The Hero Protagonist is an Archetype that's very common in the Home World. But they have an Ironic Talent that the King disapproves of, so through the King's Law, the Protagonist gets taught their Bad Habit — which isn't considered a flaw in the Home World.

And Then, And Then, And Then...

This is the way my 5-year-old niece tells a story: an endless string of unrelated events she witnessed during her very eventful school day. "And then this happened, and then that happened, and then that person showed up, and then I did this, and then I did that."

While it is very cute, it is not going to entertain the masses — which is what we are trying to accomplish with our story.

We are writing drama, not just transcribing a sequence of events. So from now on, whenever you feel yourself starting to write "and then," replace it with because, and thus, or but.

As you work through each sequence, every event should connect to another event through one of these escalating connectors: but, therefore, because, and thus, so, naturally, has to.

When you finish your outline, you should have 8 sequences and 8 Transition Scenes that maintain a cause and effect relationship that escalates.

Here are the first few lines of a really succinct outline for Ratatouille to illustrate this:

Because Heaven on Earth is Being the Head Chef of Paris' Best Restaurant (TS1), the Hero Protagonist of this story, Remy the Rat, has to be the Most Talented Chef in the World, but his father, the King, disapproves of his cooking and forces him to be a thieving Rat (SEQA). But because Remy is the World's Most Talented Chef, he refuses to eat garbage and thus he ignores his dad's advice and goes to steal real ingredients (TS2). But he gets caught, causing the whole rat colony to have to flee from their home. Because Remy can't keep up, he is left alone in the sewers, however, since Remy is this Universe's Chosen One he must receive help, in the form of the Universe's Child, aka the Muse, aka Linguini (SEQB).

And on and on until Remy is the Head Chef of Paris' Best Restaurant (TS1).

Every event has to have a cause and effect relationship.

This works because we set up logical oppositions and contradictions in our Character Trifecta. Now all we have to do is present that information in the correct order to create as much drama as possible with a satisfying resolution.

It really is that simple.

Who Are You?

In Sequence A, the most important thing is to introduce the Protagonist — which in a Kind Comedy is also the Hero. After we show what the Protagonist needs through a Slice of Heaven, the next step is to show the audience the Protagonist's Archetype and Ironic Talent.

The Ironic Talent is what creates the cause and effect relationship between Transition Scene 1 and Sequence A: If Heaven on Earth is "to go further into space than anyone has ever gone," then it makes no sense for the Protagonist to be the most talented surgeon in the world - Because Heaven is "outer space," the Protagonist's Talent should be "best Astronaut," or "Rocket Scientist," or "Pilot."

And this logic goes further: in a Kind Comedy, the Protagonist's Talent must be ironically related to their Archetype. So if Heaven is Space, and the Ironic Talent is Best Astronaut, then the Archetype should be a poor farmer, or a stay-at-home parent with a fear of heights, or a pilot who went blind in one eye.

It can be many things — but it needs to create that Ironic Relationship to the Talent, and thus to Heaven on Earth.

A Note on Examples

Throughout this section, you'll see two approaches to storytelling:

Ratatouille tells the audience explicitly what's happening. Characters state their problems. Structure is visible.

In Bruges shows the audience implicitly through behavior and dialogue. We deduce structure from actions.

Both work. Your story can be either — just be consistent.

Example: In Bruges

In In Bruges we meet the Muse (Ray) before we meet the Protagonist (Ken), but Ken's first line and first look tells us everything we need to know about his Archetype.

He urges Ray to reserve judgment on Bruges, and then after seeing a particularly pretty canal, he smiles in excitement.

We know this man is a killer — from the "get out of London, you dumbfucks" line — yet the first thing we see is that he's genuinely moved by the sight of this beautiful town.

He is a touristing hitman — and we know this in the first minute of the movie.

In the next few scenes, he shows enormous restraint and patience in dealing with the child that is Ray — introducing us to his Talent of being a father-figure.

Finally, he talks about waiting for orders, and we see he's a man who does as he's told — even by a church-tower ticket salesman who refuses to take a penny less for entry.

