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    John Truby's Story Rescue Worksheet: Technique 1: Your Hero Is An Underdog Who Must Overcome Extreme Odds

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    Nitesh Wasnik
    The document outlines seven powerful storytelling techniques from John Truby's Story Rescue Worksheet: 1) The hero is an underdog who must overcome extreme odds, 2) The hero has a specific goal, 3) The hero has an intense desire, 4) The hero has one main opponent, 5) There are at least two other characters who oppose the hero, 6) The story is based on a mix of two to three genres, 7) One genre is the primary story form. For each technique, the document provides tests to apply and fixes to strengthen the technique in the story.

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    John Truby's Story Rescue Worksheet: Technique 1: Your Hero Is An Underdog Who Must Overcome Extreme Odds

    Uploaded by

    Nitesh Wasnik
    2K views4 pages
    The document outlines seven powerful storytelling techniques from John Truby's Story Rescue Worksheet: 1) The hero is an underdog who must overcome extreme odds, 2) The hero has a specific goal, 3) The hero has an intense desire, 4) The hero has one main opponent, 5) There are at least two other characters who oppose the hero, 6) The story is based on a mix of two to three genres, 7) One genre is the primary story form. For each technique, the document provides tests to apply and fixes to strengthen the technique in the story.

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    Truby's Story Rescue

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    The document outlines seven powerful storytelling techniques from John Truby's Story Rescue Worksheet: 1) The hero is an underdog who must overcome extreme odds, 2) The hero has a specific goal, 3) The hero has an intense desire, 4) The hero has one main opponent, 5) There are at least two other characters who oppose the hero, 6) The story is based on a mix of two to three genres, 7) One genre is the primary story form. For each technique, the document provides tests to apply and fixes to strengthen the technique in the story.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    2K views4 pages

    John Truby's Story Rescue Worksheet: Technique 1: Your Hero Is An Underdog Who Must Overcome Extreme Odds

    Uploaded by

    Nitesh Wasnik
    The document outlines seven powerful storytelling techniques from John Truby's Story Rescue Worksheet: 1) The hero is an underdog who must overcome extreme odds, 2) The hero has a specific goal, 3) The hero has an intense desire, 4) The hero has one main opponent, 5) There are at least two other characters who oppose the hero, 6) The story is based on a mix of two to three genres, 7) One genre is the primary story form. For each technique, the document provides tests to apply and fixes to strengthen the technique in the story.

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    The passage discusses 7 techniques for improving story structure including giving the hero disadvantages, clear goals and intense desires, having main and secondary opponents, and basing the story on multiple genres.

    The 7 techniques are: 1) The hero is an underdog, 2) The hero has a specific goal, 3) The hero has the most intense desire, 4) The hero has one main opponent, 5) The hero has at least 2 other opposing characters, 6) The story is based on a mix of 2-3 genres, 7) One genre is the primary story form.

    Tests are questions to evaluate if a technique is used properly. Fixes provide suggestions on how to implement the technique, such as giving the hero weaknesses or having them state their goal. Worksheets are also provided to apply the techniques to a story.

    John Truby’s Story Rescue Worksheet

    Here are seven of the most powerful techniques in story. Use the tests and the
    fixes to clarify how that technique works in your story.

    Then fill out each box being as specific as you can. When you’re done, post the
    answers in front of where you work for quick reference. Above all, have fun!

    Technique 1: your hero is an underdog who must overcome extreme odds.

    Test: does he have a disadvantage that makes him uniquely unsuited to being successful
    in this particular fight?

    Fix: Besides giving your hero the strongest opposition possible, give him a personal
    quality or weakness at the beginning that makes it even harder for him to win.

    The added weakness I’m going to give my hero is:

    Technique 2: give your hero a specific goal

    Test: is there a moment near the end when the audience knows whether the hero
    accomplished the goal or not?

    Fix: in a scene near the beginning of the story, have your hero state exactly what he
    wants.

    The scene I’m going to have him state this is:

    Technique
    Dialogue I3:may
    give
    useyour hero the most intense desire possible
    includes:
    Test: how far is she willing to go to get her goal?

    Fix: have her take actions to win the goal she would never have thought possible at the
    beginning of the story.
    The thing(s) she does to demonstrate she is serious about this is (are):

    The reason we know this is different from when she started the story is:

    Technique 4: your hero should have one main opponent throughout the story.

    Test: is there one character who is your hero’s nemesis?

    Fix: ask yourself, who is most determined to stop my hero from reaching her goal?

    Who is your hero’s nemesis?

    How will he try to stop the hero from getting her goal?

    Technique 5: there should be at least 2 other characters who strongly oppose the
    hero as well.

    Test: do they also want to prevent the hero from getting his goal?

    Fix: try to introduce at least two other opponents, but hide how they are connected to the
    main opponent.

    Who are the other characters who fill the role?

    How are they connected to the main opponent?


    Genres are plot forms that work by taking the 7 major story steps and twisting them in a
    unique and specific way for each genre.

    Technique 6: base your story on a mix of 2-3 genres.

    Test: does your story idea suggest story beats from 2-3 genres?

    Write down the 2-3 genres you think are present in your premise.

    Technique 7: while popular stories usually mix 2-3 genres, you always want to make
    one genre your primary story form.

    Test: is there one genre that clearly is the most important in your story?

    Fix: choose only one genre to provide the spine of the story, and add story beats from the
    other genres only when they support the main genre.

    Write down the primary genre of your story.

    To learn tons of other techniques for increasing narrative drive in your stories and getting
    maximum read through, check out my

    “Story for Novelists” course

    www.truby.com/20booksnovels
    20% discount if you go here

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