Short Story Plot Structure Study

TRUTH =

Most short stories save it for a big surprise. But some reveal it right away, and you’re just hurtling towards it, cringing or worrying.

  1. Protagonist goes about day
  2. Visitor comes and they talk
  3. Visitor wants to leave, but Protagonists convinces him to stay
  4. Conversation changes visitor’s trajectory with TRUTH
  5. Visitor goes home
  1. Dynamic comes to town, gives protagonist a gift
  2. Switch POV to Dynamic
  3. Protagonist does her job, something different occurs
  4. Switch POV, Dynamic deals with situation in 3
  5. Protagonist deals with situation in 3 affected by 4
  6. Funeral of 3/4/5, Dynamic reveals TRUTH, admits love.
  1. Protagonist taken to forest and abandoned
  2. Protagonist looks for refuge, sleeps dreams
  3. In dream meets Dynamic
  4. Protagonist free Dynamic from dream
  5. Dynamic takes Protagonist back home to get TRUTH
  1. Protagonist goes to PLACE, meets new people
  2. Protagonist goes about doing job, sees something strange
  3. Dynamic somehow catalyzes Protagonist to explore strange
  4. Protagonist deals with the STRANGE
  5. STRANGE and Dynamic are affected together = TRUTH
  6. Protagonist leaves
  1. Protagonist is running from a MONSTER, finds solace with Dynamic
  2. Dynamic takes cares of Protagonist in STRANGE ways, given rules
  3. Protagonist gets antsy and wonders about mysterious Dynamic
  4. Protagonist eventually breaks rules, discovers TRUTH
  5. Protagonist has to run away
  1. Protagonist must deal with recent death of loved one
  2. Dynamic wants Protagonist to follow TRADITION
  3. Protagonist refuses and wants to do something different
  4. Protagonist plans escape while Dynamic persuades otherwise
  5. During the big escape, TRUTH happens
  1. Protagonist must deal with family being attacked
  2. Protagonist fights feebly, but STRANGE Dynamic swoops in to help
  3. Strange dynamic helps Protagonist fight
  4. Strange dynamic weigh option of taking care of Protagonist
  5. Strange dynamic takes Protagonist, Protagonist transformed
  1. Protagonist receives a new lover, lover is flighty
  2. Lover comes back, relationship grows
  3. Protagonist is pregnant, gives birth, TRUTH
  1. Protagonist is bullied
  2. Protagonist knows of STRANGE help, but it’s dangerous. Goes to it.
  3. STRANGE doesn’t like Protagonist, threatens to kill, protagonist makes bigger promise
  4. Protagonist convinces ALLY to help
  5. STRANGE takes liking to ALLY, offers ALLY help, Protagonist is trapped for betrayal
  1. Protagonist doesn’t like ALLY’s new element (wife/kid/pet)
  2. Protagonist spies on ALLY’s new element and plots their demise
  3. Protagonist fails at offing the ALLY’s new element
  4. New Element was evil to begin with TRUTH.
  1. Protagonist is kept captive by loved one, doesn’t know why
  2. Protagonist gets opportunity to escape
  3. Protagonist meets STRANGE people, gets GIFT
  4. When captor sees protagonist with STRANGE/GIFT, truth is revealed
  5. Protagonist was being protected all along. Or Captor was really evil.
  1. Protagonist has to work harder than rivals.
  2. Protagonist goes to STRANGE help
  3. Protagonist suddenly has STRANGE powers, beats rivals.
  4. Weird shit happens to rivals, there is a hidden cost.
  5. The STRANGE come back to collect
  1. Protagonist family is being attacked
  2. Protagonist decides to go to STRANGE for help
  3. STRANGE agrees
  4. STRANGE is actually a really dangerous element
  5. STRANGE destroys everything
  1. Protagonist is in love with Dynamic
  2. Dynamic plays with Protagonist until…
  3. Protagonist and Dynamic go to a big event
  4. The big event was to reveal Protagonist for TRUTH
  1. Protagonist gets a job (steal/escort/rescue/deliver/get)
  2. Job leads protagonist to STRANGE place, people etc.
  3. Job reveals TRUTH that Protagonist must confront
  4. Protagonist does job, but consequences, or fails job and escapes, or etc.

REVEALS: