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Storyworld Building > test 2 > Flashcards

test 2 Flashcards

1
Q

story structure =

A

skeleton

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2
Q

what is a story structure

A

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

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3
Q

7 steps of story structure

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

weakness need uitleg

A

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.

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5
Q

creating moral need

A

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

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6
Q

desire uitleg

A

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

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7
Q

need and desire difference

A

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

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8
Q

opponent uitleg

A

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

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9
Q

plan uitleg

A

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!

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10
Q

battle uitleg

A

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

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11
Q

self-revelation uitleg

A

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
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12
Q

new equilibrium uitleg

A

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

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13
Q

positive self revelation

A

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

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14
Q

negative self-revelation

A

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).

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14
Q

speculative fiction

A

speculative fiction is the art of projecting and abstracting the extreme

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14
Q

genres speculative fiction

A

horror
fantasy
science fiction

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15
Q

elements genre speculative fiction

A

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

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16
Q

most important elements in storyworld building

A

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)
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17
Q

spatial arena

A
  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
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18
Q

societies arena

A
  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
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19
Q

space-time rules

A

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

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20
Q

rules of motion

A

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

21
Q

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

A

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

22
Q

society

A

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

23
Q

culture

A

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

24
Q

4 pillars within a society

A

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

25
Q

6 questions related to magic

A
  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?
26
Q

difference plot and story

A

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.

27
Q

organic plot elements

A
  • 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.
28
Q

how to start an organic plot

A
  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
29
Q

22 steps of plot

A
  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
  10. new equilibrium
30
Q

ghosts in SW / two types

A

= 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)
31
Q

inciting incident

A

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

32
Q

levels of desire

A
  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
33
Q

ally or allies

A

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

34
Q

fake-ally opponent

A

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

35
Q

first revelation and decision

A

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.
36
Q

drive

A

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.

37
Q

attack by ally

A

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.

38
Q

apparent defeat

A

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

39
Q

audience revelation

A

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.
40
Q

Gate, gauntlet, visit to death

A

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.

41
Q

battle elements

A
  • final conflict
  • funnel point
  • theme explodes
42
Q

self-revelation effects

A

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

43
Q

moral decision

A

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

44
Q

ghosts important horror

A
  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.
45
Q

haunted house/closed society

A

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

46
Q

the role of monster

A

often the opponent, powerful, drives the action

47
Q

action fiction genres

A
  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
48
Q

cowboy

A

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.

49
Q

western relation to religion

A

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.

50
Q

why is western SW unique

A

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

51
Q
A

Storyworld Building (2 decks)

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