Note: As we’ve just seen in the example, often, other characters from the Trifecta are also introduced in this first sequence, but this is not necessary. As long as you introduce the Protagonist and their traits, the function of this sequence has been fulfilled. There will be specific sequences later to reveal the Antagonist's and Muse's traits — so best not to clutter this sequence with them.

Example: Ratatouille

While we have to read between the lines to deduce Ken's Archetype, Talent, and Bad Habit, Remy just tells us:

"What's my problem? First of all, I'm a rat. And second, I have a highly developed sense of taste and smell."

Lightning fast, we know everything we need to know about our Protagonist in the first few lines of this sequence.

Both movies drop us straight into the action. They're incredibly efficient in their storytelling. They give us all the information we need as soon as they can.

I urge you to do the same.

Sequence A in a Kind Comedy starts with telling the audience exactly who the Protagonist is, what they're good at, and what their problem is.

After that it gets a little more nuanced.

The Bad Habit in the Home World

The most important part of constructing your Protagonist is making sure that the Bad Habit — the thing they need to overcome to reach Heaven on Earth — is normal and not considered a flaw in the Home World.

This is what sets the Protagonist apart from the Antagonist.

Remy is a rat by birth. He's at risk of getting killed if he doesn't lie and steal. Remy has to be a thief.

Skinner is a lying thief by choice.

This difference is why we think Remy deserves all the good things at the end, and Skinner deserves to be punished.

Same goes for Ken and Harry: Ken is a henchman who has survived by doing as he's told. Ken has to follow orders.

Harry is a dogmatic rule-follower by choice. He's at the top of the organization, yet he chooses to follow an outdated set of rules to the letter.

This difference is why we root for Ken and not for Harry.

What we will later see as a Bad Habit is, at this early stage, a belief the Protagonist holds very strongly.

You need to make the audience understand this as a conviction of the characters in the Home World.

And it cannot make them look stupid at home. It shouldn't make them overtly ignorant, because your audience won't root for them.

You have to make this flaw believable as a survival mechanism.

You can do this through conversation, but to illustrate it more visually, you can use a character we call The King.

The King's Law

The King is a character introduced in Sequence A to:

• Give the Protagonist a guide in the Home World
• Illustrate the source of the Protagonist's Bad Habit
• Show why the Protagonist doesn't see this as a Bad Habit at all

The Home World is the reason the Protagonist is who they are. They are a product of their environment.

The King is often the ruler of this Home World and becomes the source of the Protagonist's convictions — their changeable trait.

For someone to have this much influence on how a character thinks, their relationship must be very tight. The King is often a parent (more specifically — the father) of the Protagonist. Kids tend to take their dad's opinion as truth, and often for good reason.

The King, as a father, is usually well-intentioned.

However, the King is the ruler of the Home World and has rarely stepped foot in the Strange World. As such, his advice has made the Protagonist who they are, but this learned behavior will later serve as the main Bad Habit holding them back.

The Protagonist is made for bigger and better things. They are made to outshine their father — and we see this most clearly in THE Theme:

THE (Comedy) Theme:

To reach Heaven on Earth, our Protagonist should fundamentally change their ways and shed their own Bad Habit in favor of the Muse's Moral Strength.

This Bad Habit is what they were taught by The King.

They see it as their own undeniable truth, because it has been ingrained in them from birth.

Usually, The King takes this one step further: their advice is a hard rule that the Protagonist needs to follow in order to stay within their good graces.

This is why we call this conviction The King's Law.

And this Law is exactly what drives a wedge between The Protagonist and their parent: the Protagonist can feel — early on — that they are made for bigger things, and the King's strict rules are holding them back.

The King's Law is a set of rules that should be followed to the letter in order to survive in the Home World — which, at the same time, teaches the Protagonist their Bad Habit as a Strength.

Example: Ratatouille

Ratatouille makes the King's Law very clear: Remy's dad is literally the King of the rat colony.

One of his first lines to Remy is: "It isn't stealing if no one wants it."

He makes it clear they have to steal to survive, and that the best food is the stuff you can get without getting killed: trash.

