178 LESSON 8 – SCENE AND PLOT DEEPENING TECHNIQUES

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LESSON 8 – Scene and Plot Deepening Techniques

178


LESSON 8 – Scene and Plot Deepening Techniques





SCENES



Like your plotline and your characters Deep Story allows you to add depth and texture to each of your individual scenes so that you can produce a richer, more emotionally satisfying story for your readers. Scene deepening techniques are as easy to master as the other Deep Story techniques you’ve acquired so far in the class. And like the previous techniques that you’ve learned, once you are able to put a name on them you are suddenly going to start noticing them whenever they turn up in any story that you read or watch.



EMOTIONS



The deliberate use and management of emotions is the key secret to adding depth to every one of your scenes. And let’s start by looking at a dialogue deepening technique that we learned in the last lesson. This particular technique not only adds depth to your character’s dialogue, but it also serves to add depth the scene itself.



Misdirected Emotional Response



Remember the scene where Gloria Wilson is furious with her boss Mr. Biggerstaff. And her co-worker Charlie Eaton is the office snitch. And remember how, after coming back to her desk after being chewed out by Biggerstaff for a clocking in 2 minutes late that morning, she let off steam by arguing with Charlie over the fact that he had left his trash on the lunch room table when he finished his lunch, instead of throwing it in the trash where it belonged.



Because she was angry and upset due to her unpleasant encounter with her boss Gloria needed some way to relieve her pent up emotions. Unfortunately, the only person available to listen to her vent her feelings was the one person she couldn’t trust not to create more problems for her by reporting her to the person who was the source of her angry feelings. So, to relieve her anger, Gloria misdirects the focus of her anger onto another source – Charlie’s lunchroom trash.



This misdirection of feelings adds depth to your scene because, not only do you have the tension from Gloria’s pent up anger and Charlie’s understandable resentment towards her for yelling at him. You are also adding a layer composed of the reader’s understanding of what Gloria is really angry about. Add to that the reader’s reaction upon finding out that Charlie is the office snitch. (Naturally, in addition to the feeling of satisfaction that the reader feels upon learning something new about a character in the story, his/her own emotions are even more engage if s/he has had to deal with his/her own office snitch. And then there is the reader’s sympathy for Gloria’s frustration and plight.)



Suddenly, what could have been a simple, flat, boring scene is suddenly brimming with a multitude of emotions, conflicts, and tension. All thanks to a simple Deep Story technique of misdirecting an emotional response of one character. And this technique is even stronger when your readers are aware of why the character was forced to misdirect her emotional response.



OTHER SCENE DEEPENING TECHNIQUES



Filling the Scene with Multiple Emotions



Another technique you can use to add depth to a scene is to have the various characters in the scene experience different emotions. For example, let’s use a scene in which we have a love triangle going on. Kat the local barista secretly has a crush on handsome Brad from the law firm located in the office tower across the street. Of course, since Kat only knows him as one of her friendlier customers, Brad is unaware of her secret crush on him. He just thinks of her as the smiling barista he briefly chats with while she prepares his vanilla latte every morning.



Unbeknownst to Kat, Brad is actually living with and engaged to his fellow lawyer Cindi. Cindi normally arrives at the office later than Brad so Kat never realized that Cindi knows Brad. She doesn’t find out until the scene where they arrive together, excitedly discussing their pending wedding and planned Cancun honeymoon. They are so wrapped up in their own excitement that both are completely oblivious to the shattered look on Kat’s face as her secret fantasy of a romance with the handsome Brad is shattered by the discovery of their pending wedding.



One Statement, Different Reactions



Another simple scene deepening technique is to have a character make a statement that triggers completely different reactions in the various other characters present in the scene.



The “Oblivious” Effect



Returning to poor Kat the now heartbroken barista for a second time let’s turn our attention to the source of her heartbreak – Brad. Completely unaware of Kat’s secret romantic fantasy about him, friendly Brad is completely oblivious to the (unintentional) pain he is causing Kat when he proudly introduces her to his fiancé Cindi. Or when he shares their excitement about their upcoming wedding and honeymoon plans.



