PREMISE

First write a premise for your story. You can use the Premise from Journal 2, or create a new one.

EVENTS

First write down some story events, describing each in a single sentence.  Usually, when you get an idea for a story, certain events immediately pop into your mind. “This could happen, and this could happen, and this could happen.” Story events are usually actions taken by your hero or opponent.  Write down each event in one sentence. Make sure some events throw your main character into a crisis and force her to confront/resolve it.

Write down a minimum of five story events, but ten to fifteen would be even better. The more events you list, the easier it is to see the story and find the seven steps.

Put the story events in some rough order, from beginning to end.

SEVEN STEPS

For the seven steps below,  describe how you will address each of the following in your story. Do not take the easy cliché route, but investigate what is unusual or original on your story, and try to flesh it out. Look for the subtleties, mystery, or surprises.  Link each of your story events to one of the steps, and explain how it represents each of the key steps of the story structure.

1. Weakness and need

Weakness- They lack acceptance of the end not because they did not have a fulfilling life but because they do not know what would have made it fulfilling. Happens in event 5. They will think on how they achieved happiness until the darkness came and wonder if that is enough to make their life feel complete. Then they will realize that it does not matter if they think it was complete, as it is now ending.

Need- They need stability in their life. The life they once had was underappreciated in its time and now that its gone, the creature misses it. This will also be touched upon in event 5.

2. Desire – An innate desire to survive that exists in living things. Also a desire for the survival of loved ones or friends. This appears both in event 1 and 2. Having lost the ability to help their friend survive, the creature must now focus on their own survival.

3. Opponent – The darkness itself that surrounds them as well as what the darkness forces the creature to come to terms with, its own mortality. The opponent shows up mainly in events 1 and 5.

4. Plan – The creature will attempt to escape the darkness by following the light. This is apparent in event 1.

5. Battle – The battle is in the creature’s struggle to survive while becoming weak. There is also the internal battle to face inevitable death. Events 4 and 5.

6. Self-revelation – The creature accepts that it will not make it to the light and lays down, resting in its final moments. This is shown in event 4.

7. New equilibrium – The creature dies with salvation within view. It is peaceful. The light implies it may not be the end for them. This happens in event 3.

Premise- A creature on a distant planet experiences night for the first time.

Events-

1. The animals around the character lose consciousness in the darkness, so they try to escape it.
2. A friend of the creature falls down and becomes immobile, so the main character must leave them.
3. As the character slips into unconsciousness, they see a light ahead of them and make one last push.
4. The creature grows weak and accepts they will die.
5. Having accepted death, the creature thinks back on their own life and how they feel it could have been more.