This Law teaches Remy that:

• It's okay to steal
• It's best to hide your intentions, especially from humans
• The best food is garbage

Remy will have a very hard time letting go of the first two parts — stealing and hiding. But the trash bit is what bothers him from the very start, because of his Talent: he was born as the most talented chef, so he doesn't want to eat trash.

As a result, Remy rebels against his father's rules, but he can't help being a rat.

The fact that the King — in the Home World — still knows best is reinforced when Remy gets caught stealing "the good stuff" by the grandma, who comes after all of them with a shotgun.

Example: In Bruges

In In Bruges there is no overt King character that shows up early on, but in the first few scenes, the Laws of the Home World are clearly laid out.

Ken and Ray discuss what to do next over a beer: Ken wants to follow orders. Ray wants to go back.

Ken reminds Ray that Harry doesn't give stupid orders and that Harry can "get guns anywhere."

Yes, they are following orders, but by the end of that scene, following orders seems like the smartest thing to do. They remind themselves that this tactic has worked in the past.

Ken's Bad Habit — to follow rules — is not a weakness right now. Even Ray is convinced.

The Protagonist's Home World convictions are made clear: do as you're told.

However, very early on in this movie, Ken has to pay to go up the bell tower but he is 10 cents short. The ticket seller is a stickler for the rules and doesn't let Ken in until he pays the full 5 euros.

It's a very brief interaction, but Ken's reaction clearly shows us that he thinks there should be a little grey area to the rules — the exact belief that will later get him into trouble with Harry.

Harry is the Antagonist in this story, but he is also the King. Harry is not exactly Ken's father, but he is his boss, and we learn later that Harry also holds a sort of parental responsibility over Ken.

So as an authority figure in the Home World, Harry has definitely influenced Ken's convictions. Harry's rules (obedience) have served Ken well in the past in the world of English gangs.

Harry will grow into his role as the Antagonist when his interests start diametrically opposing Ken's. But in these first scenes they do not, yet — so we consider him both a King and an Antagonist.

Remember: You cannot tell a story without the Trifecta of characters, but those are the only three you absolutely need. All others are there to illustrate traits and opinions — they can be combined, or only there in spirit, or dead.

Also note that Harry never makes an appearance in this first sequence, but the guys discuss him and his rules at length. The King doesn't have to be physically present, but the Protagonist must have taken their Law to heart, if not during this sequence then already well before it.

The difference between how In Bruges and Ratatouille handle the King character is mostly a style difference. Fairytales and animations tend to use more visual, illustrative representations of concepts, where In Bruges is written by a playwright who tends to solve problems through dialogue instead of actions or visuals.

Note: Martin McDonagh has since evolved his career into that of a very successful movie director. In Bruges was his first feature film, and you can definitely feel his playwright influence in all of his movies, but most specifically in In Bruges.

You need to explain the conviction of your Protagonist: their Bad Habit is not a weakness in the Home World.

You need to do this in the first Sequence.

If you don't, the difference between your Protagonist and Antagonist will not be clear when you introduce your Antagonist in the next sequence.

Remember: the main difference between the two is their intention. Remy has to be a thief. Skinner chooses to be. Same goes for Ken and Harry: one follows rules out of necessity, the other is a dogmatic hardliner.

That's why at the end of In Bruges, when both Ken and Harry are dead, we are convinced Ken is in Heaven and Harry is in Hell.

Best Intentions

The King is not trying to mess with the Protagonist.

Their Law is established with the best of intentions.

Following this rule serves the Protagonist, and it is only because they are the chosen one — or better yet, the most talented one — that this Law makes them queasy.

The Protagonist is born to leave home, outshine their parents, elevate above the rest of the world — and the King's Law is ultimately holding them back from all of that.

But without the King's Law, the Protagonist would have never made it this far in the Home World.

If Remy hadn't hidden and stolen, he would've starved to death or been killed by grandma long ago.

If Ken hadn't followed his boss' rules, he probably would have died in a bar fight.

