This lesson is dedicated TDOROKI to who requested this lesson.

Hello frens! How've you all been??? I'm doing great I guess, going through some personal stuff with friends but Wattpad and anime have been my escape :3 I know that the world's currently going through a crisis, but let's not get pessimistic. Like all stories, there's sunshine after the storm. Please take care okay? Love you all.

In this lesson, we'll talk about the plot parts, types of conflict, types of plots, and finally the fundamentals in the plot development, which I know you guys are excited about.

Lez start!

Lesson 7 || The Art to Digest : Creating the Picture

For the past few weeks, I've been watching videos on creating a story. Most of them break down movies that are successful in certain aspects and some that have failed in certain aspects. I'm happy to say I've grown my perspective as a writer doing this. I guess I've matured, so I'll be sharing what I've learned with you guys.

Why do you guys watch an anime? A movie? A Kdrama or series regardless of where it was made? Aren't you all in it for the story? The plot? Or you're more interested in a certain film because your favorite actor/actress is there? However, people nowadays now watch/read something because of the story. 

The story/plot is the tea.

The plot is the main thing people get hooked to the storyline you've created for them. One thing you need to remember is that story and plot are sorta different. The story is all about the series of events that occur, whereas the plot is the reason why those series of events belong together--it talks about what the timeline ultimately communicates. As writers, we're responsible for creating something meaningful for our audience to read. Whether we are aware or not, we leave a message and we leave a lasting taste once the last sentence is read.

Before I get any further, let's do a small review. We all know that there are the five parts of a plot:

- the exposition

- the rising action

- the climax

- the falling action

- the resolution

In the EXPOSITION, we introduce who the main character is and what the premise is. It prepares a way for upcoming events. It establishes the setting and conflict. Avoid revealing so much in the exposition. You're supposed to get the readers invested in the promises you're making to them. Here, main characters are established and the problem is known.

In the RISING ACTION, we show/tell the readers the build-up of conflict in the story and the character development. It's the part where tension is created, whether that tension is subtle or intense. Everything down during the rising action has to be justifiable. Maybe certain problems have risen and it's fixed by the climax, but the main tension has to stay. We venture through the protagonist's adventure and the writers tease the possible consequences of their choices through this development.

In the CLIMAX, the main character(s) reach the peak of their development, where we see whether or not they breakdown or overcome their problem(s). It is the pivotal point for the characters where drastic measures have to be made, whether or not we believe it's subtle or intense for us. What's important is that it affects the main character or characters greatly. This usually centers around the protagonist's most difficult challenge (or the main challenge that awaited them in the exposition) or their bleakest moment in the story.

In the FALLING ACTION, we see these characters face the consequences of their actions, whether good or bad. We see here if everything is settled, the loose ends are tied slowly but surely. Sometimes, if it's not sure, it teases an open ending.

In the RESOLUTION, the writer tells/shows the readers what happens to the main character(s) after the conflict is over. It's for closure to the characters and to the readers. But if there's a sequel, then the resolution teases it. But as writers, we have to make sure that the biggest questions are answered. In open endings, the answer is more ambiguous and it's up to us to decide what had happened.

Types of Conflict Used in Stories

In literature, when we talk about conflict, it usually refers to the driving force of the characters. The conflicts in the story could be external or internal, meaning they occur either in the mind of the character or it's a versus story. Conflicts, however, are more distinguishable when it's between two characters but it can be in many forms. It is less ambiguous, basically. The purpose of the conflict is to create tension in the story you're writing, which attracts more readers and get them invested in the story since the question they have in their mind bugs them: will the character prevail or not?

There may be more than one conflict in a story, but there has to be a central one. Characters may have more than one desire or may struggle against more than one opposing force. Like, maybe they are internally struggling while they are fighting against a force of some sort.

In a story, when the occurring conflict is resolved and the audience discovers who succeeds, it creates closure for both reader and character. These conflicts may be resolved before the actual 'ending,' however, they do not always get resolved. Sometimes, stories leave an open ending, meaning the main conflict doesn't seem resolved. This method is done to make the conflict more personal for the readers. Though whether or not the conflict is resolved, the readers may either be satisfied or disappointed.

These are the types of conflicts:

1) Man vs. self

Obviously, this deals with internal conflict because here the protagonist fight against their own nature, overcoming their own internal evil. Or they are forced to make a choice between two or more paths—good and evil; logic and emotion. We see the very personal journey of the protagonist, we could see them battle against their own self-destruction. However, this struggle could also exist in the form of a character battling mental illness.

