Story Arcs, Plots, and Setup
Across
- 2. A rise then a fall in fortune
- 7. In which a dark power or villain traps the hero in a living death until he/she is freed by another character's loving act.
- 8. This final shot is a mirror of the hero in Act I
- 9. In which the hero journeys to a strange world that at first is enchanting and then so threatening the hero finds he must escape and return home to safety.
- 10. The inciting incident happens to the main character in an action scene.
- 14. Even though things go up and down, your hero is headed for success or failure
- 15. You've introduced the secondary character(s) and the audience knows the main character's goal.
- 16. You introduce a new character
- 21. A steady rise from bad to good fortune
- 22. Your hero leaves the status quo
- 25. In which the hero embarks on a journey to obtain a great prize that is located far away.
- 26. Your hero's internal flaws are working against them.
Down
- 1. Your hero experiences a false victory or defeat, which raises the stakes
- 3. The _____ has ups and downs and isn't a straightforward race to the finish line
- 4. Your main character hits rock bottom.
- 5. In which a character falls from prosperity to destruction because of a fatal mistake.
- 6. In which the hero must venture to the lair of a monster which is threatening the community, destroy it, and escape (often with a treasure).
- 11. Your hero ponders a (dramatic) question, i.e., should I stay or go?
- 12. A fall, a rise then a fall again
- 13. In which someone who seems quite commonplace or downtrodden but has the potential for greatness manages to fulfill that potential.
- 17. The _____ relates to what your hero will learn or how they will change at the end
- 18. Your hero learns the theme and makes a decision
- 19. Rise, fall, rise
- 20. In which a community divided by frustration, selfishness, bitterness, confusion, lack of self-knowledge, lies, etc. must be reunited in love and harmony (often symbolized by marriage).
- 21. A fall from good to bad, a tragedy
- 23. Fall, rise
- 24. Show your ____ in their everyday surroundings