Just something I found on my Patreon page. Sorry it’s all in caps but I’m too tired to fix it:
- HOW DOES THE STORY START? (OPENING IMAGE/SETTING/IDEA THAT HOOKS THE READER)
- WHO IS THE HERO? WHAT DOES HE WANT?
- WHO’S THE HEROINE? WHAT DOES SHE WANT?
- WHAT BRINGS THE HERO AND HEROINE TOGETHER (INCITING INCIDENT) WHAT’S THE INTERNAL CONFLICT HERE?
- WHAT’S THE FIRST TURNING POINT? HOW DOES THE EXTERNAL CONFLICT AFFECT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HERO AND HEROINE?
- WHAT’S THE MIDPOINT? WHAT LINE HAS BEEN CROSSED THAT, ONCE CROSSED, THERE’S NO TURNING BACK? THIS SHOULD HEIGHTEN BOTH THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CONFLICT.
- WINNING SEEMS IMMINENT BUT…
- EVERYTHING SEEMS GOING WELL. ALMOST TOO WELL. EVERYTHING’S COMING TOGETHER FOR THE HERO AND HEROINE BUT BECAUSE THE CONFLICT HASN’T BEEN RESOLVED YET, WE’RE NOT AT THE END. WHAT DOES THIS PART OF THE STORY (RIGHT BEFORE THE BLACK MOMENT) LOOK LIKE?
- WHAT’S THE BLACK MOMENT? WHAT TEARS THE HERO AND HEROINE APART?
- WHAT’S THE CLIMAX? THIS IS WHERE THE EXTERNAL CONFLICT COMES TO A HEAD, AND IT OFTEN SERVES TO BRING THE HERO AND HEROINE BACK TOGETHER. THE HERO AND HEROINE MUST RISE ABOVE THEIR RESPECTIVE INTERNAL CONFLICTS IN ORDER TO TACKLE THE EXTERNAL CONFLICT.
- HOW ARE THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CONFLICTS RESOLVED?
- HOW DOES THE STORY END? LEAVE US WITH A MEMORABLE FINAL IMAGE.