Tag: goal

Writing Exercise: Using the Story Formula

Posted on by Ian Dawson

Last time, we looked at the template needed to create a basic story formula:

HERO + GOAL + OPPOSITION = CONFLICT = STORY

For this exercise, use this template and brainstorm five to ten original ideas that utilize this framework.

  • What types of HEROES can you create that are unique and interesting?
  • What variety of GOALS can you come up with that would motivate a hero to actively pursue them?
  • What types of OPPOSITION would throw the hero off-balance and cause them to lose sight of their goal?
  • Do any of your ideas stand out as potential concepts for a larger story?

Maybe they all work, perhaps only a couple, but this is a great way to flesh out in its most basic form how a story and its conflict might work on a larger scale.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: A Simple Story Formula

Posted on by Ian Dawson

What are the essential elements that make up a story?  How do we combine those elements in a simple formula that can be expanded upon?  It all comes down to a simple story formula that is also that basic of a story’s logline:

HERO + GOAL + OPPOSITION = CONFLICT = STORY

These three factors are fundamental to keeping your main character active and motivated throughout the story.  

Let’s talk about each one.

The Hero

This is your main character, your protagonist.  We will follow the person from the story’s beginning to its end.  They will go through the most CHANGE as the story progresses, following an arc that will change their perspective, change their outlook, and change them as a person by the time they get to the finish line.

We are rooting for this character to achieve what they need to accomplish, which is…

The Goal

What do they want?  Why do they want it?  What happens if they don’t get it?  

The Hero’s goal takes them on a new journey that they weren’t expecting to be on, but it is one they have no choice but to take on and hopefully complete.

The goal should cause the Hero to be ACTIVE to achieve it.  Do they need to start something?  Stop something?  Prevent something?  Run for something?  Save something or someone?  Fix something?  Destroy something?  These are all active states and goals for the Hero to move toward and accomplish.

It doesn’t mean that obstacles won’t pop up and attempt to thwart their progress as they work toward their goal.  They also have to deal with…

The Opposition

From a supervillain to a judgmental parent, the Opposition or antagonistic force exists to cause CONFLICT for the Hero throughout their journey.  The Opposition exists to do all it can to prevent the Hero from achieving what they’ve set out to do.

Most of the time, thanks to our overabundance of superhero movies, we think of Thanos, The Joker, or The Riddler as examples of clear opposition for the Hero.  But know that it doesn’t have to be a world-ending conflict that the Hero is dealing with.  It can be anyone in the main character’s life that exists to give them problems or issues that affect their journey.

Adding It Up

As stated before:

HERO + GOAL + OPPOSITION = CONFLICT = STORY

Using these elements, think about how you can plug the factors in your story into these spaces.  Do you have an active hero who is out to achieve a goal but is prevented from completing it due to opposition causing conflict for the hero?

If yes, you have the basic parameters to develop a good story.  But this is only the beginning of your story’s evolution from a basic story idea to a larger project.

Final Thoughts

This week, take some time to break down your favorite movies or novels into this formula.  You’ll find that all mainstream films and books follow this template.  

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

The Basic Story Formula: An Effective Template

Posted on by Ian Dawson

Most commercial films, TV series, and novels can be boiled down to one simple formula:

Hero + Goal + Opposition = Conflict, which = Drama

Let’s break this down into its respective parts.

The HERO, Heroine, or Protagonist is the main character we follow over the course of the story. Their hopes, dreams, fears, wants, needs, and desires become ours as we vicariously follow them throughout the narrative.  They are the character with which the writer wants us to identify with, empathize or sympathize with.  They become our avatar, giving us a role within the story through their eyes and experiences.

Now, that main character wants something.  They need something.  They are after something.  And that something (the GOAL) is what sets things in motion for the character, and in turn creates a series of events that the character must experience and surpass in order to reach the intended goal.

What’s preventing the HERO from achieving their GOAL?  It’s an obstacle, a unyielding force, and foe, a villain, an antagonist…OPPOSITION. Someone or something is causing them problems on their way to reaching their intended goal.  And while there may be a main antagonist for the protagonist to face and defeat, the antagonist will definitely throw plenty of obstacles and other issues the protagonist’s way as they attempt to achieve their goal.

And if you and a protagonist after something and someone or something trying to prevent them from reaching said goal, you will create CONFLICT.  It is through conflict that stories create DRAMA.  All of these elements are important in order to drive the action and events forward in your story, to create suspense, to create tension, and to give your audience a desire to see what happens next.

Pick a mainstream film genre and this formula fits.  Superhero? Yep.  Action?  Definitely. Sci-fi?  You bet.  Romantic-Comedy?  Uh-huh. Western?  Yup. 

I’ll use a recent blockbuster as an example:  Avengers: Infinity War. (SPOILER ALERT!)

Screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely talked about in an article that Thanos was the true hero of the film. Having that information, and knowing the basic story of the film, we can plug in the following variables:

HERO (Thanos) + GOAL (retrieve all six Infinity Stones to implement final plan) + OPPOSITION (The Avengers and The Guardians of the Galaxy) = CONFLICT (plenty of teams of superheroes trying to stop Thanos from getting all the stones), which = DRAMA (plenty of dramatic and tragic moments befall everyone as Thanos moves toward his goal)

We are following Thanos on his journey.  It’s his character arc that is center stage, and therefore he is the main character of Avengers: Infinity War.  And, as the screenwriters state: “This is the hero’s journey for Thanos,” McFeely explained. “By the end of the hero’s journey, our main character, our protagonist — at least, in this case — gets what he wants.”

So, as you begin to construct your story, try and plug in these basic elements first as a foundation to build on.  Hey, if it works for a film that made $2,046,626,158 worldwide, it’s a safe bet it’s a tried and true formula for creating a strong story.