PLOT THREAD: Ascension

The core story of the Ascension Plot Thread is how an individual “moves up” in the world. That world can be anything from the art world, to organized crime, to corporate, to politics.

These stories are about overcoming challenges, personal flaws, obstacles, rivals, and institutions. On a positive note, these stories remind us that an individual can still make a difference and inspire us (the underdog biopic). On a negative note, the ascent has expensive sacrifices, hidden costs, and things lost that make us question if the ambitious accomplishment was worth it.

A few examples of these stories could be…

• SAVANT: Someone potentially “simple” or has a lot of personality issues, but has a special talent, or interesting methods/viewpoint and leverages that to move up in the world.
• ASCENSION: Someone wants to conquer a sub-world: art/music, politics, crime. They suck at first, they may be an underdog or really incompetent, but they keep trying until they’re at the top.
• SUPERHERO: This is your typical Campbell “Hero’s Journey”. Someone who’s more-or-less hyper-competent, or is endowed/gifted with powers very early on, they are the “chosen one”, and they go and save the world.

Like Institutional Plot Threads, a lot of the fun comes from exploring and learning about subcultures, underground worlds, niches/cults, foreign culture, unique professions… where you see the social/power dynamics of a group you may not be familiar with. But more importantly, the core focus of the Ascension Plot Thread is on the individual overcoming challenges either as an inspirational story (positive) or a cautionary tale (negative), and if a biopic, learning the mystery of a famous real life figure.

Ascension Plot Thread: Key Elements

• FOOL: Being disregarded, the underdog, the jester/fool is the power of this character. Can be “underdog” who goes up against the establishment (Legally Blonde). Out-of-the-blue, didn’t-expect-it. Can be “misunderstood genius/talent” who nobody expects. They’re discounted/overlooked.
• OR HERO: Someone who knows they’re special, and will sacrifice themselves to save humanity, even though they will get nothing in return. These are legendary figures: Jesus, Moses, Hercules, Joan of Arc, Spiderman, Batman, Robin Hood, Zorro, Superman, Neo. These are the “Chosen One” stories.
• INSIDER: This is usually a rival who sees what nobody else does: that this fool actually has a lot of potential. They exploit them, or keep them down, tries to thwart them OR SIDEKICK: Someone who knows their secret and helps them through all the emotional growth.
• ESTABLISHMENT: The institution they’re up against. A school, program, event, competition, company they’re trying to get into. Or societal norms that have locked them out (divorce, custody, military are just for men, racism, sexism). Country mouse in the City. They laugh at the fool for even trying.
• OR NEMESIS: An equally powerful villain to balance out the hero. While nemeses rely on brainpower, self-will, and minions. Heroes rely on faith, allies, and growth. They change to meet the villain.
• TRANSMUTATION: Fool takes on a new name, reinvents themselves when they fight the establishment, or become accepted by them. The original story goal changes to something greater.

Ascension Plot Thread: Progress Bar

A SERIES OF CHALLENGES: They are continuously underestimated, but they keep doing things that prove they shouldn’t be underestimated until they win the big thing nobody expected or saw coming. Or it’s more straightforward. A hero who must save the world and fight the nemesis. Think of set pieces they grow from small clubs to arena stadiums shows, from a local regional win to a national/international race, from their first errand job until they’re running the place and calling the shots. Or if it’s a straight-up hero story: you level up from henchmen, minions, and mini-bosses until you get to the BBEG (big bad evil guy). Or a cat-and-mouse game with higher and higher stakes and more people at risk.

Ascension Plot Thread: Plot Beats

“Savant” Ascension Plot Beats

• STASIS: Show the Fish in their fish bowl (ordinary environment). Maybe they’re oblivious to the outside world or “reality”. Maybe they’re isolated, lack self-awareness or intelligence, sheltered, or utterly innocent. Almost like an alien, new robot, or simple. We see people running interference for them, protecting them from any real world stuff. But we also see that they have some amazing talent others can exploit. OR we see the values of their “simple life”.
• DISRUPTION: Their benefactor dies, or their best friend leaves the fish bowl, they see/hear about some contest they want to win, their home is destroyed, they’re “woken” up from a coma, hibernation, or pulled from a different space/time, or unfrozen… or they’re “discovered” because of their special talent.
• B-WORLD: The Establishment is shocking, disgusting, repulsive. Or they don’t know what to make of the Prot because of their uptight, traditional ways. Through the prot’s eyes, we see our normal everyday reality in a new light. Things we’ve forgotten about or don’t pay attention to anymore. But their talent gets them far… gets them access to places they couldn’t otherwise (Gump goes everywhere). OR their “underestimated methods” from their home environment gets them marks because they solve problems in unique ways. The savant could meet the “king” of the world. The king is taken by the savant. But the advisors (and closest confidantes) are suspicious and investigates. They don’t like this new guy in their inner circle. Someone eventually exposes them (a ruse or dirt). They may be given a new name in this strange new wilderness. They are reborn.
• MID-TO-LOWPOINT: The Savant uses their “simple methods” or “special skills” to double down and tries to beat the system. But it’s no longer enough. It can only get them so far. The savant might lose their closest ally… possibly not because of them, but because allies were not ready to be transformed by the savant’s innocence. (To them, life is complicated. They can’t see the simplicity of it.) AND/OR by hitting the limits of their savant skills… they need to realize they need to synthesize with what the B-World (and its allies, rivals, and friends) taught them.
• CLIMAX: If it’s a “fool” story, people accept the prot even though they’ve been found out… because the point of the Fool Story is to show how broken the establishment is. It’s not a character arc. OR the allies that abandoned the fool finally realize the power of seeing life the way they do. Their lives are changed. OR if it’s a savant story, using their “simple methods” synthesized with the B-World stuff… they triumph and beat the system. It’s a mix of their original talent plus whatever they learned in the B-Story.