Or what about the office worker who excitedly shares the news with her coworker and friend that she has just been awarded a great promotion, totally unaware of the fact that her friend had quietly applied for the very same job.



The Emotional Rollercoaster Technique



In movies actors love this scene – the emotional rollercoaster scene is where a character experiences several different emotions and emotional responses within a single scene.



The “What Planet Are You On” Scene



This is a variation of the “Emotional Rollercoaster” Technique. However, instead of a single character experiencing several different emotions, in this scene you have two characters sharing the same scene. But each one of them is experiencing an entirely different emotion to the same situation.



Take for instance an arson fire scene where the home owners arrive home one evening to discover their house burning to the ground in a massive fire that the fire fighters have no chance of stopping. And among the crowd of spectators watching the blaze is the arsonist himself. While the homeowners are devastated by the roaring fire, he is feeling a great sense of accomplishment at the sight of the very same fire.



The “You Complete Me” Effect



In the movie Jerry McGuire as Jerry and Rene Zellweger’s character Dorothy take the elevator down to the lobby following their dramatic exit from their jobs at the big time sports agency, a deaf couple end of sharing the elevator with them. Jerry is more than grateful to Dorothy for saving him from the embarrassment of having to exit by himself and appear like a complete loser to his former colleagues. On the ride down to the lobby the deaf couple carry on a touching sign language conversation that catches Jerry’s attention. So upon the couple’s exit on the floor before theirs, Dorothy innocently translates for Jerry, “You complete me.” She misses the expression on Jerry’s face that is aimed at her in gratitude for her defense of him in the wake of his being fired just minutes before.



Dorothy’s reaction to the happily married elderly couple couple’s exchange is wistfulness on her part for what she is missing in her own life.



Jerry’s reaction to the couple’s exchange is gratitude to Dorothy for her loyalty to him in helping him to save face.



And the overall scene impact of the couple’s loving exchange for the viewing audience is the realization that Jerry and Dorothy are meant to be together as a couple – once Jerry finally grows up.



Forced to Say What is Emotionally Difficult to Say



In a murder mystery this could be the scene where a bigoted old male beat cop is force to admit to the young Hispanic female patrol officer – “I was wrong.”



In a romance story, the inherently taciturn hero is finally forced to say “I love you” to the heroine.



The Painful Moment Scene



In a suspense drama this could be the scene where the heroine is confronted with the reality that the person she trusted above all others is the one who betrayed her.



In a romance story, this could be your Black Moment where your heroine realizes that there is absolutely no hope at all of the romance/relationship between her and the hero surviving.



In a murder mystery it could be where the detective discovers that his trusted partner is actually the killer.



The Ying and Yang Scene



Two characters in a scene are physically experiencing the same thing – but their emotional experiences/responses are different. For example, pink slips have just been handed out to several people in the same office. For the guy who hates his job – he’s delighted. Now he can collect his unemployment while sitting on the beach and soaking up the sun. For his colleague who has a family and mortgage to support – the news is devastating.



Different Characters in the Scene Feel the Same Emotion – But for Different Reasons



Taking the same scenario as above – the pink slip delivery scene.



While our married homeowner is devastated over the loss of his income because he has a family and home mortgage to support. Another colleague is devastated because the loss of his job now proves that his hyper-critical father was right after all – he is a loser because he can’t even hold onto a simple mail delivery clerk job.



“I Love You” – At Last!



The character finally hears the expression of love s/he has long waited to hear. (Or the “I’m sorry” that is long overdue. Or the “I was wrong and you were right”, etc.)



The Big Emotional Contrast Scene



In this scene you have two very different emotions being played out in the same scene. For an example, there is a big office birthday celebration going on when the heroine receives a phone call telling her that she has breast cancer.





The No Win Situation



The heroine and hero are supposed to be having a romantic candle lit dinner at the expensive French restaurant that is booked out 6 months in advance. But they are in the middle of a painful and emotional fight where the heroine is demanding that the hero tell her whether or not he really loves her. Suddenly, before he can answer her, his client calls and he has to take the call if he wants to keep his high paying job as a consultant.



