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Definition
| Orpheus and Euridyce: Damsel in Distress |
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| Cupid & Psyche: Hidden Love |
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| Prometheus: Underdog Rising |
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| Tireseus & The Soothsayer: Someone Changes Physical Appearance to Achieve Desire/Goal |
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| Madea: Character Falls for Someone/Something That Will Harm Him |
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| Gilgamesh & Enkidu: Two Sides of the Same Coin |
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| Sword in the Stone: A Character is Compelled to Begin a Quest |
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| Icarus: Greed Overtakes a Character Who Cannot Be Content |
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| Pygmalion & Galatea: Someone Changes Another And Becomes Their True Selves |
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| Historical/biographical information we need to know about characters, relationships and where we define the world in which this story lives |
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| Undepicted plot elements are elaborated in dialogue or other features (such as a newspaper headline, or overheard conversation etc.) within a film. This includes backstory. The genre is set. Laws of the story's universe are established. |
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| "Hero". Character whom the audience will follow and root for. |
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| "Villain". Characyer who stands in the way of protag's achieving of goal. |
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| The event or happening that sets the story into motion - this also usually introduces the conflict. |
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| The energy that drives a story. |
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Definition
| Hero's goals are set and the plan to achieve them is made. As the hero heads out on his quest, we are then thrust into Act 2 |
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| An event the audience knows it must see before the story can end (does not happen in Act 1) |
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Definition
| Exercises in turbo special effects, writers follow text book imperatives to technically create conflict, but because they are disinterested in or oblivious to the honest struggles of life, devise overwrought excuses for mayhem |
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| Lack of meaningful conflict |
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| Tedious portrait written in reaction against conflict itself, these writers take the Pollyanna view that life would be really nice if it weren't for conflict |
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Definition
| Hero's quest hits a snag, changing from positive to negative or vice verse (usually at least 3 in a feature script) |
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Definition
| As the story progresses and "flip-flops", the tension of the conflict and intensity of the action increases or "rises" |
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| Subplots collide into main plot |
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Definition
| Serve as the "booster rockets" leading story into third act |
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| As Act 2 shifts into Act 3 - the point of highest tensions and conflict comes to head - the point of highest emotional energy. |
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| Fallout from the climax happening, the realizations and ramifications brought on by the climactic event |
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| The conclusion of the story, the loose ends of the main and sub plots are tied up |
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Term
| Elements of a "Good Story" |
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Definition
| Unified in plot; Credible; Interesting; Simple & Complex; Handles Emotional Complexities with Restraint |
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| Elements of a Unified Plot |
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Definition
| Plot or storyline contributes to the development of the theme; focuses on a single thread of continuous action; plot is tight |
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| Elements of the Illusion of Truth (Credibility) |
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Definition
| Externally Observable Truths: The way things really are - Internal Truths of Human Nature - the way things are supposed to be, Artistic semblance of Truth - The way things never were and never will be |
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| Elements of an Interesting Story |
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Definition
| Suspense and Action (both physical and internal) |
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