Emotional Plot/Suspense Plot Guide

Point of Attack: You need to discern some history that happens before the play begins.
What is the story There's a reason why characters come together and why they are in the
leading up to the circumstances they find themselves. What is it? Often, this is revealed in
beginning of the
drama? What
the play as exposition – when characters talk about their past.
happens right before
the beginning of the Describe the historical reasons why characters come together, why they have
play to bring their attitudes, and the situation in which they find themselves right before
characters together? the drama begins.
What is the situation
in which they find
themselves?
The Beginning: Time: (year) (season) (time of day or night)

You get this from

the stage directions Place: (Abbreviated, one sentence)
in the text.

Inciting Incident
Something happens Describe the inciting incident. This happens near the beginning of the
near the beginning of drama and begins the action.
the play that begins the
action. What is it?
What happens?
Because of this action,
the drama begins. (Do
not rely on exits or
entrances.)
A character gains a Character Superobjective: What does he/she want?
superobjective (what name: Because the inciting incident ties to the superobjectives of the
he wants from the This is the main characters, describe the superobjective of the main
beginning of the play main
through to the end of character here. A superobjective is what a character wants
the play) because of character's from the beginning of the play to the end of the play. Scenes,
what happens near name – the units, and beats reveal separate, detailed character objectives.
the inciting incident protagonist Only indicate the main character's superobjective here. A key
that ties to the climax. if you will. to help determine a superobjective is to look at the character's
What does he want?
point of view under character analysis.
An opposing Opposing What does he/she want?
character wants to character
block the character's name: The main opposing character also has a superobjective.
superobjective. What Often, it is in opposition or counters or blocks the main
does this character The character's superobjective.
want? This may or antagonist.
may not connect
directly to the inciting
incident.
The audience begins to ask "What A mark of the inciting incident is that it not only begins the
will happen?" "Who did it?" or action, but also poses a question in the audience's mind.
anything that ties to the climax.
Specify the question the audience This ties to the Suspense Plot. The key here is to think of the
asks. audience instead of the characters.

Plot Guide – Page #1

 Suspense Plot Emotional Plot

The suspense plot ties directly to the audience. The emotional plot ties to the reactions of the
A question is raised in the inciting incident, characters. A focus on the emotional life of
and the action taken helps change or answer characters is needed here. If performed well,
that question either in part or in whole. the audience identifies with the emotional life
Through objectives, the suspense plot ties to of the characters and often audience members
the characters. will feel or think as they do.

Who makes a What does he/she do? How do characters react emotionally and/or
decision to intellectually? Characters' point of views, attitudes,
take action? Specify what the character does and your themes are revealed here.
to take action. It could be
Any physical. It could be as subtle as Sometimes characters like the action the character
character can making another character feel takes and sometimes they don't like it. Specify
take action. guilty. It could be that the who reacts and how they react. Sometimes the
character tells another character reaction is physical, sometimes the character just
what to do. complains, sometimes the character berates,
sometimes the character blocks – tries to make the
action not happen. Sometimes the character
"following orders" does not succeed in doing so
very well.
Is there a
reversal in this I'm asking you to look at the play in very broad strokes. So look for any kind of
plot segment? revelation or reversal in the play. Smaller units, scenes, or beats are looked at a
What is it?
different way. A director, for instance, would look at the small beats, usually in terms
of what any character wants at any time, for that changes from beat to beat.

A reversal is anytime that the audience and/or the characters do not expect what
happens and it changes the direction of the plot. For instance, in a mystery play, the
investigator rules out a suspect.

Is there a
revelation in A revelation is more common than a reversal, and this is what you need to concentrate
this plot on. Segment the play according to what is revealed – either to the audience or to the
segment?
What is it?
characters or both. What comes up that you did not know before? A revelation
changes both the action and the suspense question. Often, it indicates an ending of an
action, but because it causes more questions, it causes another action to begin.

Plot Guide – Page #2

 Climax
Suspense Plot Emotional Plot
At the climax, everything comes together. Characters At the end of the climax, a character will change
are in high crisis and the crisis is resolved. The climax irreversibly. Who changes? In what way does he/she
relates directly to the inciting incident. Describe your change?
climax.
Because the conflict is resolved and the suspense
Between the inciting incident and the climax has question is answered, the main character (usually
been "rising action." In the climax, the question the main character) will change in such a way
is answered that was posed in the inciting that the character cannot return to who he or she
incident. Again, this ties more to the audience was before. Sometimes, the character who
than the characters, but here the characters changes comes to an understanding, sometimes he
resolve the conflict created by the rising action. maims himself, sometimes he's banished, and
sometimes he absolutely makes up his mind about
something. Sometimes the character dies, but
that is usually AFTER the climax as it comes by a
climax action where he understands something or
loses perspective completely. Nevertheless, the
character changes irreversibly.

Denoument
The audience wants to know what happens to characters after the climax. They want to know the ending.
What happens to the characters at the end of the play? (Sometimes this is left for the audience to ponder.)

The audience really does want to know what happens to the characters once the suspense question is
resolved in the climax. The denoument, or "falling action," wraps this up and finishes the play.

Plot Guide – Page #3