Plotting 4 Pantsers — Part VI

Three kinds of struggles should come into play for your protagonist: Internal, Interpersonal, & External. Using all three makes your story richer without plotting a single scene. This week: Internal #Plotting4Pantsers #InternalCharacterStruggles @donnalhsmith @a3writers TWEETABLE

Internal Struggles

• Should be profound. The deeper the inner battle, the greater the transformation of the character. Inner journeys always change us.
• Creates empathy & emotional connection. Readers must be able to identify with the character’s internal struggle.
• We all want to find purpose, meaning, & belonging. Your character desires to find adventure, freedom, and peace…pleasure, truth, & happiness. Second chances & forgiveness when they mess up are also among your character’s internal wishes.
• Other universal desires are: identity, love, respect, value, fulfillment, survival, & security.
• Find the heart of your story: What does your protagonist want or long for more than anything else? Once you answer that, decide if they’ll get it at the beginning and have it snatched away, setting up a journey to retrieve it. Or seek what seems out of reach. Or force them to deal with the opposite—their greatest fear.

Internal character struggles move the story along. What does the character want more than anything else? Answer that and your story will have fullness & depth without outlining. #Plotting4Pantsers #InternalCharacterStruggles @donnalhsmith @a3writers TWEETABLE

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