PLOT # 16
SACRIFICE
Abraham and Isaac
(Painting compliments of
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-stories/abraham-and-isaac-bible-story.html)
High Noon
Casablanca
If you’re thinking of dabbling in a novel that involves great sacrifice on the part of your main protagonist, several key points need to be included in your story:
- The protagonist’s sacrifice should come at a great personal cost; your protagonist is playing for high stakes, either physical or mental.
- Your protagonist should undergo a major transformation during the course of the story, moving from a lower moral state to a higher one.
- Events must force the protagonist’s decisions.
- An adequate foundation of character must be developed early so the reader understands the character’s progress on the path to making his sacrifice.
- All events should be a reflection of the main character and his actions. They test and develop “character.”
- Make clear the motivation of your protagonist so the reader understands why he would make that kind of sacrifice.
- Show the line of action through the line of your character’s thoughts.
- Have a strong moral dilemma at the center of your story.
Once you incorporate this key issues in your story, then you only have one big decision to make: Will my novel end with a smile or a frown? Either is acceptable.
So, there you have it. Get those creative juices flowing, and crank out the next best-selling “sacrifice” novel.
ALL INFORMATION COMPLIMENTS OF
Tobias, Ronald B. 20 Master Plots: And How to Build Them (Kindle Locations 1185-1207). F+W Media, Inc. Kindle Edition.
I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in writing fiction of any kind.
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