What’s he to do? Hang up on his client and lose a year’s salary. Or stay on the phone and watch the woman he really does love storm out of the restaurant in tears.



Different Agendas



Having characters with different, or competing, agenda trying to talk to each other in a scene can produce interesting results and spark tension in the scene. For instance let’s take an attractive single mother who desperately needs a pay raise to pay for her son’s growing medical bills. The child needs to see a very expensive specialist for his rare medical condition. But there is simply no way she can afford the doctor on her limited salary.



On the other hand, her lecherous boss wants to bed her – but also wants to avoid another expensive sexual harassment lawsuit.



It doesn’t take much imagination to see the potential for tension, conflict and drama as the scene between them plays out.



The Emotional Sandwich Scene



Here you have an emotion “sandwiched” between a series of contrasting emotions. For example, you have a teen-aged girl who has been forbidden from dating a boy in her class by her disapproving father. Sneaking off to the visiting carnival the two young lovers are having the time of their lives on all of the carnival rides. Suddenly, for just an instance the heroine thinks that she caught a glimpse of her father in the crowd swirling around them.



And in that split second instance her giddy happiness turns to strake terror at the possibility of being confront by her furious father. But in the next instance she is able to get a good look at the man and is overjoyed to discover that it is NOT her father after all. So she is quickly back to being giddily happy to be with the boy of her dreams.



The Emotional Flip-Flop Scene



In this scene the emotion flips back and forth from its positive extreme to its negative extreme. (i.e., good/bad/good/bad/good/bad, etc., etc.)



LAYERING THE SCENE’S MOOD AND TONE



Ever scene has a surface mood surrounding the events that are occurring in the scene. Think of it as the quick snapshot still life view of your scene.



But as you have come to learn underneath that flat surface layer exists multiple layers of moods, tones, and emotional colors that you can weave together to add depth and texture to your story, scenes and characters.



To do that in the individual scenes first determine what is the goal of that particular scene?



What is the source of conflict, tension and resistance in the scene?



What is the agenda of the individuals within that scene?



How do their agendas clash/support the scene goal?



What is the emotional state of each character in that scene and why are they in that particular emotional state?



Look at the dialogue in the scene – does the character’s emotional state, voice tone, word choices, body language support the story goal? Or, do they inadvertently reveal the character’s inner conflict or ulterior purpose?



PLOT DEEPENING TECHNIQUES



Adding a major twist to a scene or your plot can throw a major monkey wrench into your story that will keep your readers on the edge of their seats and reading late into the night. Twists add unexpected conflict, tension, and complications to your story and the lives of your characters. Twists will hook your readers deeper and deeper into your story. And they will strengthen the emotional bond between your readers and your characters because of the readers’ growing concern about the welfare and success of your story characters. The more they come out of left field, the stronger their impact will be upon your readers’ emotional stakes in your story.



Graphic 8.1 below is a roster of potential story twists that can add texture and depth to your plot. They can serve to ratchet up the tension and conflict in your story and between your characters. They can pull your readers deeper and deeper into your story. And they can serve to strengthen your readers emotional bond with your story world and the characters in it.



Another added bonus is that one or more of these listed twists can also serve as story seeds for future projects.




PLOT AND CHARACTER TWISTS

1

Add a Ticking Clock

2

Advance the Ticking Clock

3

New evidence/information makes the character realize that a previous assumption is incorrect

4

A character’s motives are the opposite of what we thought

5

A character changes sides

6

The character jumps from the frying pan to the fire

7

Stakes broaden or increase

8

Things go wrong on several fronts at once

9

Hero refrains from doing the right thing because someone good will be injured if s/he does act

10

Hero’s hidden weakness or fear comes into play and screws things up for the Hero. (Indiana Jones: “I hate snakes.” And what does he get? Snakes.)

