## Part 3 - Creating

By now you should know who you're going to work with, and what you think makes a good story. Before you start, it's smart to make an overview of what you want to include in your story. Sit together with your partner(s) and answer the following questions.

- Characters
  - who are the characters?
  - what is their past/present/future?
  - who lives/dies?
  - what are the relationships among them?
- Setting
  - where/when does it take place?
  - what effect does this have on the story?
  - what locations/times are we in?
- Theme
  - what is a general message you’re trying to get across?
  - what does the audience need to take with them?
- Conflict
  - what is a turning point?
  - what events lead up to the conflict?

Besides the basic elements of a story, you should also include the following in your preparation:

- Storylines
  - explain how different storylines are intertwined or paralleled, how do they influence each other.
- Plot devices
  - Look up: MacGuffin, Deus ex machina, Shoulder angel, Red herring, Plot voucher. Include one of these in your story and explain how it is included/why it works in your story.
- Materials
  - Make a list of the materials you will need to actually produce your story so you can bring them next time.

3. PLOT - creating a story