2) Man vs. man

This is the most common type of conflict, we've seen this over and over. This is an external conflict, and it may be direct opposition--like a fight (as in guns or knives or fists) or a contest (skill vs skill, more passive type. It may be a more subtle conflict between the desires of two or more characters, as in a romance or a family epic. Or if you want something more intense, then it's the type where there's a lot at stake. This model lies at the heart of all dramatic arts and places the struggle directly between the protagonist and the antagonist -- otherwise known as the good guy and the bad guy. In a man vs. man conflict, the protagonist wants something, and the antagonist obstructs the protagonist from getting what he wants.

3) Man vs. nature

Nature as in an animal or natural force. We actually see a lot of small conflicts on this within stories so it's often not centralized, but we see few disaster movies like Tornado or The Day the Earth Stood Still. This pits the protagonist against the forces of nature -- in the form of a natural disaster or a similarly dangerous situation--and is often associated with literary naturalism, which hinges on the idea that nature is indifferent to humanity.

4) Man vs. society

This type of conflict is very intense. Where characters stand against a man-made institution (such as slavery or bullying), the "man against man" conflict may slowly turn into a "man against society" type of conflict. In such stories, characters are forced to make moral choices or they get frustrated by social rules in meeting their own goals. A good example is Les Miserables because the characters try to fight against the system to survive.

5) Man vs. machine

Here it could mean that a protagonist is in direct combat with robots, in the context of science fiction. Or it could mean simply that technology stands in the way of the protagonist from getting what they want. In the science-fiction version, the same attributes of a man vs. man conflict may apply. However, if a person struggles to keep a job that a new machine can do better, the physical struggle is against the machine, but the emotional struggle is against the society that breeds technology.

6) Man vs. god/fate/supernatural

This last type may be confusing. In certain articles I've read, the supernatural is a different type, but I'm pitching them together since they function the same way anyway. "Man vs. god/fate" exists in any story in which the protagonist is struggling against a god(s). Sometimes, it is considered a part of "man vs. self" when focused on an internal, moral struggle, but should be considered separate in the context of epics--such as the Iliad and Odyssey, in which the gods are present antagonists. "Man vs. the supernatural" falls into a similar standard: if the protagonist is the only one witnessing supernatural acts, it could be considered "man vs. self." However, if it's certain that these supernatural powers are real, then the mode of conflict stands on its own. Examples could be Paprika or Perfect Blue where it seems to be a vs. supernatural conflict but can be a vs. self-conflict.

Like I said earlier, in the book you're writing, you don't have to have only one conflict. You can have an internal and external conflict, you can have more than one enemy, and basically you're free to combine as long as it makes sense and it's aligned to your story/plot. 

The Basic Types of Plot

1) Overcoming the monster

We often see this type of plot in anime. The protagonist sets out to defeat an antagonistic force (often evil) which threatens the protagonist and/or protagonist's homeland/family. The popular anime right now having this type of plot is Kimetsu no Yaiba, where Tanjiro and his friends battle against the demons who threaten the existence of humanity.

Of course, there are other anime who cover this kind of plot. Boku no Hero Academia also used this kind of plot, though both anime touch on rebirth as well. 

So basically in this type of plot, the protagonist trains to fight the stronger opponent, whether or not the main opponent they'll face is human or not.  They go through all the trials and mistakes in order to grow. After all, it's all for the benefit of their friends and family--they are the hero.

2) Rags to Riches

Anime often has a comedic approach to this type of plot. Usually, it's a revenge story, and I think we're all family with The poor protagonist acquires power, wealth, and/or a mate loses it all and gains it back, growing as a person as a result. The anime Kingdom qualifies under this where the protagonist first starts as a slave and works his way up the ladder. There is also Megalo Box, a sports anime. The protagonist, Joe, was bottom of the list of boxers, but through training, he slowly climbs up. It's a pretty good anime.

A lot of personal conflicts can occur here, and often we can see people who gain so much lose themselves. But, of course, they get their comeback where they realize how wrong they are.

3) The Quest

Here, the protagonist and companions set out to acquire an important object or to get to a location, and they may face temptations and other obstacles along the way. All adventure anime fall on this one, but a good anime would be Fullmetal Alchemist. Edward and Alphonse may not technically be finding an object, but rather a way to get Alphonse his body back. 