11

Outside influences or circumstances screw things up for the Hero

12

The Hero is confronted with two choices – and both of them are bad

13

A character is forced to chose Duty vs. Love

14

Use of Surprise (Hero and Reader encounter the danger at the same time) vs. Superior Position (the reader sees/knows about the danger before the Heroine)

15

Key piece of equipment (or a device) breaks down at a critical moment

16

A character is forced to carry out another’s agenda

17

Use of mini-goals to progress towards the Major Goal

18

The Hero/Heroine must get someone else to accomplish something first

19

There is a change of plans due to love or friendship

20

It’s a Trap!

21

Hero’s past comes back to haunt him

22

Reinforcements don’t arrive

23

Guess who’s still around!

24

Gains are illusory

25

Hero encounters natural obstacles or disasters

26

A character doesn’t react in the expected way in a plan

27

Hero is falsely accused and/or pursued

28

Exhaustion, injury, lost, etc.

29

Tragic misunderstanding

30

Comic misunderstanding

31

Love Triangle

32

Hero accidentally sets disaster into motion

33

A character is forced to hide secrets

34

Communication system unavailable or inoperative

35

Transportation unavailable or inoperative

36

Hero’s plans are discovered by the enemy

37

A crazy scheme is required

38

The Hero/Heroine has incorrect/false information

39

It turns out that a character is hiding a secret

40

Character has a revelation that changes everything

41

A promise was made to do/not do a particular thing

42

A hostage is taken

43

A child disappears

44

Innocent people are in the way

45

Someone comes between

46

An old love returns

47

A witness is killed

48

A witness disappears

49

Evidence is destroyed or disappears

50

A weapon cannot be used

51

Ammunition runs out

52

Evidence is tampered with

53

A reliable witness suddenly lies

54

No one believes the truth

56

Character runs out of money

57

An unexpected invitation arrives

58

An unseen assassin attacks

59

An accident claims the life of someone close

60

A traitor is present

61

The husband/wife walks in

62

A bluff is called

63

A little lie grows into a giant one

64

A large amount of money is needed to continue

65

A guarded border prevents escape

66

Escape is cut off

67

Bondage or imprisonment of Protagonist

68

Confidentiality of church, attorney, doctor halts progress

69

Proceeding places someone else in jeopardy

70

Cover has been blown

71

Presence is discovered

72

Time is insufficient to achieve the immediate goal

73

A character loses sight, hearing, locomotion

74

Hero/Heroine is betrayed

75

Caught in a trap/ambush

Graphic 8.1



THE IMPORTANCE AND IMPACT OF SCENE AND PLOT REVERSALS



As in real life story characters suffer ups and downs as they move through the story. These are known as scene and plot reversals. Scene reversals are temporary set-backs that the characters encounter. While a plot reversal is a major set-back that causes severe problems for your characters. Both are used to deepen the story, deepen the emotional bond between the audience/reader, and to deepen the characters themselves



Scene Reversals



For example in the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark Indiana Jones manages to grab the hidden treasure and head for the exit. But by snatching the treasure he triggered a series of exotic defense mechanisms built into the temple. These were intended to ensure that tomb raiders didn’t escape alive with the treasure. First there was the series of deadly arrows firing from hidden slots in the temple corridor walls. A definite reversal for Indy’s well-being.



But our intrepid hero manages to avoid being skewered only to reach the pit/chasm in the floor of the corridor that he needs to use his bullwhip to swing across. The only problem is his traitorous guide won’t toss the whip back to him after he uses it to cross over to the safe side. Another scene set-back/reversal for Indy.



Then, as the exit comes into sight Indy suffers a major scene reversal. Just as it looks like he’s going t make it to safety the GIANT BOULDER comes racing straight towards him. Talk about having a bad day at work!



The opening scenes for this blockbuster hit was one scene reversal after another, after another, after another, etc. Just when you think the Hero has escaped one disaster he triggers another, even bigger, threat of danger.



A brilliant use of Deep Story techniques that kept the audience on the edges of their seats and their emotions rollercoastering up and down from terror for Indy to relief for his safe escape, back up to terror, back down to relief, and so on until the audience was exhausted from the ride. And they had never left their seats!



