Thomas Funicello's Blog - Posts Tagged "internal"

The next concept I have incorporated is the ebb and flow of External Pressure that the main character feels and the Internal Response the character choses or exhibits.
The External Pressure can be used to represent discouragement in the ability to fulfill the Theme and the Internal Response can show the encouragement. It has helped me beyond measure to think of every Moment in the story as an initial External Pressure or force followed by the Internal Response of the Hero. At the beginning of the story most of the events are External or impersonal to the Hero, but as the Story progresses things get more personal and Internal.
Another topic related to External Pressure and Internal Response is demonstrated at every level of the story structure. The Thesis and Antithesis parts of a Sequence, Scene, Segment, etc. are generally External while the Hypothesis and Synthesis parts are generally Internal.

I would like to present one way to integrate the external pressures and internal responses into a scene.

SCENE THESIS:
A scene opens with the Hero presented with an external SITUATION.
The Hero has an internal REACTION to the situation.

SCENE HYPOTHESIS:
The Hero develops a GOAL that will not fully resolve the situation.
The Hero takes ACTION.

SCENE ANTITHESIS:
There is an ESCALATION in the situation due to the flawed or misinformed goal.
The Hero RESPONDS to the escalation.

SCENE SYNTHESIS:
The Hero develops a good OBJECTIVE for dealing with the escalated situation.
The Hero takes action to achieve RESOLUTION.

I don't map out every Scene this way, but it's a valuable tool in my writing toolbox.