A good plot can hinge on "and then" versus "but then."

It took me years to figure out how to write a good, tense plot. What I’ve discovered is that, to tell a good story, you need a plot that’s driven by your characters’ desires, which means there needs to be a causal connection between what your characters want and the events in the story. Each event, each conflict that arises, must be driven by what the character wants. The formula I’ve come up with is seemingly simple:

Character + Desire + Conflict = Plot

But once you’ve written your draft, how can you be certain that the events in your story really are driven by the characters’ desires? Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Emmy and Tony award-winning creators of South Park and The Book of Mormon, have an excellent test that hinges on whether each scene can be connected by “and then” versus “but then” or “therefore.” For more, watch the video below. (Give it a few seconds to load. It’s worth the wait.)

 

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