The cascade of emotions triggered in the audience by the escalating series of scene reversals guaranteed that the audience members were emotionally hooked from the beginning of this story to the very end. They were Indiana Jones and they were definitely on board for the ride of their lives as they followed Indy on his quest to find the lost Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis got their hands on it.



Not only did those scene reversals deepen the story’s plot, they also deepened the audience’s emotional bond with the character and the story world. And, not only that, they deepened Indiana’s character as well by forcing him to reveal how resourceful, quick-witted, brave and daring he was via his reactions to each succeeding threat to his well-being.



At the end of this action and emotion-packed sequence of scene reversals the writers brilliantly capped it off with Indy’s encounter with one of his secret fears – snakes! Not only did that provide the audience with a way to vent their pent up emotions via a good laugh. It also revealed character depth by revealing one of Indy’s secret fears that he was going to have to overcome during the Main Character Throughline/Character Arc Story Thread.



Scene reversals are a nice Deep Story technique that:



1. Forges a deep emotional bond between the audience and the characters/story world;

2. Deepens the Character by revealing his strengths, weaknesses, and secret fears; and

3. Deepens the Plot (by revealing that the journey was going to be action-packed and as emotionally exhilarating as a rollercoaster ride)



Is it any wonder that audiences were willing to follow Indy’s adventures through 4 movies?



Plot Reversals



Scene reversals are temporary set-backs for your characters. They can also add complications to the journey towards the Overall Story Goal that your Protagonist is pursuing.



But what about plot reversals? What impact do they have upon your story and your characters?



Individual scenes are mini segments of your overall plotline. And like the major plotline the individual scenes have their own beginning, middle and end. Earlier we had discussed the Deep Story technique of flip-flopping emotions (i.e., good/bad/good/bad/good/bad, etc., etc.) within a scene to add depth to the scene.



Think of your plot reversals as a very similar technique which has a profounder affect upon the events and characters in your story. Especially in relation to your Protagonist’s Character Arc/emotional growth. Not only does a Plot Reversal create major complications in your Protagonist’s quest for the story goal. It can also force your Protagonist to have to deal with his/her Inner Fear that is holding him/her back from his/her True Goal (Emotional Growth).



For example, in Raiders one of the first plot reversals occurs when Indy is reunited with his old flame Marion Ravenwood. At first she is delighted to see him again. Then she slaps him across the face for not trying to find her before now. Thus revealing his major inner fear – Fear of Commitment. And revealing what his Character Arc is going to be about.



Until now the plot has been about Indy finding the lost Ark. His encounter with Marion triggers the plot reversal of the story being merely about finding the missing Ark to Indiana’s growth as a person. In other words, at that point the plot shifts from merely being about a quest to retrieve a missing valuable object. To being about the quest to force the Protagonist to deal with his Inner Fear.



This Plot Reversal is not a surface event reversal but a Deep Story emotional reversal. And it is crucial to the significance of Indy’s victory in the wake of the climax scene. It is also crucial to deepening the story’s theme about deciding what is really important in life. (Artfully represented by the Nazis and their belief in Negative Power vs. the Ark of the Covenant representing the belief in Positive Power – Good vs. Evil. And Indy and Marion representing the theme of Love/Healing/Forgiveness vs. Destruction/Death/Hatred)



All of that, of course, is playing out in the deep (the audience’s subconscious) layers of the story.



On the surface the big Plot Reversal comes about when the Nazis steal both Marion and the Ark and Indy is forced to rescue them. But, at this point in the story Indy has undergone his Character Arc and now realizes that Marion (and the love/commitment she represents) is actually what he treasures over the Ark (and the fame/renown that it represents for him). If the Nazis had not taken Marion (and the Ark) then Indy would not have been forced to finally realize what he really treasured.



This major Plot Reversal reveals the deep emotional growth that Indy has undergone as a result of the story’s adventures. Thus satisfying the audience’s need for emotional satisfaction from a story. And his rescuing the Ark provides closure and a satisfactory conclusion to the Overall Throughline/Story Thread elements of the story.



