From the category archives:
Okay, let’s get back to our discussion of narrative structure.
The RESOLUTION of a story is a tying up of all (or most) narrative threads and a satisfying ending to the CONFLICT.
One of the many definitions for the word resolution is: The answer to a problem. [click to continue...]
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Okay, let’s review our types of conflict.
MAN versus MAN
A battle of wills between two opposed individuals or groups, a PROTAGONIST and [click to continue...]
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Our last type of conflict is MAN vs. HIMSELF.
This is an INTERNAL CONFLICT of a moral or ethical nature. (Or possibly an internal battle over a personality flaw)
Any choice that could go against [click to continue...]
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Next up is MAN vs. HIS ENVIRONMENT.
In this conflict someone is battling against harsh environmental elements. When Electra climbs the frozen cliff to attain the monastery where she will learn the [click to continue...]
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Now let’s talk about the three main types of conflict.
First we’ll tackle the most frequent and obvious form of conflict:
MAN vs. MAN. [click to continue...]
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Now let’s move on to the CONFLICT part of your narrative.
If the SETUP is the appetizer of our literary meal, the CONFLICT is the meat and potatoes entré.
There can be no story without CONFLICT. [click to continue...]
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A few final words on SETUP.
Why is it so important to have a clearly established setup?
Think of it this way: When you are building a house, you begin with the foundation, and then erect the walls, and finally add the roof. [click to continue...]
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The last element in the SETUP of our story is the WHEN. When is the story taking place? Is it now, today, tomorrow, last year, 1965, 2948? The time in which our story is unfolding will influence how people dress, speak and interact.
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Another related question, which is part of the SETUP, is the WHY. In superhero comics each hero often has a fundamental WHY. Batman fights crime because he saw his parents killed in front of him. Spidey fights crime due to guilt over not having prevented
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WHERE is another key element in the SETUP of a narrative.
Obviously, even short stories like those found in comic books, have several locations. However, one will be the KEY LOCATION. A Superman story might spend most of the narrative in the large, active city of Metropolis. [click to continue...]
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