Story notes

Paraphrased from Robert McKee’s great book.

Classical Design
Active protagonist struggles against mostly external forces to pursue a desire, in continuous time, within a consistent functional reality, to a closed ending of irreversible change.

Structure
A selection of events in the characters’ life stories, composed into a sequence to arouse specific emotions and express a specific view of life.

Plot
Navigating through branching possibilities to choose the correct path.

Story values
Human values, positive of negative; for example, truth/lie, courage/cowardice, love/hate, etc.

Story event
A meaningful value change in a character’s life situation, achieved through conflict

Beat
An exchange of behavior; action, reaction. Beats build scenes.

Scene
Every scene is a story event turning at least one value-charged condition of a character’s life.

Sequence
A series of scenes, 2-5, culminating with greater impact than any single scene alone.

Act
A series of sequences peaking in a climactic scene which causes a major reversal of values, more powerful than any previous scene of sequence.

Story climax
The last act climax, with irreversible and change.

Setting
Period – future, past, when?
duration – physical duration of time; days, weeks, years?
location – what town, city, country?
level of conflict – epic conflict, political, between individuals, psychological?