THE NUMBER, SIZE AND PLACEMENT OF PLOT REVERSALS



Plot reversals send your story off in a new direction. Thus they add tension and suspense to your story because they create new goals and problems for your characters. And they add depth to both your story plotline and to your characters because they add complications to your story. And they allow your character to reveal his/her qualities and traits by his/her actions in responding to the new events the reversal triggers in the story.



You want to have at least one plot reversal in each section of your story (the beginning, middle and end). And that applies to your Overall Story Thread/Throughline, in the Character Arc Throughline and in the Subjective Story Thread/Throughline. Just based upon that you have a minimum of 9 Plot Reversals happening in your story at different levels (Overall Story, Protagonist’s Emotional Growth, and in conjunction with the development of the relationship between the Protagonist and Contagonist).



Obviously, since these reversals are occurring at different levels of your story not all of them need to be “blockbuster sized” reversals. Varying their sizes, depending upon your story’s needs, will add texture to both your action story and the emotional pulse of your story.



Well it’s easy enough to say that a story needs plot reversals in the beginning, middle and end. But, as the writer juggling flaming torches as you struggle to wrestle your story and characters out of thin air, having an idea where in the story to place a plot reversal so that it would do the most good would be very helpful, don’t you think?



Let’s start with the plot reversals in your Overall Story since that is the major plotline that is the most visible to your reader. And in the Overall Story plotline the beginning, middle and end closely parallel Act 1, 2 and 3.



In Act 1 – you’ve introduced your major characters (Protagonist, Antagonist, Contagonist and Mentor). And you may have also been able to introduce some or all of the minor characters (ally, logic, skeptic, emotion). You have also presented the Story Problem that will compel the Protagonist to have to leave his//her “Normal World” and enter the “New World” of your story. And, finally, you have shown your Protagonist’s initial reluctance/refusal to accept the call to adventure.



That’s extremely busy for a story beginning that composes only about ¼ of your entire story.



So where in the world are you going to squeeze in a significant Plot Reversal along with everything else that is going on in your opening Act?



It has actually always been present in your First Act without you, more than likely, realizing what it was.



It is the event that propels your Protagonist to finally agree/accept that s/he is going to have to go on the story journey after all.



You start out with your Protagonist in his/her Ordinary World and not particularly keen on leaving it behind for unknown dangers. And then you end the Opening Act with your Protagonist starting out on the road towards the Story Goal. That is clearly a Plot Reversal from “No, I don’t want to go.” to “OK, I guess I will go.”



So whatever scene or event in your story triggers that reversal is the cause of your Act I Plot Reversal.



Act 2 carries the bulk of your story and you have two Pinch Points that occur in the middle of each half of Act 2. Those are convenient places for a Plot Reversal to occur (remember you need a minimum of at least one Plot Reversal per Act).



In Act 3 your Climax/Final Confrontation scene definitely Reverses the Plot since prior to that the Antagonist was winning more times than your Protagonist during their encounters.



Plot Reversals in the Character Arc



You have five mandatory scenes required for a complete Character Arc. Character Arc scenes 2-3 are excellent places for the Protagonist’s emotional Plot Reversal events to occur.



Plot Reversals in the Subjective Throughline/Story Thread



The Plot Reversals that occur in this Story Thread charts the up and down development of the growing relationship between the Protagonist and the Contagonist over the course of the story. In a romance story this is your “Romance” thread. Which we all realize is fraught with turmoil and set-backs from beginning to end when the lovers finally end up together at last.



In Act 1 your Romantic Plot Reversal occurs near the end of the Act when one of the lovers resists their mutual attraction. Or when something occurs that causes the initially resistant one to notch down the hostility a bit.



Act 2 is a minefield of Plot Reversals in every romance story as the two lovers feel their way through the bulk of the 18 plotline scenes that occur prior to the opening of Act 3.



In Act 3 the romantic Plot Reversal scene occurs when the two lovers finally come together and overcome the Overall Story problem during the Climax scene.





