The Fate plot is something that many writers, readers, and movie watchers are inherently familiar with. In this type of story, the protagonist cannot escape his fate, no matter how hard he works against it.
Oftentimes, the climax happens twice in a Fate structure: once at the beginning and again at the end. Usually, after the beginning climax, the following plot is a flashback (think Memento) and it inevitably leads up to the final climax, which is a repeat of the first.
Fate Story Structure
Even though the plot line operates in a less than linear fashion, the story is still fairly traditional, with a clear-cut beginning, middle, and end. It’s also equally character- and plot-driven, as it pushes a character into a nasty situation where she is forced to make choices, even though the audience already knows where those choices will lead.
Fate Story Structure Elements – The Beginning
Fate Stories have various consistencies within their first acts. Firstly and most importantly, it must begin with an end, a climax that the character is either reflecting upon or experiencing, depending what tense the writer chooses.
Next, there needs to be a reason for the flashback. Why is the character reflecting on the chain of events that lead up to the climax? Finding a catalyst for past reflection is extremely important in this type of plot.
Think of Forrest Gump: throughout the story, Forrest is sitting on a bench, waiting to catch a bus (to where, audiences don’t yet know at the outset). Everything else that happens in the flashbacks leads him up to that point. He also has a reason to be talking: he’s a naturally talkative, friendly character who is interacting with multiple minor characters who listen to his stories.
Finally, once the first climax is over, all the characters must be introduced in the early part of the flashback. This includes an antagonist, of course, which may even be the protagonist himself. Perhaps he caused all of the events to lead up to the climax, and maybe he’s been working against himself all along.
Some good questions a writer should ask herself in this first act are:
- How many characters am I going to have?
- What kind of narration is this? First-person throughout? Will I change point of view after the flashback begins?
- What kind of themes am I working with?
Fate Story Structure Elements – The Middle
The middle of this type of plot is where everything for the character intensifies. There may be a temporary and illusory success, but it is usually fleeting and causes the character to self-destruct (assuming the climax is a bad experience). This keeps the plot from growing stagnant in the middle parts. If there is a fleeting success, there must also be a reversal, where the character realizes the triumph was imagined.
This middle usually takes place entirely in the flashback, and everything must lead to the initial (and final) climax. The middle parts of most story structures are where the audience really grows to understand and know the main character (along with minor ones), so momentum is still important.
Questions a writer may want to ask herself for this section are:
- Will I bother with a fleeting success here? If so, why?
- How will I develop my protagonist? How does he act with other characters?
- What is my protagonist’s primary motivation? Is he chasing someone’s affection? Perhaps he is after fame and fortune?
Fate Story Structure Elements – The End
At the end of a Fate plot, the final conflict must be presented, the one that ultimately leads up to the initial climax. The character has finally gotten audiences up to speed on almost everything leading up to that climax, so most loose ends should be tied up.
The climax then replays, though it may be through a different character or perhaps the main character’s new mindset. The protagonist may reveal something about himself, such as his motivation, if it hadn’t been revealed earlier.
Finally, the resolution must take place. This will be the only “real time” moment since that initial climax, so it is up to the writer to decide what happens to that main character, where his life goes from here.
Some final questions the writer should ask herself are:
- How will the final conflict come about? How many characters will be involved?
- Will there be any closure for the main character?
- How does this resolution affect minor characters?
- What kind of message, if any, am I trying to present?
With this story structure spelled out, the writer now must only fill in the blanks, however many there are. Using classic plots to start out with is extremely helpful to new and seasoned creative writers alike, so don’t be afraid to try this one out.
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