When you are composing a story, you need to be aware of the at least the main plot(s) in the story and who they concern. Sub-plots will spring up from the dark corners of your mind, but only if they have a main plot to hang from. So here is a tried and tested way of designing the central themes in your story. It is a little formulaic, but it works, and that is what I find important.
First the plot outline. Ask your self these questions (and answer them of course):
- Who is the main character?
- Who is working with the main character?
- Who is working against the main character?
Next we need to get some more detail about motivation, so answer these questions:
- What are the main character's goals?
- What happens if the main character fails at these goals?
- How will those working with the main character help achieve the goals?
- What will the person working against the main character to to thwart the goals?
And finally, some questions about conflict and conflict resolution:
- How will the main character respond to the person working against him/her?
- How does the main character deal with impending failure?
- How does the main character finally succeed?
- What happens to the person working against the main character?
- What happens to the main character and his/her supporters?
- What is the over-riding theme of this story element?
Filling this in for a plot or potential plot should not take long, you are not writing the story here. Answering the questions will, however, help you bring out elements of the plot and possibly highlight new plots that need to be investigated. Give it a go and let me know what you think. In a later post I'll talk about tips on fleshing out the plots you have designed.
Enjoy