What I like about this type of plot is that the writers can easily put stakes within the story. By stakes, I mean, the dire consequences that may happen if the protagonists fail to retrieve the desired object. It has many what-ifs and writers could easily play around it.

4) Voyage and Return

The protagonist goes to a strange land and, after overcoming the threats it poses or learning important lessons unique to that location, they return with experience. Right now we have isekai anime like Shield Hero, where the main character went through adventures and lots of embarrassing stuff to become the current person he is when he returns to the kingdom who shamed him. Often though, this type of plot shows us the protagonist who goes on adventures to learn and gain experience, which also applies to a good webtoon Solo Leveling. A better example though is Hercules and Lion King.

5) Comedy

A light and humorous character with a happy or cheerful ending; a dramatic work in which the central motif is the triumph over adverse circumstance, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion. A writer though (I forgot his name) stresses that comedy is more than humor. It refers to a pattern where the conflict becomes more and more confusing but is at last made plain in a single clarifying event. Communication, we could see, becomes lost--maybe because of ego, lies, etc. For us, readers, the solution is very simple, yet the characters in the story don't see it. So it could either be funny or frustrating.

The majority of romance films fall into this category. Basically, any story that ends with a happy ending. 

6) Tragedy

The protagonist is a hero with a major character flaw or great mistake which is ultimately their undoing. Their unfortunate end evokes pity at their folly and the fall of a fundamentally good character.

Not every story though is fully comedy or tragedy. Some endings are bittersweet since there are stories who first come out as comedic or tragic, but they get either sad or happy endings. They're called tragi-comedy and comi-tragedy. Tragi-comedy (personal triumph): the protagonist fails to achieve the goal, but his failure turns out to be a good thing. Comi-tragedy (personal tragedy): the protagonist achieves his goal, but his success turns out to be a bad thing.

7) Rebirth

Stories under this are often intense and very emotional. Sure, the six above can be very emotional ad intense, but when someone is forced out of their shell for survival, that's another level of intensity. Here, an event forces the main character to change their ways and often become a better individual. In anime, we see the protagonist overcome a tragedy (examples, Boku no Hero, Kimetsu no Yaiba, Attack on Titan, Tokyo Ghoul, Blade of the Immortal, etc).

In Violet Evergarden, Violet is forced out of the battlefield and is left alone without the person she loves--Gilbert. Here, her development isn't meant to be violent. She is supposed to become a more empathetic person and be more normal while overcoming her grief. Her gradual growth through experience is beautiful and they're not even grand.

Raita's Fundamentals in Plot Development

The part where the plot develops is often where young writers fail. I've done a lot of book reviews (and there are still books to review xD) and even if the premise works, the development fails. What I'll be sharing with you is stuff I've observed in story writing from things I've both watched and read as well as through personal experience. 

1. Know your story

2. Create a good first impression

3. Every single scene/action should have a function

4. Play with perceptions

5. Not everything has to be grand

6. Subplots are good for development

7. Be open to change

We'll go through them one by one so we could better digest them.

1. Know your story

One of the stuff I noticed here in Wattpad is that some writers only know the gist of the story. But they lack the core and the rest of the premise. They don't know how the story should move or develop. Maybe you got the ending, but you're not rock-solid on it yet, yet you don't know the climax yet. Sometimes I, too, have problems with knowing the story, but to overcome this you should ask yourself these questions:

- how do i want my characters developed?

- do i know my ending? is a tragic ending? a happy ending?

- do i want my OC to grow in character? do i want them to grow in skill?

- who is my character? what is their goals?

- how do i want them to achieve their goals? will they achieve them?

- do my characters have problems? will they have personal internal problems? will they have enemies who'll give them a hard time?

These questions will definitely help you while you're writing your story. It'll help develop as you write. Another thing is to know your setting. You must know how the world works, but if there's a club or some organization, you need to know how they work. Don't go guessing--research. If you want to put something non-canon in your story, you have to make sure to establish it properly so that it doesn't seem too out of place that people will attack it.

Tip: make an outline of your story. This will help A LOT. I swear. I do this in all my books right now. They don't have to be exactly like the outline we learned in school. You could do it by summary, which I do. I write scenes I want to be included, details I want my readers to know.

2. Create a good first impression

Wattpad is all about the aesthetics.

Taken from the Mourning Samurai by me :3

Taken from Empyrean by Nashoba :3

I'm just kidding -- half kidding.

What I wish I could see in actual books is the sense of aesthetics in words we do here, like the short poems, the type that gets you goosebumps. Now I'm not saying you have to, but you can if you want to. But the first impression that should be lasting is the first actual chapter you're writing.

