Worksheet 4

 WORKSHEET 4

1. List your story arcs.  Include the main story arc, any secondary story arc, and subplots that are needed.  

Remember that the more complex the story, the more arcs will be needed.  

Example of story arcs: 

Main story arc:

Mara must rescue Tristan from the harem, and they must escape to freedom.

Romantic story arc:

Mara and Tristan must put aside their cultural differences to find love.  Tristan must choose between Mara and Dorian by giving up his own insecurities about love and by discovering whom he loves. 

Subplots:

Kellen must try to survive Cadaran's abuse and try to escape.  Later, he must come to terms with the rape and brutality he has lived through.

Novia attempts to destroy Tristan first by trying to change Mara's opinion of him then by spying on them for Cadaran.

Hallie meets Kellen, becomes his friend, then must try to find the courage to save him.

The alien cat Floppy hates Tristan because he believes the human will hurt Mara, but he learns to respect Tristan when Tristan teaches him to read.

2. List the main character's goals and list the character or characters who will thwart each attempt.

   

Example:

Mara against the government:

She tries to contact Tristan's family -- The bureaucracyof the planet prevents this

She tries to give Tristan status as a scientist instead of a man-- her elderly scientist ally becomes ill, Cadaran uses bribes and fear tactics on the other scientists

She tries to use Tristan's fame and value as a scientist to make him valuable enough to the government to free him -- She discovers that the government has already told the other planets and Tristan's powerful family that Tristan and Kellen's ship blew up near the planet with no survivors.