I am having difficulty converting the 16 signposts into sequences
Question Actually, my main character isn't the protagonist so the main character, the impact character and the relationship thoroughline are important but not the exact center of attention. Thus, it's hard for me to convert one signpost ino 4 separate events.
What do I do? Could you please illustrate with an example?
Thank you so much.
Answer: Actually, you don't have to convert each signpost into a sequence. That's a technique that helps flesh out a plot, but it's not essential.
Some of the signposts could just be single events.
Some writers, for instance, prefer to simply include the signposts as four key events within an act. I happen to prefer spread them out in the form of sequences because it makes your plot structure really tight.
You have the option of spreading out the signposts into sequences in your overall plot, if that is the prominent throughline in your story, while leaving the signposts from the other throughlines as single events.
Incidentally, there is more than one way to flesh out a plot. In addition to creating a signpost with one or four events, you can choose divide it into three events (beginning, crisis, and resolution).
If your book is more concerned with theme than plot, Dramatica also allows you to create sequences based on your themes rather than the plot signposts.
It's not my natural style, but basically it involves having two opposing values you want to weigh up, such as self-confidence vs self-doubt.
Then you take two opposite ways of looking at these values, such as objective value vs. subjective worth.
Next you create 6 sequences, one to illustrate each of the following questions:
1. Which is better: self-confidence or self-doubt?
2. What is the objective value of self-confidence?
3. What is the subjective worth of self-confidence?
4. What is the objective value of self-doubt?
5. What is the subjective worth of self-doubt?
6. Which is more important, objective value or subjective worth?
Each of these 6 questions can be explored in a sequence of 3 or 4 events.
This creates a story that is less plot-heavy and more issue-heavy.
It's a matter of personal preference which you choose.