REACTIVE “REACT TO” STORIES

MONSTER in the HOUSE

• Monster wants to destroy/takeover world for X reason
• Hero wants to protect people for X reason
• Power & Oppression (Crazy Chaos), force, control

RUN AWAY (DUDE WITH A PROBLEM)

• Hero needs to get away from something because of crime/hubris/mistake (caught in craziness)
• Villain wants to get hero for vengeance/punishment… or worse, “wrong place, wrong time”

SUPERHERO RESCUE/VENGENCE (Fight Crime Outside Law)

• Hero was betrayed by society, takes law into own hands and must rescue X or fight villain
• Villain murdered hero’s family/lover OR has captured X because of Z

INSTITUTIONALIZED (ESCAPE from/REBEL against)

• Hero needs to escape from current situation because they’re trapped there, oppressed
• Villain wants to keep them inside to maintain order, power and authority

WHYDUNIT (SOLVE mystery, murder, conspiracy, corruption)

• Villain commits crime and covers it up, buries the truth, hide secrets, planning terror
• Hero must solve what’s going on…. within or outside system

PROACTIVE “GO AFTER” STORIES

GOLDEN FLEECE (The McGuffin Adventure - thing or rescue)

• Hero recruits team to save/get/arrive somewhere (McGuffin) for some idealistic reason
• By going on this journey, the hero discovers (ironically), the truth was in front of them, they already had what they were looking for… it’s a change of perspective, inner transformation.
• Villains are there to hold up a mirror. Shadow Selves.

RITE OF PASSAGE / OUT OF BOTTLE (TEMPTATION - growth, life stages)

• Hero hits a new stage in life, or is given a second chance (but in questionable ways)…
• And then falls into temptation as a way to “short cut” growth. In the process, he sees the side effects of this short cut, and must face the music, grow up.
• These are moral stories of how you can’t skip the process of growth/transformation. It’s hard work.

FOOL TRIUMPHANT

• Hero strives for impossible goal to escape crap situation to prove self
• Villains (current world) wants to retain order, keep hero out, protect him, push him out

BUDDY LOVE

• Hero meets a new friend or lover but he/she is either unattainable, or hero doesn’t realize he/she is the perfect mate for them.
• They have a “meet-cute”, have tons of fun, then fight a lot, then get back together.