Unstuck

BASICS 101: The Nutshell Technique

STEP 3 - THE CATCH:
This is very important as it will start your story. At the same time that the protagonist gets his SET-UP WANT, he will also get something he did not want: THE CATCH. This has to be simultaneous otherwise the story will not work. Protagonist gets what he wants but has to deal with this unpleasant thing that he did not want. Getting rid of THE CATCH will then provide the fertile ground for Act 2 to escalate the conflict.

In RP, the catch is that while he wanted to know about Harry and got that, the truth prevents Freddie from pursuing a relationship with Harry. It at least makes him question if it's right to be with Harry if Harry used to be with his father, Louis and Louis seemed to be happy with him. Being with Harry is not a no-strings attached kind of deal.
STEP 4 - THE FLAW:
Some people call this the knot and it is the real reason you are writing the story. It is the one thing that your character suffers from that he needs to get fixed by the end of the story if it's a happily ever after or not get fixed if it's a tragedy. The flaw has to be ONE THING THAT CAN BE EXPRESSED IN ONE OR TWO WORDS, think character flaws (hubris, passiveness, pride, anger, denial). Your character can have many flaws but the flaw we're asking for here is the flaw that the story is about. How do you know if you have the right flaw? The CATCH in step 3 has to be the perfect test for THE FLAW. They have to foil each other.

Freddie has many different flaws: he's self-loathing, passive, whiny, childish, etc but his MAIN flaw is that he is SELFISH. He only cares about himself and only sees the world as hurting him or helping him. His relationship with Louis is haunted by Freddie constantly being mad at Louis for what he does or does not do. How does the catch test this flaw? Freddie wants Harry but knows getting Harry will hurt his dad. Freddie needs to decide between his own happiness or his dad's happiness. Only one person can realistically end up with Harry. Freddie needs to pursue Harry himself or fix Larry Stylinson. In this way, what's being tested here is Freddie's ability to care about others above himself his selfish nature is being put to the test and that's what the story is about.

STEP 5 - THE STRENGTH:
This is an easy thing to find. It is the exact opposite of THE FLAW. This is the virtue that the protagonist will be fighting to achieve. If everything goes right and the protagonist is tested the right way, he will have this quality by the end of the story (or fail to have this if it's a tragedy).

Freddie's strength would obviously be SELFLESSNESS. If Freddie is to succeed in this journey by the end of the book, he'll have discovered how to be selfless and there would be something to let us know if he has or hasn't. Now there's many ways I could show this but I don't want to go into specifics because I don't want to spoil the book. You can probably come up with a few guesses yourself. What would let the reader know someone is selfless?

STEP 6 - THE CRISES:
This point will usually come at the end of Act 2 and it is the lowest emotional point for the protagonist. It has been called many names from the "All Is Lost" moment to the "Dark Night of the Soul". It is the 'bad part' where the protagonist thinks that life is over and they are completely defeated and they sulk around the city thinking of death. In this technique THE CRISES is the exact opposite of THE SET-UP WANT. Whatever the character wanted in the beginning, he's gonna wish he never wanted it or want the opposite. What happens from THE POINT OF NO RETURN until THE CRISES is your middle, your Act 2, the thing that's gonna beat down the protagonist to death until he's almost defeated and has to make a choice to change for the better or die (emotionally, physically or professionally).

In RP, Freddie's want was to know the truth about Harry. The crises will probably be something with the theme of having wished he never knew the truth or having wished he had never met Harry. Wow, what could have possibly happened for Freddie to have such a different reaction? Many things! Those are all the fun points I can just plug into Act 2!

STEP 7 - THE CLIMACTIC CHOICE:
This step is deep into the finale when, as the title suggests, the climax comes. It is literally the thing that's gonna tell us if this character is smart or doomed. It is a choice that puts the protagonist a step closer to THE STRENGTH. It doesn't have to show us that he has THE STRENGTH, it's too soon, but he has to give us a hint that he understands his flaw and he is acting on it. It's a step in the right direction.

Again without spoiling in RP, during the climax, Freddie has to make a choice. This has to be the most important choice in the book; it's the climax after all, everything depends on this. The choice will display to us that he is not as selfish as he started this journey and is making a move to become selfless. Obviously the choice will have to test this as well. It can't just come out of left field.

STEP 8 - FINAL CHOICE:
This step happens during the aftermath. After the main battle (the finale) has happened and when the story is nearing its end, this choice will let us know that the character is now at THE STRENGTH. He has defeated his flaws and changed his life around. It doesn't have to be the character literally telling us "I am a changed person now". It can be any action that symbolizes to the audience that, look this character has indeed grown up! Amazing!

In RP, the ending will probably have Freddie do something that proves to us he has grown up and overcome his selfishness. Since I can't give it away I'll use another example of the same nature. In Disney's "Frozen" Anna, the protagonist, has the same FLAW as Freddie. She is selfish. In her CLIMACTIC CHOICE, she takes a step towards selflessness by offering her life to protect Elsa's, a very selfless act we can all agree. That's the climax of the movie. In the end of the movie, her FINAL CHOICE is gifting Kristof the sled, a selfless act that tells us she has indeed changed her ways for the better.

Now you have in your hands one of the most effective ways to know your story is headed in the right direction. Trust me when I say, DO NOT START A STORY if you cannot complete this simple outline. If you cannot come up with a loose sentence of what is going to happen in all of these points you do not have a plan and your story is gonna be distracted and senseless. It might drag or it might be three different stories or it might wander off into the forest to be eaten by a bear.

Have an idea? Complete the following (and you don't have to do it in order, plug in any of the steps and then work yourself backwards to complete the rest.) I personally never start with the SET-UP WANT. I figure that out after I know what needs to happen at the end of Act 1.

STEP 1 - SET UP WANT: Character wants something.
STEP 2 - POINT OF NO RETURN: Character gets the SET UP WANT but
STEP 3 - THE CATCH: Character gets a catch when he gets the SET UP WANT.
STEP 4 - THE FLAW: What will be tested by the CATCH.
STEP 5 - THE STRENGTH: The opposite of THE FLAW, what the character is vying for at the end.
STEP 6 - THE CRISES: lowest point of the story, opposite of the SET UP WANT.
STEP 7 - CLIMACTIC CHOICE: climax, move towards THE STRENGTH, away from THE FLAW.
STEP 8 - FINAL CHOICE: ending, move towards THE STRENGTH, almost left THE FLAW completely.