• Protagonist must want something (motivation)
• Must be stopped from obtaining it (conflict.)
• Talents of the character and conflicts of the plot must be in agreement (ex. Nerds to solve nerd shit, chads to do physical shit.)
• Realism is not important but verisimilitude (the emulation of realism within the confines of the story) is.
• Main characters cannot “host” stories for others; the plot must be designed with them in mind.
• Managing tension: reader has to care about someone involved in a plot.
• Subplot resolution should not be “bigger” than the main plot. “Leave more undone than was done.”
• Cheap thrills: random surprising elements thrown in for effect. Useful for faking out the audience but should be used sparingly.
• Proper surprises: a surprising element which is part of the plot. Plot twists.
• Fair play mysteries: when all of the important evidence to a criminal plot are presented to the viewer prior to being invoked though the reader may not actively realize it.
• Surprises lose impact the more they are used.
• Time in books is assumed to have a chain of causes and effects. Events happening through coincidence is seen as
• Readers “do not want to see the hand of the writer.”
• Inner, personal and external conflicts.
• Inner conflict. Problems with the self, personality, inner demons and temptation.
• Personal conflict. Problem between characters. A book based on them is a “melodrama.”
• External conflict. Problem with outside forces. Organizations.

Sequels

Sequels have difficulty matching plots to characters for several reasons:

• Character is already established and cannot be changed to match the plot
• Character has to be stretched some to a new plot because recycling the same character skillset can get boring.

Prototypical plots

Basic prototypical plots:

• Education plot: maturation, coming of age, adventure serves to teach the hero something.
• Disillusionment plot: the reverse of an education plot; hero starts off as something and falls apart or becomes more cynical.
• Testing plot: heroes resolve is tested by an onslaught of problems but continues to persist.
• Redemption plot: hero starts as villain and through trials becomes a hero.
• Corruption plot: hero starts as a hero and through trials becomes the villain.