MEET THE CAST

 

Let’s meet the cast of characters we’ll be following - our beloved fictional heroes.

Side Note: There are many ways to approach story structure. I'll be referring to the structure I am most comfortable/familiar with - the 3-Act Structure encompassing the 10 Plot Points listed on the previous page. However, for the widest translation, I'll also point out the correlating beats from one of the most used story structure templates: the Save the Cat! Beat Sheet.

If you don’t know Save the Cat!, no worries. Just follow the Plot Points.



Then comes the fun part. I've chosen 4 fictional characters from some of the most beloved stories of all time and charted their journies.

So not only will you get insight into the Hook, you'll see it in action! Four times over. Because great storytelling is about showing, not telling, right?

 
 

Note: I've chosen characters from stories I love, keeping in mind that I write Young Adult fiction, and especially Young Adult fantasy, so these are some of my most studied genres. However, there are characters from multiple genres. You should study stories in your chosen genre, as well.

Also, if the 10 Plot Points are unfamiliar to you you can brush up on them here. (I discuss each of the 10 Plot Points in the Science of Story module in the full Storytelling Magic program.)

 

Allow me to introduce you to the characters who will be along for the ride:

Jo March from Greta Gerwig’s 2019 Little Women

I adore the Little Women book, but this movie holds an even dearer place in my heart, and I know it better. So I chose to chart Jo's Character Arc through the movie's structure.

Harry Potter from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series

Katniss Everdeen from Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games Trilogy

Fa Mulan from Disney’s 1998 Mulan

The Beast from Disney’s 1991 Beauty and the Beast

I know, I know. Technically the Beast is not the protagonist of this story. BUT. He is the one with the Character Arc. Interesting, no?

Luke Skywalker from George Lucas’s original Star Wars trilogy

Elizabeth Bennet from Joe Wright’s 2005 Pride and Prejudice

Okay, truth time. I can't claim I love the book, because I've never read it! But I do love this movie, and Lizzy Bennet is one of the most influential and well-loved fictional characters of all time, so I wanted to give her her due.

Jane Eyre from Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre

Sophie Hatter from Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle

Here, I'll be focusing on the book, not the movie. This is one of my very favorite books of all time. While the movie is fairly well-known (and has a big fan base), Sophie is definitely the least famous character on this list. But still fantastic.