You’ve checked out our guide on the different plot structures (if you haven’t, you should check out our guide to plot structures!) but you’re still searching for a bit more concrete formulas and advice on giving your story stakes and conflict. You need something to launch off and start actually writing! Well, if that’s you, stick around.
Let’s start with some short story formulas!
250-Word Flash Fiction Recipe:
This means that every time you add a character or a location, your story becomes longer. Hence, you have a limit of TWO characters and ONE location for one MICE bracket. You should try to keep it short. 1. OPENING - Meet the Characters and Make Promises. 3 Sentences (Bonus Points if you do it in 2) - SHORT sentences, to the point:
2. CONFLICT - Try/Fail Cycle (TFCs) 2 Sentences.
3. RESOLVE - Try/Success Cycle. Yes, And / No, But. 5 Sentences. 4. ENDING. Closing the MICE. Mirroring the first 3 sentences to show how things have changed. Make it satisfying. |
Visit this website or watch this lecture for more information on Kowal’s formula! |
Now, some love for our screenwriters!
|
Okay, so now you have the formulas! But… what are you actually supposed to keep in mind when making these plots?
Internal vs. External
One of the most important components of having a compelling plot is making sure that there’s a healthy balance between the external events your character(s) undergo and the internal conflicts they interact with. This might sound super broad, so let’s break everything down quickly!
Still feeling a little unsure? Let’s take a cursory look at our storybook example from above. Watch how internal plot points serve as both causes and effects of the external!
Internal Cause | External | Internal Effect |
The dragon is lonely in its mountaintop cave and just wants some company. The princess is fed up with her micromanaged life in the castle. | The dragon kidnaps the princess. | The dragon is content but feels guilt, and contemplates returning the princess. The princess likes her new life with the dragon much more, and fears that the dragon might return her. |
The knight’s father has never thought much of him, and so the knight feels insecure and eager to prove himself, possibly hoping to earn his father’s love along the way. | The knight is sent on a quest to retrieve the princess. | The knight now feels even more anxious because should he fail this quest, his father will truly think him completely weak and incapable. |
The knight’s desperation to prove himself blinds him to the pleas of the princess and the peaceful nature of the dragon. He feels he must slay it –– to return empty-handed is to relinquish his manhood. | The knight slays the dragon. | What would you put here? |
Of course, this is an oversimplified example, and you would most likely come up with more intricate (and less generic!) storylines than this one! Regardless, I hope this helped illustrate the importance of having both internal and external plot points. And as with anything, balance is key! The reader doesn’t want to read a history textbook of event after event occurring, but they also don’t want to spend three chapters dissecting one character’s single emotion.
Stakes
John, our main character, is a high school teacher. He has discovered that two students are bullies, but their parents are powerful, and if he intervenes, he very well might lose his job. | In this situation, the stakes might seem relatively low compared to something as drastic as life or death. This is where you as the writer can take charge and make the reader believe what you believe: that even though it might not be life or death, your readers should care about what’s on the line. |
To do this, maybe we add something like this:
| John’s entire life dream has been to be a high school teacher. He grew up with a learning disability and had teachers who were callous and refused to understand his struggles. As a high school teacher now, John’s delighted to be able to encourage and accommodate kids like him to help them realize their full potential. He wants to make school a safe space for all kids, not just neurotypical kids. But if these bullies’ parents intervene, they could blacklist him –– meaning he could never be allowed to teach kids again. |
Sources:
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/freytags-pyramid
https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/story-structure/seven-point-story-structure/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blehVIDyuXk
https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/story-structure/heros-journey/
https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/story-structure/save-the-cat-beat-sheet/