PLOT THREAD: Drama

There are important points in our lives that almost every human being goes through on this planet: birth, losing their virginity, first job, first house, first breakup, first love, losing someone we love, being fired. There are important points that segments of the population all share as well. For women: first period, pregnancy, miscarriages. For minorities: facing prejudice. For LGBTQ+: coming out.

Point is – the Drama Plot Thread is about those key life stages. They come at you and you have to deal with it. More often than not, we resist moving from one stage to another, or once it happens, we get a bundle of expected (and unexpected) gifts and consequences. These are the stories we can all relate to when we turn on our empathy. After all, empathy with an arc is what makes us love and come back to a story.

A few examples of these stories could be…

• TIME-SHIFT: Someone who’s never done X finds the courage to finally do it. It could be losing their virginity, committing to a long-term relationship, or traveling beyond borders. It could be an young adult wishing they could be “older” (get laid, date their crush, go to this party). Or Mid-Lifer wishing they were “younger” (eat love pray, play the field again, have an affair). Or it could be going through a delayed (or much later than expected) rite-of-passage.
• SEPARATION: Prot is dealing with divorce, empty-nesting, estrangement, or a death.
• ADDICTION: Prot needs to overcome their addiction or dependence. It doesn’t necessarily mean drugs, alcohol, sex, work, or an unhealthy relationship with people. It could be refusing to let go of power as well. Refusing to retire, write a will, or creating a succession plan.

If you’re telling a pure dramatic story, make sure what the Prot is going through affects everyone else in the story. If you’re using the the drama plot thread as a thread in your story, make sure you wrap up that arc.

How does the Prot deal with these changes? Mary Robinette Kowal shares the three types of body language as taught to puppeteers: active, passive, regressive.

• Active are emotions you want to engage with. Happy, anger, sad.
• Passive are emotions where you don’t do anything. Not super useful for telling stories.
• Regressive are emotions you want to disengage without. Fear, disgust, shame.
• Active is moving towards, opening up. Regressive is moving away from, closing up.

You’ll want the Prot to deal with a Dyna (Dynamic Character) to keep a story simple. EXAMPLES: Parent<>Child post-divorce, Mid-Lifer<>Pedestal-Lover stuck relationship. Victim<>Therapist post-death. Enabler<>User. Adolescent<>Hero. Adolescent<>Crush. Mentor<>Student.

Drama Plot Thread: Key Elements

• LIFE PROBLEM: birth, puberty, first love, breakup, moving out, empty nesting, moving away for a new job, single life, miscarriage, pregnancy, abortion, adoption, marriage, divorce, laid off/fired, addiction, trauma, midlife crisis, death. This isn’t a “problem” you can “solve”… but many of these “life problems” are things that almost every human on the planet has to go through and process… which makes them extremely relatable.
• THE WRONG WAY: There might be the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression. Blame, regret, remorse. Drugs, alcohol, sex, work, or some other avoidance/distraction in excess. A trip, running away, starting something new. A lot of flailng and grasping. A lot of trial and error. Starting an affair or new love interest. Or do nothing and stick to your routine.
• SOLUTION/ACCEPTANCE: Moment of surrender and honesty.

Drama Plot Thread: Progress Bar

A SERIES OF “TRIAL & ERRORS”: The prot will try a whole bunch of “wrong ways” of dealing with their life changes that are entertaining, nostalgic, funny, surprising, or extreme… until prot realizes that they must surrender to their new life stage.

Drama Plot Thread: Plot Beats

“Time-Shift” Drama Plot Thread

• STASIS: Prot is revealed to be inexperienced/virgin/never in a long-term relationship, etc. They’ve never done X. Doesn’t have to be sex/puberty/romance related. It can be some other “rite of passage”. Maybe never did drugs, drank alcohol, gambled, go to a concert, convention, or some event they hold as a “sign of maturity”. Could be spiritual/religious. Never “seen god/spirit/otherside”, never been baptized, never done some x-ritual. Maybe they got skipped somehow. Their innocence/cowardice prevented them from taking the leap. OR they regret never doing the above and wished they did. They might see how their peers deal with it. This might be hints at how Prot should deal with it as well. They’re unhappy with who they are, where they’re at, and feel stuck.
• DISRUPTION: Mid-lifer sees a younger woman to chase, hears about the “hall pass” concept, starts a new hobby, chase an old dream/flame, goes on a trip. OR young adult meets the girl, sees someone cool to emulate, meets a new friend, or there’s a key party to attend. OR Friends/Allies decide they must help the inexperienced Prot achieve this thing they’ve never done before.
• B-WORLD: Mid-lifer buys sports car, starts working out, starts saying no (or yes) to things, builds stuff, stalks the potential sidepiece, goes on a trip (eat, love, pray). Prot pursues the new plan at the risk of losing what they currently have in their life: spouse, family, whatever. It consumes them. They neglect what they have. They take “the plan” to the next level. Or young adult does goofy things to win over crush, or preps for the party, or attracts the mentor. They get a lot of bad advice from their friends, or advice that just doesn’t “fit” the Prot and how the Prot needs to go about getting this experience. This is where you can have the Prot try all the dumb things (bad dating tactics, or dumb attempts to get ahead/get good). Through their eyes, we see how fucked up our own rituals are. (dating, growing up, religion, whatever). There is catharsis for the audience and we cringe-laugh because we’ve been through it ourselves.
• MID-to-LOWPOINT: Someone shows up to remind the prot that they don’t belong. For the mid-lifer, it might be a bartender, a one night stand, bumping into an ex/old friend. Realization begins to set in that “running away” and avoidance doesn’t do anything. In young adult story, maybe bully beats them up, their rival challenges them, crush rejects them, crush goes out with someone else because Prot was too cowardly to ask. Maybe they’re still the lame-person they always were. OR prot has one final self-sabotage situation where they’re not ready to be vulnerable to those they love. They throw a hissy fit, say hurtful things, and claim they’d rather go back to stasis. Insecurities everywhere.
• CLIMAX: Prot gets opportunity to get closer to the “object of affection” from the beginning of the story. The girl. The event. The performance. Whatever. Throw one last warning into the mix. Prot gets what they want, but doesn’t consummate it. Prot realizes this was not really the answer to begin with. OR The Prot does things his way. Takes accountability for their own situation and takes action. OR Prot does something different and amazing and realizes they didn’t need it. Or they get the guy/girl.

