Lol, calm down...! This thread is to discuss the most successful elements we have observed in any kind of narrative (this includes movies). Top central plot: LOVE. I think pretty much everyone knows love stories are pretty effective to capre readers. We've seen them everywhere and there's a good reason for that. So, what else? Top central plot modifier: DRAMA People like to cry. They remember with please movies and novels that made them cry, and since the top central plot is love, we know they want a happy ending... so we are reaching somewhere. Do you think you can contribute to this thread? Do you think it is possible to keep enriching this formula to make it more speciphic and useful for fellow authors? Perhaps you are more into challenging this two basic premises? The ground is yours!
Top central plot: Divorce Top central plot modifier: Kids But I'll always be a sucker for a love story. "The Notebook" is my all-time favorite movie. Sigh . . . .
Top central plot: Homicide investigation Top central plot modifier: Political cover-up I think I did it right.
Top central plots: The protagonist is suffering and starts actively trying to escape this situation. No matter how hard it gets and how hopeless it seems, the protagonist keeps on going -- not merely surviving, but trying to change the status quo. Bonus points if he ends up sacrificing himself for another character. The protagonist undergoes a 180° moral turnaround. This can be either a redemption from evil or a fall from grace. Revenge. Goes along nicely with the "fall from grace" idea. What are some examples of stories where character A does something bad to character B, the story is set up so A is the villain and B is the hero, B tries to get revenge, A is redeemed, and in the end, A is the hero and B is the villain?
Love and drama are ambigious. It is more interesting, to me anyways, to explore these ideas in new terms. What does love mean to the character? Does he love staying out all night drinking at bars and doing drugs? Does he love the act of murder? Love can mean many different things to people, and drama always accompanies the ideology of love. What is the definition of love? An intense feeling of deep affection. That certainly doesn't fully describe my ideas of love. It isn't a formula, it's just things that go with human nature. If the formula is -write about human nature and the discovery of abstract ideas such as love- then I agree with you. Yes, I would challenge your statements. And say that all good art and literature is a reflection on humanity. The terms "love" and "drama aren't sufficient in explaining this idea. Maybe I'm overthinking your post, but it's a good conversation.
I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE ANSWER LIKE THAT, SO THANK YOU...!!!! Yes, you totally got it right. The OP was not an invitation for people to mimic it (the mimics were good tho) but an attempt of a rough draft that was meant to be upgraded in a joint effort. So you took the mask off. The original draft is human nature. That's what every single great novel seeks to reflect. How do we improve that and make it more speciphic?
Specific? I'm not sure I understand. Humanity is specific to only one person. A person that experiences that very feeling or idea. The fact that it isn't specific is the beauty of it. The idea that I define love and drama differently than every human being on the planet is what makes these ideas resonate so strongly. I do not relate to love, hate or drama in the same way that the main character does, but I understand that he uses those words to define it. That is what makes good writing. That is the struggle of defining humanity. That is what makes compelling art.