Notice that while we have been properly introduced to the Protagonists in both movies, the Antagonists haven't really shown up yet, and in Ratatouille the Muse is nowhere to be found either.

In Sequence A, it's important to introduce the Story World and the Home World, and you will automatically do so by introducing the Protagonist and their traits. But it's not yet necessary to introduce anyone else from the Trifecta.

This is because the conflict in the story comes from the internal conflict within the Protagonist.

The Antagonist and Muse are just vehicles to draw this internal conflict out later.

Right now, it's enough to tell the audience what's at stake — Slice of Heaven — and show why this is going to be hard for this particular Protagonist to achieve.

We won't know exactly why this is yet, but by now any audience will at least be intrigued by the contradictions you have set up.

Now let's see what happens when the Protagonist challenges the King.

Transition Scene 2 - Fight!

Because of their Ironic Talent, the Protagonist decides to challenge the King's Law.

In the introduction to this course, I wrote: story comes from conflict, and conflict comes from the actions of characters.

To make that really specific: conflict comes from the actions of the Protagonist.

This is what makes them the Protagonist — they are the ones taking action and reaching for Heaven on Earth. Without the Protagonist and the actions they take, there would be no story.

That is exactly what Transition Scenes are all about: the Protagonist has to take action — or the story dies. Thus, at this point, if you set their traits up correctly, the Protagonist has no choice but to challenge the King's Law.

And because the King is the ruler of the Home World, this will always cause instant drama.

That is just how Story Worlds work — because you as a writer won't let anyone get away with anything.

Example: In Bruges

Ken, against Harry's wishes, leaves the hotel.

He challenges the King!

He returns to an obscenity-laced message from his King — which doesn't just question his loyalty and lets him know this will not be tolerated again, but also puts him into a first (albeit minor) conflict with the Strange World he will soon find himself in.

The hotel owner Marie is clearly not amused by the interaction she had with Harry.

Example: Ratatouille

Remy, against his father's wishes, goes to the kitchen to steal spices. He gets caught, and as a result the whole rat colony has to flee from their home. Remy can't keep up and he ends up separated from his family and alone in the sewer. None of that would have happened if he hadn't challenged his King in Transition Scene 2.

The Unavoidable Conflict

So the end of Sequence A — in Transition Scene 2 — is where the Protagonist, as a result of challenging their King, gets hit with the immediate consequence of thinking about leaving what they know.

They get into conflict:

• First with the King
• Second with the inhabitants of the Strange World

However, the presence of their Ironic Talent made it an unavoidable conflict.

There was no way Remy was going to be a poison checker, eating garbage for the rest of his life. And Ray was never going to let Ken just stay at the hotel waiting for a phone call. Ken, being the good (metaphorical) father that he is, was always going to do what his (metaphorical) son Ray asked of him: leave the hotel.

All Protagonists will find themselves in unavoidable conflicts if you set up their Ironic Talent and corresponding Bad Habit correctly.

Don't Stray from the Root

By now you're starting to understand how the Tale Spinning method really works: everything that happens in your plot is a result of the traits you gave your characters while writing THE Theme and the Trifecta.

This is why I want you to keep the top sheet somewhere you can always see it — this will keep you from straying from the root of your story.

If at any time you find that you don't want to make your character do what flows naturally out of their traits, you have probably not set them up properly. You're writing a story about one thing, but you really want to write about something else.

If this is the case, I urge you to either:

• Go back and refine your character traits, or
• Stick with this story and finish it before you give in to other inspiration

If you let different, non-related traits or habits creep into your characters, you will end up with a wishy-washy story with a crappy ending.

This is not to say that you always have to pick the first thing that comes to mind. There are thousands of ways to illustrate dishonesty or dogmatism, and only you can decide which ones work for your story.

But a story has to be about one Talent/Bad Habit pair.

If you feel confident about your story and your character traits so far, let's have this first conflict carry us into Sequence B.

You've completed the first Sequence of your outline, and the Transition Scene that pulls it into the next.

Your Protagonist has been introduced. The King's Law has been established. And the Protagonist has taken their first action that sets the story in motion.

Now let's introduce the Universe and the Muse.