When you're writing the first chapter, you gotta be sure to leave the readers hungry for what comes next. You don't do the bomb drop of information on your readers on the first chapter, that's a big no-no. You aren't even supposed to exactly tell who they are. But what you need to give your readers on your first chapter is to establish your initial setting--a tease of the rest of the world. Give your premise, tell them a glimpse of what the conflict is gonna be about. 

In Warmer than Black (my Kuroo Tetsurou fanfic), the plot is a romance story with an OC but Tetsurou is only approaching her because if he gets her to become his girlfriend, he'll get 20,000 yen. But Mitsuru (the OC) is an antisocial artist who avoids people so getting close to her isn't going to be easy.

So the readers reading the book will want to know how this goes:

- will Tetsurou get his money?

- will he actually fall in love with her?

- why is Mitsuru antisocial?

- will she find out?

You gotta get your readers thinking these questions. That's how stories should work.

3. Every single scene/action should have a function

This is a very straightforward one. When you make a scene it cannot be not related to the plot or if it's supposed to play for the characters, it has to help them lead to the person they're supposed to be for your plot.

Filler chapters are done for character development mostly. It adds information about the characters (after all you're supposed to build them, too) and it's supposed to build the relationship of the character with the rest of the characters or just build him as a whole. 

One of the best movies I've watched doing this is Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3. Let's use them since the movies function as a duology. Anyway, so the premise is that they're supposed to get Davy Jones heart because it will allow the person who pierces it with the power to control the seas. All the conflicts within these two mostly correlate with the stakes with this heart. One, Jack will die if he doesn't get the heart. Two, the secondary villain (not Davy Jones) will destroy all piracy once he has it. Three, Will Turner (a main character) needs it to free his father. Four, the other guy (I forgot his name) needs it to regain his former glory. Then finally, Davy Jones, of course, will want it because it's his heart, lol.

So everything these characters do all correlate to the race for the heart.

NOTE:

Good plot development:

> Delves deeper into cause and effect: We know why Tetsurou is doing the stupid dare. But the question is how he'll achieve this goal. Or maybe in the Mourning Samurai that maybe some of you are reading: we know that there are zombies in Yoshie's country, the question is why.

> Develops characters and themes: We grow to understand how events and actions shape characters' choices and understand more of what the story says about its themes. We know the whys of the story, why the characters make those choices.

Good dénouements or plot endings:

> Draw a story or novel to a satisfying close. They answer our biggest remaining questions, whether it's a happy or sad answer.

> Deliver on implicit promises made throughout the story. What we understand about the promises is they are the question and answer indirectly made in the story. Best examples are mystery stories. Because we don't know the answer to the mystery, the writer promises to give it at the end of the story--that is if they are interested enough to finish to the end.

When writing each part of your plot, think about the functions above: Does each stage of your story give the reader what she needs to make sense of (and enjoy) the interrelated whole? Does each stage contribute adequately to building the whole tale?

4. Play with perceptions

In literature, there are two types of narrative: linear and nonlinear narrative. 

As the name suggests, linear narratives follow a straight line — starting at the beginning, moving to the middle and proceed to the end of the story. In contrast, a non-linear narrative often starts in the middle of a story or the height of a conflict and then double-backs to the beginning. 

It may sound like common sense but proceed with your narrative in the manner that best suits the story. This means that you should give some thought to where the most compelling elements lie. Some stories build with tension and interest that culminates in a powerful close, making them better suited to a linear narrative. If you've told a verbal story along the lines of, "You'll never believe the day I've had" and then proceeded to start at the beginning of your day to the end, you've told a linear narrative.

Another, albeit more challenging, nonlinear narrative form employs flashbacks and "flashforwards" to keep the reader on his toes as the writer tells the full story. In nonlinear narratives, the story is about more than just a beginning, middle, and end. Often, the order of the events is rearranged or deconstructed in a way that reflects the central character's psychological state or the story's theme. Knowing characteristics and examples of nonlinear narratives will help you to recognize these stories in film and literature, as well as create work that fits into this genre.

I'm using nonlinear narratives in both The Mourning Samurai (my Naruto Shippuden fanfic) and Faust Lied to the Devil (my Boku no Hero Academia fanfic). In TMS, it is shown through flashbacks only. Whereas in FLTTD, I took a more bold and uncommon approach: telling the story in three different basic timelines in Shinju's perspective and sometimes in Shota's perspective as well. First is in their 21-year-old selves, second in their third year, and third in their second year. The reason I did this is because there are different conflicts in each, and it's mostly being told in the eyes of someone who doesn't have emotions (I hope I executed that part well).

