Top 20 on Character and Plot

Jun 9, 2024

Top 20 on Character

1. Character Arc: Ensure characters undergo significant growth or change throughout the story.
2. Relatability: Make protagonists likable or relatable to engage the audience’s empathy.
3. Detailed Backstory: Develop comprehensive biographies to inform characters’ motivations and actions.
4. Character Goals and Motivation: Clearly define what your characters want and why they want it.
5. Emotional Connection: Create characters that evoke strong emotional responses from the audience.
6. Flaws and Vulnerabilities: Highlight characters’ flaws and vulnerabilities to make them realistic and relatable.
7. Conflict and Dynamics: Build strong conflicts and dynamic relationships between characters.
8. Archetypes: Use character archetypes to structure your story and convey deeper meanings.
9. Authenticity: Write characters with distinct voices and authentic traits drawn from real life.
10. Character-driven Plot: Let characters’ decisions and actions drive the plot forward.
11. Character Transformation: Emphasize the protagonist’s inner journey and transformation.
12. Subtext and Complexity: Develop multi-dimensional characters with inner conflicts and contradictions.
13. Moral Choices: Present characters with significant moral dilemmas to reveal their true nature.
14. Interaction and Relationships: Focus on the development and dynamics of relationships between characters.
15. Character Consistency: Ensure characters act consistently within their established personalities.
16. High Stakes: Create high stakes for characters to heighten tension and engagement.
17. Visual Metaphors: Use visual storytelling techniques to reveal character emotions and traits.
18. Passion and Joy: Infuse characters with passion and a sense of wonder to make them engaging.
19. Borrow and Adapt: Draw inspiration from existing characters and adapt them uniquely.
20. Resistance and Drive: Show characters overcoming internal and external resistance to achieve their goals.

Top 20 on Plot

1. Three-Act Structure: Divide your story into setup, confrontation, and resolution.
2. Inciting Incident: Introduce an event early on that propels the protagonist into the main story.
3. Plot Points: Include major plot points that change the direction of the story.
4. Rising Action: Build tension through a series of escalating conflicts.
5. Climax: Craft a peak moment where the main conflict reaches its highest point.
6. Resolution: Ensure a satisfying conclusion that resolves the main conflict.
7. Subplots: Weave in subplots that support and enhance the main plot.
8. Foreshadowing: Use foreshadowing to hint at future events and build anticipation.
9. Twists and Turns: Incorporate unexpected twists to keep the audience engaged.
10. Pacing: Manage the pacing to maintain interest and suspense throughout the story.
11. Theme Integration: Ensure the plot reinforces the story’s central theme.
12. Character-driven Events: Let characters’ decisions and actions drive the plot forward.
13. Conflict: Centralize conflict to maintain tension and drive the narrative.
14. Cause and Effect: Maintain a logical cause-and-effect sequence in events.
15. Multiple Plot Layers: Incorporate multiple layers of plot to add depth and complexity.
16. Time Management: Use time effectively to control the flow and impact of the story.
17. Scene Transitions: Ensure smooth transitions between scenes to maintain narrative flow.
18. Stakes: Raise the stakes to keep the audience invested in the outcome.
19. Backstory Integration: Integrate backstory seamlessly into the main plot.
20. Resolution of Subplots: Resolve subplots in conjunction with the main plot to ensure a cohesive narrative.