test 2

Question 1

story structure =

Answer 1

skeleton

Question 2

what is a story structure

Answer 2

story structure is a breakable organic chain of seven key structure steps deep under each story’s structure

Question 3

7 steps of story structure

Answer 3

1. weakness & need
2. desire
3. opponent
4. plan
5. battle
6. self-revelation
7. new equilibrium

Question 4

weakness need uitleg

Answer 4

For the hero to be fulfilled within themselves, they have to overcome the
weakness and change or grow up in some way. The NEED is what the hero must
fulfil within themselves.

Question 5

creating moral need

Answer 5

technique 1: Connect it to the psychological need
tech 2: push a strength so far that it becomes a weakness

Question 6

desire uitleg

Answer 6

Desire is what your hero wants in the story, his particular goal. Desire is the
driving force in the story, the line from which everything hangs.

Desire is connected to need: one a hearo accomplishes his goal (desire), he also
fulfils his need

Question 7

need and desire difference

Answer 7

Need & desire are two separate items in the your story: need is the weakness
WITHIN the hero while desire is a goal OUTSIDE the hero

Question 8

opponent uitleg

Answer 8

View the opponent structurally: A true opponent wants to prevent the hero from
achieving his desire but is also competing with the hero for the same goal. This
links your opponent to the hero’s desire!
Find the deeper conflict between them: Ask yourself: What is the important thing
they are fighting about? That is the focus of your story

Question 9

plan uitleg

Answer 9

The plan is a set of guidelines, or strategies, the hero will use to overcome the opponent
and reach the goal.
The plan is organically linked to both desire and the opponent!

Question 10

battle uitleg

Answer 10

Throughout the middle of the story, the hero and the opponent engage in punch-
counterpunch confrontation as each tries to win the goal. The conflict heats up. The
battle is the final conflict between the hero and opponent and determines which of the
two characters win the goal. It can be a conflict of violence or a conflict of words

Question 11

self-revelation uitleg

Answer 11

The battle is an intense and painful experience for the hero, but the crucible of the battle causes the hero
to have a major revelation about who he really is.
This revelation has both a moral and psychological form:

1. In the psychological revelation: the hero strips away the façade he has lived behind and sees himself
   honestly for the first time. This is not passive nor easy! It is active, most difficult, and the most
   courageous act the hero performs in the entire story.
2. In the moral revelation: the hero stops using the behaviour he has always used to hurt others and instead
   thinks of and acts for other

Question 12

new equilibrium uitleg

Answer 12

At the new equilibrium, everything returns to normal, and all desire is gone with one
major difference: The hero has moved to a higher or lower level as a result of going
through this crucible. A fundamental and permanent change has occurred in the hero

Question 13

positive self revelation

Answer 13

the hero realizes who he truly is and learns how to live properly
in a world – move to a higher level

Question 14

negative self-revelation

Answer 14

if the hero has committed a terrible crime that expresses a
corrupt personal flaw or is incapable of having a self-revelation, the hero falls or is
destroyed (lower level).

Question 14

speculative fiction

Answer 14

speculative fiction is the art of projecting and abstracting the extreme

Question 14

genres speculative fiction

Answer 14

horror
fantasy
science fiction

Question 15

elements genre speculative fiction

Answer 15

Horror creates a character out of the most dangerous of all opponents: death!

Science Fiction: creates a society and culture with a special focus on the science
and technology by which the world operates

Fantasy: projects a character into a fully detailed imaginary world so they can
learn how to live

Question 16

most important elements in storyworld building

Answer 16

Every storyworld is a unique combination of land, people, & technology:

1. Land is the universe, space-time rules, ad scientific theories
2. People is the society and culture, including social stages, government,
   economic systems, social and gender roles
3. Technology is the advanced technology in which 1 or 2 ‘fulcrum’
   technologies determine the basic operation of the world (in fantasy this is
   magic)

Question 17

spatial arena

Answer 17

1. A single tight arena that is one planet or one location
2. Many worlds in succession, which in an adventure in space and/or time

Question 18

societies arena

Answer 18

1. Wilderness – in this location, there is hunting which is built on survival; the
   hero is often a warrior and the culture is built on shame
2. Village/Town – this location is built on agriculture (sustainability); the hero is
   often everyman looking for justice and the culture is built is guilt
3. City – this location begins to build up; it has a consumer guilt culture and the
   hero is often an everyman trying to break free from the slavery of bureaucracy
4. Oppressive City – this location is unjust; the hero tends to be an anti-hero

Question 19

space-time rules

Answer 19

Possibilities of gravity-space-time on the universe; what is the normal
continuium, can it be bent?, does it lead to alternative worlds?