LESSON SUMMARY



Deep Story allows you to add depth and texture to each of your individual scenes and your overall story by using scene and plot deepening techniques.



The deliberate use and management of emotions is the key secret to adding depth to every one of your scenes and your overall plotline.



There are numerous scene deepening techniques that you can use to accomplish this goal. Among the are the following:





LAYERING THE SCENE’S MOOD AND TONE



Ever scene has a surface mood surrounding the events that are occurring in the scene. But as you have come to learn underneath that flat surface layer exists multiple layers of moods, tones, and emotional colors that you can weave together to add depth and texture to your story, scenes and characters.





Plot deepening techniques are as simple to master like the other Deep Story techniques are. Adding a major twist to a scene or your plot can throw a major monkey wrench into your story that will keep your readers on the edge of their seats and reading late into the night. Twists add unexpected conflict, tension, and complications to your story and the lives of your characters. Twists will hook your readers deeper and deeper into your story. And they will strengthen the emotional bond between your readers and your characters because of the readers’ growing concern about the welfare and success of your story characters. The more they come out of left field, the stronger their impact will be upon your readers’ emotional stakes in your story.



Graphic 8.1 provides you with an extensive roster of potential plot twists that you might use to add texture and depth to your plot, characters, and story conflicts.



Scene and plot reversals are two very powerful Deep Story techniques that can really have a major impact upon your story and characters.





Plot Reversals



Not only does a Plot Reversal create major complications in your Protagonist’s quest for the story goal. It can also force your Protagonist to have to deal with his/her Inner Fear that is holding him/her back from his/her True Goal (Emotional Growth).



Plot reversals send your story off in a new direction. Thus they add tension and suspense to your story because they create new goals and problems for your characters. And they add depth to both your story plotline and to your characters because they add complications to your story. And they allow your character to reveal his/her qualities and traits by his/her actions in responding to the new events the reversal triggers in the story.



Placement and Number of Plot Reversals



You want to have at least one plot reversal in each section of your story (the beginning, middle and end). And that applies to your Overall Story Thread/Throughline, in the Character Arc Throughline and in the Subjective Story Thread/Throughline. Just based upon that you have a minimum of 9 Plot Reversals happening in your story at different levels (Overall Story, Protagonist’s Emotional Growth, and in conjunction with the development of the relationship between the Protagonist and Contagonist).



Plot Reversals in the Character Arc



You have five mandatory scenes required for a complete Character Arc. Character Arc scenes 2-3 are excellent places for the Protagonist’s emotional Plot Reversal events to occur.



Plot Reversals in the Subjective Throughline/Story Thread



The Plot Reversals that occur in this Story Thread charts the up and down development of the growing relationship between the Protagonist and the Contagonist over the course of the story. In a romance story this is your “Romance” thread. Which we all realize is fraught with turmoil and set-backs from beginning to end when the lovers finally end up together at last.



EXERCISES



1. Review your current WIP and determine if and where you might be able to utilize any of the 18 listed scene deepening techniques.

2. Review your current WIP and determine if and where you might be able to use the 6 listed techniques to layer in tone and mood into each of your existing scenes.

3. Review your current WIP and determine if and where you might be able to use any of the suggested plot twists from Graphic 1 to add texture and depth to your story while increasing the levels of tension and conflict in both your plotline and among your characters.

4. Review your current WIP and determine if and where you might be able to create scene reversals throughout your story.

5. Review your current WIP and determine if and where you might be able to create plot reversals in the three acts of your Overall Story Throughline/Story Thread.

6. Review your current WIP and determine if and where you might be able to create plot reversals in the three acts of your Character Arc Story Thread.

7. Review your current WIP and determine if and where you might be able to create plot reversals in the three acts of your Subjective Story Throughline/Story Thread.

8 MAKE SURE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE DEEP STORY GROUP LOOP IN ORDER TO CONTINUE EXPANDING YOUR DEEP STORY SKILLS.






1 EDTPA LESSON PLAN PROFESSIONAL GUIDELINES 72314 REVISED 8417
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