“Separation” Drama Plot Thread

• STASIS: (divorce/empty nest/death/disability): Their life gets turned upside down. OR it starts shortly after the traumatic event and we’re seeing how the people in their life are dealing with it. “Are you OK” gets asked a lot. OR show how prot is becoming disabled or recently did. Dealing with what life is like without the one who left/died or without lost sense/limb/etc. A lot of routine things that no longer “work”. Has to figure out new life. Maybe they clean up the home/room of person who left/died.
• DISRUPTION: A Dynamic character shows up in their life. This could be new love, a therapist, a reignited relationship. Maybe someone they’ve potentially ignored/neglected previously. Something sets them on a journey to heal or accept.
• B-WORLD: We see the new relationship blossom through this process. There’s a lot of sharp corners and rough edges.
• MID-to-LOWPOINT: The new relationship doesn’t hold. Things break down. The person who left comes back to remind them of the pain. OR if it’s someone who died, a relationship from that person’s past shows up. OR therapy is working and others in Prot’s life doesn’t like it. Whoever hurt the prot is still haunting them with guilt, regret, a sense of not fulfilling their obligations.
• CLIMAX: A final court case. A visit to the grave. An unfinished business. A phone call to apologize. OR We reveal the TRUTH of the separation/death. The truth is not something everyone in this family can deal with. Some accept, some don’t and leave.

“Addiction” Drama Plot Thread

• STASIS: (refusing to let go) Show how messed up their life is due to them selfishly indulging in their addiction. Show a scene where they hurt those they love (forgetting, late, etc.) Addiction doesn’t have to be drugs/alcohol/sex/work. It could be holding on to power, things that symbolizes their youth, refusing to write their will, retire, or create a succession plan.
• DISRUPTION: Maybe prot meets a lot of other people with the same problem they do. Maybe someone or multiple people intervene, or attempt to. Maybe the prot does something so egregious that they shun all their friends/family. Or they get caught/intervened somehow. Goes into rehab or a way to heal. Maybe they go into retirement, but a false one.
• B-WORLD: Maybe they do unusual things to heal. Maybe prot tries to fight/escape this. They need to get their hit. Eventually, they accept they must focus and work on their recovery. To be better to themselves. Makes new friends.
• MID-to-LOWPOINT: Former friend who was a druggie comes back. Pusher, dealer, or enabler. They’re rejected for the first time. But reminders of their past life keeps popping up as Prot continues to forge ahead. OR retirement/exile didn’t work the way they want it to, they still can’t let go. They see whoever took over their position as incompetent and fights their way back, refusing to let go.
• CLIMAX: Everything they tried to do to quit collapses. They contemplate using again. But they outlive/outlast and beat this Dark Night. They say no, and live life without the need for their drug of choice.

Sources & Resources

• Snyder, Blake. Save the Cat Goes to the Movies. Michael Wiese Productions, 2007.
• Sanderson, Brandon, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells, hosts. “11.40: Elemental Drama.” Writing Excuses, season 11, episode 40, Dragonsteel Production, 2 October 2016, https://writingexcuses.com/11-40-elemental-drama/
• Sanderson, Brandon, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells, hosts. “11.42: Elemental Drama As A Subgenre.” Writing Excuses, season 11, episode 42, Dragonsteel Production, 16 October 2016, https://writingexcuses.com/11-42-elemental-drama-as-a-sub-genre/
• Sanderson, Brandon, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells, hosts. “11.43: Elemental Drama Q&A, With Tananarive Due.” Writing Excuses, season 11, episode 43, Dragonsteel Production, 23 October 2016, https://writingexcuses.com/11-43-elemental-drama-qa-with-tananarive-due/
• “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