“Ambition” Ascension Plot Beats

• STASIS: Maybe a quick scene of Mimetic Behavior where the Prot sees a hero/role model and they want to “be that”. Or they get beaten down by their world due to their poverty, lack, or station in life… and they vow to rise up in their world (as opposed to fighting it, as in Institution).
• DISRUPTION: Prot performs (or do “the thing”, whatever it is) and suck. They get laughed at. Or flat-out rejected. They’re embarrassed and shamed, but something in them is determined to be successful at this art, power game, underworld, whatever. The Prot may make a “devil’s bargain at the crossroads” and suddenly get really good. Or there might be a montage (or time-lapse) where they go off to “get good”. There might be a mentor to encourage this. They take their newfound competency to new places.
• B-WORLD: We’re taken to the secret world of clubs, bars, backroom deals, errands, etc. Whatever set pieces defines this “underworld” that the prot wants to conquer. They move up in the world. They may take on a new name, new identity in this strange new wilderness. They are reborn.
• MID-TO-LOWPOINT: The Prot gets what they want (they’re at the top of the food chain but they’ve lost everything. Friends, lovers, family). AND/OR they’re facing their biggest test yet. Biggest performace, contest, race, election, crime, show, etc.
• CLIMAX: Prot makes up with the people they’ve lost along the way up AND they pull off their biggest performance and it’s super-inspiring. Or they’re alone at the top of the world and it’s a cautionary tale for being too ambitious. Or they give up the “big thing” and make up with the people they’ve hurt (you can’t have it all and family/love is more important).

“Superhero” Ascension Plot Beats

• STASIS: Show their life before they got powers/mission. What are the emotional problems they’re dealing with now? These will come haunt them later. Is there a traumatic event that drives them? Show signs they’re the “chosen one” but don’t know it yet. Their life is boring or frustrating or mundane. This is their arc.
• DISRUPTION: The Prot gets powers or is “chosen” to embark on their mission (from a higher being perhaps). This is where they get their powers, mission, or responsibility. They were meant for greatness. This is the classic call-to-action. The hero is “created”. This is the origin story of the superhero. They might get their “first test” with their powers. Or simply given the “quest” along with a few tools. Maybe they’re exiled. Maybe their home is destroyed. Maybe their father/king is slain. The hero takes the red pill. Maybe they meet the nemesis, and it’s a startling defeat. Or maybe even, if the hero’s origin is already defined in a past story… we see the creation of the NEMESIS in the sequel story here.
• B-WORLD: If powers, the Prot experiments and plays with it. If mission, the Prot begins their quest. If bestowed with heavy responsibilities, maybe they get tested. They train, they grow, they make new friends. They meet the oracle. If exiled/betrayed, they have a downward fall to a poorer/foreign/strange world where they don’t belong. In all these situations, the hero has to “find themselves” again. Reinvent. They’ve “left home” and must become someone else to survive. If Nemesis was introduced, they start wreaking havoc in this B-World and the hero can’t figure out how to beat them.
• MID-TO-LOWPOINT: They meet their nemesis in a “mirror moment”. They fight. It’s a false victory or they get beat up. Or the nemesis gets away. OR something from their past sneaks up on them, and exposes/reminds them that they’re not this “superhero”, or they need to come back to their home, or BECOME the CHOSEN ONE, or leave the UNDERWORLD for whatever reason. Maybe the bad guys start sending minions at the hero, or their mentor is captured or killed off, or friends are killed off. Maybe the hero sleeps with romantic interest. Maybe the Nemesis was “caught” or “defeated” but not really and they up the stakes, or the Hero put them away and they escape.
• CLIMAX: The Nemesis closes in. Threatens the people the Prot loves. Creates dilemmas. OR maybe the hero’s plan is scuttled and the hero has to find a new way to kill the Nemesis last minute). It all eventually leads to a final battle. The “Chosen One” gathers their allies, and fight the Nemesis. This fight has to be epic. It’s the Chosen One proving they are the one. They win and become the savior. OR they die in the process (like Jesus Christ) does, but saves the world, and is metaphorically resurrected/reunited with loved ones… or actually resurrected somehow via magic (Neo)

Sources & Resources

• Snyder, Blake. Save the Cat Goes to the Movies. Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
• “Lecture #2: Plot Part 1 — Brandon Sanderson on Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy” YouTube, uploaded by Brandon Sanderson, January 29, 2020, https://youtu.be/jrIogch5DBU
• “Lecture #3: Plot Part 2 — Brandon Sanderson on Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy” YouTube, uploaded by Brandon Sanderson, February 12, 2020, https://youtu.be/Qgbsz7Gnrd8

All other plot thread notes here