how to use

This new eBook version of THE is a narrative reference tool that classifies human experience in terms of Character, Mindset and Action. The narrative situations are writing prompts that can be woven together to construct a story outline. Using THE during the creative process can help to clarify vision around a logical flow of plot elements involving a constellation of entangled characters.

For the writer of fiction (who needs to attract and hold an audience of other humans), the value of THE derives from its concordance with a theory of what makes a story truly compelling:  authentic characters. The audience doesn't connect with your story, they connect with the inner world of your characters. Your audience wants to feel what it is like to be your characters.  

And the most engaging characters are the ones that are the most authentic. When the audience recognizes something true in your characters they are engaged. The plot of the story is merely a stage for revealing your characters. Whenever plot rather than character starts driving the story, the audience says, "that's not true. I don't think such a character would behave in this way." The spell is broken and they change the proverbial channel.  

By exploring THE within the mindset of each of your primary characters and using the Cause, Consequence and Intersubjective suggestions, you will glimpse new possibilities for developing your characters in relationship to each other.

Below is a step-by-step guide for using THE as a tool to focus creativity during the process of developing ideas for novels, plays, short stories, screenplays and television episodes. 

 Step 1 - What do you know about your story?

Presumably every story involves at least one character, and every author knows at least something about that character. What do you know for sure about your characters?

By creating a simple Character Arc Overview table, you can start to fill in a picture of what you know about each of your characters at the beginning, middle and end of your story.  You might not have a complete picture. Even just one Mindset or Action for one character will be enough to begin. Use your own character names.

Step 2 - Select narrative situations that resonate.

In the example above, Alex starts out in a state of delusion. Take a look at the narrative situations in the Deluded mindset and bookmark or highlight any that resonate. By using a simple Character Arc Detail table you can add narrative situations involving your characters at the beginning, middle, or end of the story. When you copy the situations into the table, replace Alex, Chris and Pat with the names of your characters.

Step 3 - Use Cause & Consequence to expand your story.

What happens next? What happened before? 

From the example above, what caused Alex to believe that Chris knows all the answers? Or what happens as a result of Alex thinking Chris has all the answers? 

Look at the table of alternatives at the end of the Deluded mindset section. Stagnation is one of several proposed Consequences of the Deluded mindset. Look at the situations under Stagnation, and bookmark, highlight or copy any that fit with your sense of the story and add them into your the Character Arc Detail table. 

Step 4 - Use the Inter-subjective view to explore other characters.

Let’s change viewpoints. If Alex has delusions about Chris, as we established in Step 1, what is going on with Chris? 

Let’s go back to Delusion alternatives and check out the proposed Inter-subjective view. If Alex is deluded, perhaps Chris has a Devious mindset. Again, highlight or bookmark any situations that resonate and add them to your story. Perhaps Chris has manipulated Alex. 

Step 5 - Repeat steps 1 through 4. 

By repeating the steps above you will eventually have a series of plot elements for beginning, middle and end that will provide a framework for a compelling story about authentic characters.