How do you build character into the structure of your story? What’s the story beneath the plot? What character secrets are driving your story forward?
You never want to rely on plot structures alone. There’s the story underneath that’s driving the plot, and that’s all about character.
In this episode, I’ll uncover 3 secrets about your character that will help you build momentum right into the structure of your story.
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Episode at a glance:
[01:51] Desire vs. Inner Need
The desire is conscious. It’s what your character wants to achieve by the end of the story. It’s concrete and tangible. But the inner need driving that desire may or may not be conscious. Both are in conflict with one another.
[05:47] The Pleasure Principle
As humans, we’re driven towards pleasure and away from pain. In story, the pain your character is avoiding is the thing he or she dreads. So what is your character running towards? And what is he or she running away from? What is this character trying to avoid?
[10:06] Character In Crisis
Story is about a character in crisis. The crisis is bigger than themselves, and they’re forced to rise to the occasion. That’s what carries them through Act One, Act Two, and Act 3 – the crisis. The problem your character must solve. That means your character is not the same person we met on page one, because the stakes are too high.
Links Mentioned In This Episode
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
You Are Here by David Nicholls
One Day by David Nicholls
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
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