Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 09:35:26 EST From: "run tink, run" Subject: EXERCISE: Plot #1: Quest: 20 Master Plots [for those who may be interested, all exercises I do are available at http://web.mit.edu/mbarker/www/exercises/exercises.html I expect to post this series on a bi-weekly schedule, so look for Master Plot #2: Adventure in about two weeks.] Based on the book "20 Master Plots (And How to Build Them)" by Ronald B. Tobias. ISBN 0-89879-595-8. Master Plot #1: Quest The quest is the "search for a person, place or thing, tangible or intangible." Specifically, the main character is looking for that certain something that they expect or hope will change their life. Structure of the Quest Act one is setup, where the hero(ine) gets the royal boot -- "a force moves him to act, either out of necessity or desire." There is usually a major event or incident, a "motivating incident", which shapes and foreshadows the rest of the quest. Don't forget the sidekicks, good buddies, and other traveling companions. There is almost a natural magnetism about a person setting out on a quest that pulls a suitable cast of helpers out of the fields, woods, and other hideyholes. After act one, the reader should be asking "Will (fill in your protagonist's name here) _find_ the (fill in desired object of quest)?" Act two is where we wander through wonders, disappointments, and delays. We run into difficulties, obstacles, those little "experiences" that make your character show their mettle in interesting ways. Act three! Do we reach the goal (get the gold, find the lost treasure, etc.)? And when we do, what happens? (p. 67) "It isn't unusual in this type of plot for there to be additional complications _as a result of obtaining the goal_. Things aren't what the hero expected them to be, and it could be that what the hero was searching for all this time wasn't what she really wanted. But there is the moment of _realization_, which is an insight made by the hero about the nature and meaning of the quest itself." Checklist: 1. What is the object of the quest? How does it relate to the intent and motivation of the main character? 2. Where is the quest going to take the main character? Why? What do they learn, what changes occur, how are they prepared for the finale? I.e., we should wander through strange lands and outrageous situations, and every one of them should tie into the final effort, the final realization when the goal is won (or lost!). 3. Are we leaving home and returning there? Or at least starting and ending in the "same" place? How are the changes in the character displayed against that backdrop? 4. What or who does the main character become? How are they different? 5. What is the "wisdom" which the hero "comes to realize" from the search? Does a child become an adult? Does an adult learn something about life? 6. Make sure your beginning provides solid motivation to initiate the search. And make sure the readers know _why_ your character is setting out. Just because there is a quest waiting doesn't mean every person will set out on it, so give your character solid reasons for leaving. 7. Think about the traveling companion, the foil for conversation, insight, even emotions. Who are they? Why are they traveling with the big oaf? 8. What is the revelation or realization that the main character finds? 9. Don't forget--what the main character finds (both in object and realization) is often something different than they expected originally. The treasure on the hill might be a philosophic work, for example. Got it? So let's think about writing a little quest... 1. Let's start with a character. Your choice. 2. Now write one sentence about what this character needs to learn. Perhaps they haven't found out that other people hurt? Or maybe they just need to learn that what they want doesn't come by wishing? [pssst? Having trouble? Pick a number from one to six, grab one of these oldies, and refine it. 1. The best things in life are free 2. The bluebird of happiness is sitting in your own backyard 3. Parents are people too 4. Home is where the heart is 5. Don't burn your bridges until you get across them 6. Learning grows out of the broken shells of mistakes well, some of them are kind of strained, but maybe you'll figure out what I meant.] 3. Back up a step. What kind of specific person, place or thing could they be searching for that would teach them that lesson? Make a list of five people, places or things they could be searching for. Pick one that you like. [pssst? one to six, pick up sticks... 1. an animal (pet? rare breed for xxx? you decide...) 2. a place that matches the ... (picture? memory? description?) 3. the almost forgotten relative (teacher, etc. pick the relation) 4. a dreamed of place... (with shades of ancient myths peering over your shoulder) 5. the fabled jewel of Apt (with amazing properties, more valuable than your dreams, and...) 6. the cure for (pick a condition. does the character suffer or) if you want something more mundane, consider a missing wallet...] 4. And let's make it a bit more interesting. What can the search itself teach them? Again, try making a list of five possible lessons the search could teach them (which may reflect, diverge, or have some other relationship to what the character thought they were searching for or learning). Pick one that you like. [aphorisms and other simplifications of life available from horoscopes, books of quotations, and similar sources near you.] 5. Go over the checklist above. Answer the questions or think about the points. 6. Write out your story. Make the first paragraph catch the reader, then keep us going until we are running full-speed through the jungle with the main character, trying to get the serum before it is too late; cudgeling our noggins to solve the riddles and find the treasure; working and sweating with the main character to find it, to reach that goal. And once we win or lose, don't forget to twist our brains with the realization of what we have learned, of what we have lost, of what we have done. [quick start? how about: The morning that it all began started just like any other morning, with a thump, a rustle, and cold stone underfoot. to go where no man has gone before, to find the missing link, to touch that star, to strap yourself in those waxen wings and fly....WRITE!] Do that, and then we'll want to come along tomorrow! tink