I finished watching master and commander today. One thing that I noticed was that it follow some tried and true storytelling points.
First the story opened with the dramatic question. Will this boat capture or defeat the enemy boat. And there’s action right away with a sea battle. They lose but get away. They are badly damaged. It becomes clear that this enemy boat is much stronger and faster than them.
The captain has a flaw. He is tenacious and single minded to do his duty and capture the boat even if it is a great cost cost or high risk. This is brought out from his friend the Doctor, who believes more in prudence.
The way that the captain finally wins is by finally listening to his friend and taking a break. And the only way that he would listen to his friend, the doctor, is when his friend is accidentally shot and seriously wounded.
The doctor is close to death and if that moment the captain decides to turn the boat around and take him to an island so he can see some animals. This is in direct contrast to what the captain normally would do which is pursue the boat at all costs. Here he has made a choice to help his seriously injured friend.
It was on this island that the doctor finally is able to recuperate and heal himself. But at the same time the doctor makes a crucial discovery that the phantom boat is nearby. The doctor also provides the crucial hints as to how to defeat the enemy through his study of natural sciences. Specifically there is a bug that takes the form of nature in order to hide itself from predators.
This is ultimately what the captain uses to defeat the enemy boat.
There’s also a reversal at the end with the captain realizing that the enemy doctor was actually the enemy captain of the boat.
I can use the same structure regarding the internal flaw of the character in my own story. I don’t think I’ve clearly defined her flaw. Is it her desired to be accepted by her peers? Is it her dog in pursuit of things? Or her concern about what other people think? And if it’s one of those flaws how does that get used in the story? And how does she change?
It should be somehow related or maybe not that her flaw causes injury to her boyfriend. perhaps in her boyfriends injury she learns something new. I think to brainstorm more about it. The flaws worst and extreme form is the most negative thing about it – and a scene should be made around that to show a very dark moment.