Character
The main character(s) in your story who drive the story forward.
Protagonist
Name three elements to consider when creating a setting.
Economy, Weather, Clothes, Time Period, History, Technology, Cities, Towns, & Villages, Geography, Magic system, Food, Religion/ Myths, Animals/ Wildlife, Language(s), Government, Holidays & Traditions
Most common number of acts in a story.
Three (3)
The conflict that occurs between a character and an outside force, such as another character, society, nature, or a situation. The protagonist must confront it in order to reach their goal.
External Conflict
Katie's favorite writing advice.
Take what works for you, leave what doesn't.
Your __________ should be just as complex as your protagonist with goals, problems, and flaws.
Antagonist
The five senses to consider when creating a setting.
Sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch
The plot point that happens in the middle of the story. It provides new information, a twist, or a moment that changes the story significantly.
Midpoint
The conflict that take place inside the protagonist’s mind and heart which they must see, confront, and change in order to reach their goal (and become a better version of themself).
Internal Conflict
What the protagonists(s) has to lose or gain based on how the story’s conflict resolves.
Stakes
Characters who support your protagonist. They do not appear in every scene, but they always have a purpose in the story, big or small.
Supporting/ Secondary Characters
The feeling a scene creates in the reader, which oftentimes is strongly impacted by setting.
Mood
A writer who plots out their story before writing, usually with an outline they follow as they write.
Plotter (Outliner/Architect)
A series of larger conflicts that take place throughout the story. They drive the story toward the climax and either bring character closer to their goal OR take them further away from it.
Major Conflict(s)
Name the three most common types of Point of View and the pronouns each uses.
First Person - I/ we/ me
Second Person - You
Third Person - She/ He/ They
The transformation a character undergoes over the course of a story.
Character Arc
A mistake many writers make in which they give too much information about the setting at once, rather than spreading it out throughout the story.
Infodumping
A writer who flies by the seat of their pants, planning little to nothing about their story before writing and discovering it as they go.
Pantser (Discovery Writer/Gardener)
Small problems scattered throughout the story to create tension. Can usually be resolved in a short period of time, from one scene or one conversation to a chapter or two.
Minor Conflict
The two types of Third Person POV.
Limited and Omniscient
The elements of a character arc include
The Lie
_________
The Want
The Need
The Wound
In order to write a strong opening, setting is one element considered in these SIX questions a writer might ask themself.
Who, What, When, Where, Why, & How
The plot point the story has been building up to in which the main conflict or problem is confronted. Takes place in Act III.
Climax
Character flaw (Internal) + Obstacle (External) = _________
Main Conflict
A statement used to describe the stakes of your story.
“If...then”