps me know what should be happening at any point in the story.
Once again, a good story structure is not to be rigid or restrictive, it should help a writer track events, emotions, and knowledge.
Next time I will discuss External Pressures and Internal Responses

The next concept I have incorporated is the ebb and flow of External Pressure that the main character feels and the Internal Response the character choses or exhibits.
The External Pressure can be used to represent discouragement in the ability to fulfill the Theme and the Internal Response can show the encouragement. It has helped me beyond measure to think of every Moment in the story as an initial External Pressure or force followed by the Internal Response of the Hero. At the beginning of the story most of the events are External or impersonal to the Hero, but as the Story progresses things get more personal and Internal.
Another topic related to External Pressure and Internal Response is demonstrated at every level of the story structure. The Thesis and Antithesis parts of a Sequence, Scene, Segment, etc. are generally External while the Hypothesis and Synthesis parts are generally Internal.

I would like to present one way to integrate the external pressures and internal responses into a scene.

SCENE THESIS:
A scene opens with the Hero presented with an external SITUATION.
The Hero has an internal REACTION to the situation.

SCENE HYPOTHESIS:
The Hero develops a GOAL that will not fully resolve the situation.
The Hero takes ACTION.

SCENE ANTITHESIS:
There is an ESCALATION in the situation due to the flawed or misinformed goal.
The Hero RESPONDS to the escalation.

SCENE SYNTHESIS:
The Hero develops a good OBJECTIVE for dealing with the escalated situation.
The Hero takes action to achieve RESOLUTION.

I don't map out every Scene this way, but it's a valuable tool in my writing toolbox.

The main character must learn critical lessons from their flaws and problems to succeed or survive. These lessons are best represented as Flaws, Secrets and Problems. The main character starts off as flawed and must overcome the triggers and beliefs that hold him or her back from becoming the Hero of the story. Some of the issues the main character must overcome are: External Problems, Internal Problems, Flaws, Secrets, and a Tragic Flaw. These various issues may not all be present but the ones that need addressing will continue to trigger reactions and choices that cause problems until they are overcome. Each time there is a surprise or crisis it is a good time to trigger a Flaw. It is the story finale where the Hero has resolved the issues and flaws, and any secret or false belief is out in the open.
Thomas Funicello

There are many literary concepts for developing the flaws of a character, I have chosen the ones that cover a spectrum of issues. One major problem is that the main character does not view themselves as the Hero. We need to guide the main character and the reader through the process of accepting the role of Hero. I have chosen to use the Stages of Grief/Change to describe what the main character might be experiencing as change or loss is forced upon them. The common Stages of Grief I have chosen to incorporate are: Shock, Denial, Isolation, Fear, Bargaining, Loneliness, Discouraged, Testing, Acceptance, and Declaration. The character may go through these stages as many as four times as the story progresses. Remember, the final mastery of the problems and flaws comes at the end of the story, try not to fix the Hero too soon.
Thomas Funicello