Actions and Goals: The Story Structure Secret

Story structure made ridiculously easy!

How is A Game of Thrones the same story as The Lego Movie? How is the mind-bending plot of Inception identical to the terse narrative of Gravity? In what way is Clarice Starling’s struggle to silence the lambs indistinguishable from Harry Potter’s pursuit of the philosopher’s stone? Despite the striking differences in these stories, they share a less conspicuous similarity: they’re all structured on a universal pattern of actions undertaken by their characters.

This sequence of six Actions and Goals is the hidden foundation of modern story structure. By aligning the unique actions your characters take with these universal story actions, you can easily create compelling narratives that grab your audience by the lapels and punch them in the face (figuratively, of course). Whether you’re writing for television or plotting a novel, penning your first screenplay or following up your latest bestseller, this groundbreaking storytelling technique will revolutionize your writing process.

Actions and Goals will teach you:
How to use the actions of your characters to structure your story.
How your character’s goal should evolve as the story progresses.
The five turning points and the decision your character must make at each one.
How a conflict of ideals creates the opposition your characters face.
How your character’s attempt to fill a new role propels them through the story.