Untitled - Index of - Free

PLOTLINE
£-ynics have claimed there are ()HI'Y six basic Pl()ts.
r=rank.ensteln and M'Y r=alr Lad-y are reaii'Y the same swr-y.
A story is composed of many disparate elements.
Stories are made up of character, action, dialogue, devel­
opment, etc. If all of these elements exist, and are ordered
properly, a story occurs. But not always a good one. There
seems to be some ephemeral mixture of these elements
that makes for good stories. Unfortunately, this mixture is
often difficult to put your finger on when you need it. That's
why we've included this material. This chapter is not only
going to help you put your finger on the specific elements
that go into creating a good story, we're going to tie them
down so that you can find them whenever you like. We
believe that there's a method to the formation of good
plots, that this method isn't very difficult, and that once
you're comfortable with it you'll be able to form exciting
stories of any scope, within any Setting, time and time
again. In this chapter, we'll discuss how to go from your
concept for a plot, to a finished product that's going to
work for your Troupe. The formula outlined below is valid
for a plot of any size. The steps you'll take to develop your
plot will be the same whether you're planning the Main
Plot of an Episode involving the entire Main Cast, or a
simple Personal Subplot involving only one Actor. There
are four basic steps to plot development. They follow in
order ...
1. Idea
¢ Subject and Structure
2. Drama in 3 Acts
¢ Resolution, Introduction, and Conflict
3. The Conflict Exploded
¢ Plot Turns, Midpoint, and Pinches
4. Cue Cards
¢ Scene Cards and Cast Cards
- Leslie Halliwell
The following sections will take you through this
development process one step at a time. If you work
through these steps with a plot idea of your own, then by
the end of this chapter you'll have your first Theatrix
Episode, ready for your Troupe.
IDEA
There seems to be so much involved in creating a
story that it's hard to know where to begin. Often we think
that the 'idea' for a story is going to be the hardest part, but
this generally isn't true. Ideas alone are really very easy
to come up with. There's the grand heist, the quest for the
magical artifact, the great cross-country race, the perils of
love, the comedy of errors, the mistaken identity, the spy
game, etc. Pick up a book, watch a movie, or turn on the
television. The problem isn't in finding a story, it's in
finding a way to tell it. Most people get stuck because they
don't know where to begin.
So lets make it easy. Every story begins with a
subject and a structure. Every story must happen to
someone, and must go somewhere. Your story always
moves forward, with direction, towards its resolution. The
'subject' is the character that your story happens to, and
the action that the character performs. The 'structure' is
the dramatic context that holds all the elements of your
story together. Structure is the form which your story
takes, giving it a definite beginning, middle, and end.
A SENTENCE OR TWO
You should be able to write down your story's
subject and structure in one or two short lines. This short
summation of your plot should include ...
Theatr-lx - The Core Rules 125