For anyone using Arc Studio, I made a custom script template called, 13 Questions. It breaks down a central character focused script into thirteen beats based around questions about the main character the plot should address. If you don’t use Arc Studio but are interested in how the template is structured, read on past the link.
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13 Questions Arc Studio Template
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ACT ONE
Who Are They?
Introduce your character and their world. Establish the status quo and the rules of the story.
What Do They Want?
Everybody wants. What does your protagonist Want? How does it define their character? Who they hang out with? What do they do to set the story in motion?
What Do They Need?
As opposed to what the character wants, a compelling story should also establish what the character actually Needs, and that Need should be related to what they Want, and to the story that is forcing them to confront this dissonance.
Why Don't They Want It?
There should be a reason why the protagonist denies what they Need and this, too, should be related to what they Want. The story presents the protagonist with an opportunity to embrace what they Need and they refuse. Or they reluctantly accept it, but are then denied it by the story events.
ACT TWO
Why Do They Go After It?
Either way, whether they embrace what they Need or not, the story should compel them to go after it. And by doing so, this puts what they Want at risk.
What Stands in Their Way?
An antagonist may already be established by this point, but the extent of the forces set against the protagonist should be detailed here, through the actions of the protagonist.
How Close Do They Get?
The protagonist may have some measure of success in their pursuit, which should also reinforce their prior decision to commit to this course of action. But ultimately, they fail, which should be either obvious, in that they just don't get what they want, or illusory, in that they think they get what they want, but not quite.
Why Do They Fail?
In this beat, the protagonist has to confront their failings, what they did wrong, what they let happen, their own personal faults that led to this setback. Maybe it was trusting someone they shouldn't have. Maybe it was information that they didn't have, and they didn't have it because they were too confident in their own assessment. As long as you make it the protagonist's fault.
How Far Do They Fall?
This is the protagonist's lowest point. They are this close to giving up. They have driven away all their friends and allies. Their only plan has blown up and they have no idea how to continue, or even if they can.
ACT THREE
How Do They Find the Strength To Continue?
Somehow the protagonist rekindles their spark, this beat should establish how that happens. It should reestablish why the protagonist needs what they Need, and why their original Want no longer applies.
How Will Their World Be Destroyed?
Of course, the stakes should already be established, but this beat is to raise them. Before, the stakes were: the protagonist won't get what they Want; the protagonist won't get what they Need. But now, the stakes should be all that and more. And that more should be the opposite of the protagonist's Need.
How Do They Overcome/Surrender?
This is the climax of the story. You know what happens here. The protagonist finally finds a way to overcome the antagonistic forces set against them. And how they accomplish this should be directly related to what they Need and how they came to realize the value of it. And if you're writing a tragedy, same thing only it ends in giving up.
Where Do They End Up?
The denouement. The new status quo. Every story is a projectile. The beginning launches it, and this is where it lands. The audience should be able to look back and clearly see that arc.
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I think this template can be useful, which is why I made it. I think it can be used for an action story, or a romcom, a character drama. Even an ensemble cast, and in a sociological story.
The beats don't have to be in this exact order, of course, or divided into acts as I have here. But I do think these are the minimum questions a story should answer.
Let me know what you think. Let me know if you think I've missed anything. Or how I could improve it. I'll happily revise it and rename it to 14 Questions if I have to.