5. Not everything has to be grand

Here, I'm gonna say that subtleness matters. Maybe not everyone knows it, but just a glance or a touch means a lot already. Plot works largely by invisible means. For large-scale plot development, individual parts of your story--character's actions and conversations--should move it along.

Here is an excerpt from Warmer than Black:

In this excerpt, it is established that Shinju is getting used to Tetsurou, as she had a slip of tongue. At the same time, we discover the tension that Shinju is fighting hard to hide her identity from Tetsurou. The subtleness is key to tension.

(I'm using my own work as a reference, I'm practically spoiling you guys, lmao)

Sure, grand events should happen. But not everything has to be. The simple things sometimes make a better impact, it tells a lot about the characters in the plot.

6. Subplots are good for development

Although the grand, main plot of your story might involve a single confrontation between protagonist and antagonist, subplots are where many of the more interesting and surprising plot developments lie.

Take J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, for example. While the central confrontation will happen between Harry and Lord Voldemort (we know this from Book One), Rowling uses subplots to develop individual primary and secondary characters, often with surprising outcomes.

In anime, we see that in Boku no Hero Academia, we know that Deku and the rest of the gang will have to confront the League of Villains. That's the basic plot, but the subplots include the arcs where the characters grow, where they get to know others and their own selves. Here in the subplots, the characters develop their own persons including the relationships they have with each other, not to mention we as readers get to know more about the world and plot twists, heartbreaks, all that bedazzle.

How do you use subplots to aid overall plot development?

1) Use subplots to develop your themes. In BNHA, we get themes of heroism throughout the plot, but we also see themes of broken heroes. We have the main characters who want to protect everyone and we see also sub-characters who also want to be the best they can be as heroes. In Deku, we see that this is innate. We also see that other characters struggle to be brave and courageous, but they fight the fear because it opposes the path they want to take.

2) Create subplots that complicate the main arc of your story. In Erased, we see the plot take an unexpected turn when more people get involved in a girl's life. She was supposed to get kidnapped on a certain day, but when the MC becomes friends with her, it drastically changes the already finished event. Erased is an anime about a middle-aged guy who went back in time to back when he was a kid, so there. A lot of shit happened, imma not spoil you guys, AHAHHAHA. It's so good I promise x3

7. Be open to change

Last, but not the least, be open to changes in your plot. This happens all the time with me. I may have written down an initial storyline, but as I progress better ideas come to mind. I then establish them into the story as I write. I don't have regrets doing it, but sometimes I believe it's inevitable.

Sometimes as we work, we realize that the initial idea doesn't make sense. We watch a movie or a series, read a book or a comic, we get inspired by something new. Revelations come to mind. It may not be the same as before, but we may never know until we have written it down so we could look back and read. After all, we grow and learn something new every day. It's a good thing to grow.

Don't ever call yourself stupid or untalented, especially when you discover a new idea. What you've written is a memoir made by your younger self. What you realize is proof of your betterment.

The last note that I could say about stories is that the last minute or page leaves a lasting expression. You're conveying emotions through the mood you've established. And more importantly, the ending you've created. Through your story, you're giving yourself a chance to say a message to your readers. They may not see it immediately, but everything has a message. I won't say it has to be realistic. Anime, after all, are stories created made by someone's ideals. There is truth, but ideals are more strongly emphasized.

Enjoy writing <3

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

I hope you found this helpful, please comment your thoughts, suggest ideas, and good luck with your writing!!!

//hugs

See you at the next chapter! And don't be scared to request lessons or suggestions on what the next chapter should be about.

P.S. I'm gonna be ballsy and ask you guys to please support my works here in WP ;u; I know that some have you have been reading my stuff, and that means a lot, so thank you. As of right now, I have posted a new Haikyuu fanfic, To Our Eternity, a Tsukishima Kei x OC, set on his second year. There's also Warmer than Black, Tetsurou Kuroo x OC, set on his second year of college. Welp, if you enjoy non-canon fanfics, there's also The Mourning Samurai, very dramatic, and there's also Faust Lied to the Devil which is intense and dark.

P.P.S. The next chapter right after this though is gonna be about how to make characters of a specific anime not ooc. Gonna be a difficult one xD