Question 20

rules of motion

Answer 20

Ways people counter the gravity and the speed of light to cover large
distances (hyperspace, teleportation, walking, etc)

Question 21

Science Fiction): 4 Stories that explain the physical world:

Answer 21

Newtonian, Einstein’s
Theory of Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, Post-Quantum

Question 22

society

Answer 22

Society is the world and how individuals act towards each other as they try to be
successful living within the rules

Question 23

culture

Answer 23

the ideas, values, moral codes, and plans that create a way of living

Question 24

4 pillars within a society

Answer 24

shaman = gives values and priorities headman= runs the organization clown = keeps people in touch with reality hunter = gets the food and defends

Question 25

6 questions related to magic

Answer 25

1. What are the magic powers? 2. Who has them? 3. What are the limits of the power? 4. Can someone else get them and, if so, how? 5. Are any powers limited to a location? 6. Can the powers be terminated?

Question 26

difference plot and story

Answer 26

Story is all the subsystems of the story body working together: premise, character, moral argument, world, symbol, plot, scene, and dialogue. Plot is the under-the-surface weaving of various lines of action or sets of events so that the story builds steadily from the beginning through the middle to the end.

Question 27

organic plot elements

Answer 27

* An organic plot shows that actions lead to the hero’s character change or explain why that change is impossible. * Each of the events is causally connected. * Each event is essential. * Each action proportionate in its length and pacing. * The amount of plotting seems to come naturally from the main character rather than being imposed by the author on the characters. * The sequence of events has a unity and totality of effect.

Question 28

how to start an organic plot

Answer 28

1. Look again at your designing principle. This is the organic gem of your story. The plot must ultimately be the detailed fruition of this principle. 2. Reacquaint yourself with your theme line (moral argument). The plot must be a manifestation of this line. 3. Does your story involve a high number of symbols? Then these symbols must be sequenced through the actions of the hero. (not our focus here) 4. Will you use a storyteller? This has a big effect on how you tell the audience what happened. 5. Figure out the structure in detail. (next part of this lesson) 6. Will your story use more than one genre? Then those beats need to be sequenced

Question 29

22 steps of plot

Answer 29

1. Self-revelation, need, desire 2. Ghost and story world (backstory) 3. Weakness & need 4. Inciting incident 5. Desire 6. Ally or allies 7. Opponent and/or mystery 8. Fake-ally opponent 9. First revelation and decision 10.Plan 11.Opponent’s plan and main counterattack 12.Drive 13.Attack by an ally 14.Apparent defeat 15.Second revelation 16.Audience revelation 17.Third revelation & decision 18.Gate, gauntlet, visit to death 19.Battle 20.Self-revelation 21.Moral decision 22. new equilibrium

Question 30

ghosts in SW / two types

Answer 30

= backstory 1. An event from the past that still haunts the hero in the present. (an open wound that is often the source of the psychological and moral weakness) = Internal Opposition 2. A ghost is not possible because the hero lives in a paradise world; the hero begins free, but an attack changes that. (Uncommon and difficult)

Question 31

inciting incident

Answer 31

The inciting incident is an event from the outside that causes the hero to come up with a goal and take action. It is a small step except for one thing: it connects need and desire

Question 32

levels of desire

Answer 32

1. Survive (escape) 2. Take revenge 3. Win the battle 4. Achieve something 5. Explore a world 6. Catch a criminal 7. Find the truth 8. Gain love 9. Bring justice and freedom 10. Save the Republic 11. Save the world

Question 33

ally or allies

Answer 33

Once the hero has a desire line, he will usually gain one or more allies to help him overcome the opponent and reach the goal. An ally is a key figure in the story and one of the main ways by which you define your hero

Question 34

fake-ally opponent

Answer 34

The fake-ally opponent is the character who appears to be an ally of the hero but is actually an opponent or working for the main opponent. The fake-ally opponent increases the opponent’s power because of the fact that it is hidden. The fake-ally opponent forces the hero and the audience to dig below the top of the iceberg and find what the hero is truly up against

