The universal, incredibly oversimplified, Aristotleian general plot structure

PROTAGONIST
  1. Must always resolve own conflict using character traits or believable mechanisms, not authorial.
  2. May not be saved by divine intervention or deus ex machina.
  3. Must be 'locked in' and forced to resolve the conflict. Running away is not acceptable.
encounters an  
OUT OF WHACK EVENT
  1. Protagonist is usually in emotional disturbance so that out-of-whack event is upsetting.
  2. Out-of-whack event is externally motivated.
  3. Destroys the protagonist's stable happy existence and impels him/ her into the situation.
which puts him into  
CONFLICT
  1. Conflict may be external (what will work now?) or internal (what is right?).
  2. Character's inner journey (emotional change) must parallel external journey (action in story).
  3. Inner and out conflicts must spring from character motivations, not authorial ones.
with an  
ANTAGONIST
  1. Antagonist may be active (opponent) or passive (obstacle).
  2. Antagonists include (a) opponent/ villain, (b) self (past or memory), (c) society, (d) nature.
  3. Reader may/should empathize with antagonist and understand his motivations.
while  
STRUGGLING
  1. Struggles may be (a) mental, (b) physical, (c) emotional, or (d) moral.
  2. Something should be at stake important enough to fight strongly for.
  3. Task must be difficult and preferably involve a sequence of challenges.
to reach a  
GOAL
  1. The goal is something the reader recognizes is worth striving for.
  2. May be (a) personal (boy/ girl), (b) external (object/ money), (c) internal (success/ love/ security), or (d) defensive (peace/ survival/ safety).
  1. The reader should identify with the protagonist and antagonist (preferably both), empathize with both, and care about the outcome.
  2. The reader should be able to suspend disbelief because the world, characters, and emotions are realistic and flow naturally from the events in a well-developed and well-motivated plot, not narrative or authorial convenience..
  3. Personality of characters should be revealed through their actions (words or deeds), not through authorial info dumps. Show, don't tell.
Adapted from a diagram by J. F. Pierce as interpreted by Warren Norwood.

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ã Copyright 2002 David Alexander Smith