Question 35

first revelation and decision

Answer 35

A reveal (or revelation) is a surprising piece of new information. This information forces the hero to make a decision and move in a new direction. It also causes him to adjust his desire and motive (motive is why he wants the goal). All four of these events (revelation, decision, changed desire, and change motive) happen at the same time. 1. The best reveals are those where the hero gets information about an opponent. It intensifies the conflict and has the most effect on the plot. 2. The changed desire must be a BEND not a BREAK of the original desire. 3. Each revelation must be explosive and progressively stronger than the one that preceded it. This is plot thickening.

Question 36

drive

Answer 36

The drive is the series of actions the hero performs to defeat the opponent and win. This comprises the biggest section of the plot; these actions help with the hero’s plan and continue all the way to his apparent defeat.

Question 37

attack by ally

Answer 37

During the drive, the hero is losing to the opponent and becoming desperate. When starts taking immoral steps to succeed, the ally confronts him At this moment, the ally becomes the conscience of the hero, saying, in effect, ‘I’m trying to help you reach your goal, but the way you’re doing it is wrong.

Question 38

apparent defeat

Answer 38

During the drive, the hero is losing to the opponent. About 2/3 to ¾ of the way into the story, the hero suffers an apparent defeat. He believes he has lost the goal and his opponent has won. This is the lowest point for the hero

Question 39

audience revelation

Answer 39

The audience revelation is the moment when the audience – not the hero – learns an important piece of new information. For example, the true identify of a fake-ally opponent. 1. It provides an exciting pop in what is often a slow section of the plot. 2. It shows the audience the true power of the opponent. 3. It allows the audience to see certain hidden plot elements played out dramatically and visually.

Question 40

Gate, gauntlet, visit to death

Answer 40

Near the end of the story, the conflict between the hero and opponent intensifies to such a degree that the pressure on the hero becomes almost unbearable. He has fewer and fewer options, and often the space through which he passes becomes narrower. Finally, he must pass through a narrow gate or travel down a long gauntlet while being assaulted from every direction. This is also a moment when the hero visits ‘death’. This is often psychological. The hero has a sudden realization of his own mortality; life is finite and it could end very soon. This spurs him to fight. ‘If my life is to have meaning, I must take a stand for what I believe in. I will take that stand here and now.

Question 41

battle elements

Answer 41

- final conflict - funnel point - theme explodes

Question 42

self-revelation effects

Answer 42

sudden (dramatic effect) and shattering (for the hero)

Question 43

moral decision

Answer 43

The moral decision is the moment when he chooses between two courses of action, each of which stands for a set of values and a way of living that affects others. the proof of what the hero has learned in the self-revelation and by taking action, he shows it to the audience

Question 44

ghosts important horror

Answer 44

1. It represents the power of the past over the present, which is one of the fundamental themes of the form. 2. It encapsulates the sins of the father and mothers affecting the lives of their children. 3. The ghost is the mind attacking itself. 4. It keeps attacking throughout the story, becoming the driving force of the plot.

Question 45

haunted house/closed society

Answer 45

usually part of a haunted town, pressure cooker surrounding the hero

Question 46

the role of monster

Answer 46

often the opponent, powerful, drives the action

Question 47

action fiction genres

Answer 47

1. Myth – freedom is realized only when the individual grows enough to be to free themselves. 2. Action – freedom is possible only when the individual fights against those who seek to enslave. 3. Western – freedom is only possible when no outside or inner limitations prevent someone from whatever he wants to be

Question 48

cowboy

Answer 48

The true Western hero does not ‘go west’ to create a home in a new land, but he is a COWBOY who goes west to go back in time to live in the pristine wilderness free from humankind itself.

Question 49

western relation to religion

Answer 49

The Western is a deeply religious story form because it presents a unified system of values based on progress in which humans can have faith. It is naturalistic moral tale: promoting the ideal of the natural man who lives freely and independently, when he’s among others, leaving him with a remendous will for justice and need to aid the weak.

Question 50

why is western SW unique

Answer 50

The Western storyworld is unique because it focuses on the frontier between wilderness and civilization. The Western frontier is one of both space and time. In the Western, the storyworld is a fragile community in its infancy