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Freytag's Pyramid
Outline your book using storytelling most ancient pyramid for a rise and fall. Best for downfall arcs in any genre — and protagonists with a fatal flaw that ends up being their undoing.
Created by Reedsy
New exposition...
Write a description here...
Act
Ex. 1
Setting(s)
@Location
Character(s)
@Character
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The canvas
Freytag's Pyramid is at its heart a template for tragedy. Its Exposition establishes its ordinary world and plants the exciting force that will destroy it. Sketch this act here, or walk through the workshop below for a guided path.
E.g., Willy Loman returns home one evening, exhausted and unable to complete his sales trip. In conversation with Linda, it emerges that his career is failing and his grip on reality is loosening. Their sons, Happy and Biff, are home, with Biff's return in particular reopening the wound at the heart of the family. Linda suggests Willy speak to his boss about a local position.
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The workshop
What is your protagonist's ordinary world?
Write a page of your protagonist's diary from the evening before the exciting force arrives.
What is the exciting force, or inciting incident?
Think about what sets the tragedy in motion at both the plot level and the emotional level.
Who is your protagonist?
What is their greatest desire? Their greatest fear? Their greatest belief? Their greatest flaw?
What key relationships are established?
Write a brief status report on each key relationship at the start of the story — what each person wants from the protagonist, what they're not saying, and what they don't yet know.
What central conflict lies beneath the surface?
Consider what is being suppressed, avoided, or denied in your protagonist's world.
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The checkpoint
How is the protagonist's fatal flaw present and at work in this beat?
Does it shape the protagonist's choices or the story's consequences?
What does this beat destroy or make unrecoverable?
Consider relationships, places, objects, beliefs, futures, etc.
Why is this beat necessary to the tragedy taking shape?
Would the tragedy still feel inevitable if this beat were cut entirely?
New character...
Write a description here...
Nickname
Ex. Pat
Gender
Ex. Woman
Age
Ex. 28
Height
Ex. 5'10"
Place of birth
Ex. @City
Nationality
Ex. Greenland
Occupation
Ex. Librarian
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Looks & build
What stands out most about their overall appearance?
Describe them as if you caught sight of them across an open field.
How would you describe their natural build and frame?
Describe their build as though you were tailoring a suit or dress for them.
What qualities of their face make them memorable?
Focus on what people recall: eyes, mouth, smile, etc.
How do they move?
Think gait, gestures, etc. Does it change when they're unguarded and when they're observed?
What is their default facial expression?
Fill in the blank: They have a resting _____ face.
What is notable about their posture and the way they carry themselves?
E.g., is it slouchy, relaxed, military-stiff, etc.? How does it differ when they walk, sit, etc.?
How do age and experience show in their body?
Compare and contrast a photograph of them at age 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40.
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Style & dress
How would you sum up their overall style?
Show someone forming a first impression based on their outfit.
What is their signature or preferred outfit?
How does it reflect their personality? Think colors, cuts, fabrics, etc.?
What are their signature accesories?
Think glasses, canes, pipes, necklaces, etc.? How do their accessories reveal taste, personality, or status?
How does their style change with the seasons?
Consider a staple item for each season.
How do other characters react to their style?
Consider contrasting views from friends versus strangers.
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Speech & mannerisms
What are their distinguishing mannerisms?
Think expressions, movements, speech "tics," etc.? Look for small actions that repeat no matter the setting.
How would you describe the sound of their voice?
Think accent, pitch, tone, rhythm, etc.? How does it complement or contrast with their build?
What is their style of speech?
E.g., elevated, educated, peppered with slang, etc.? How does vocabulary reveal education, background, personality, etc.?
What is their sense of humor like?
Write out a joke they would tell or a situation they'd find funny.
What is their favorite...
Curse word? Catchphrase? Quote?
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Early life & background
Where were they born and raised?
How do they talk about their hometown when asked?
What kind of family were they born into?
Think culture, values, internal dynamics, etc.?
What education did they receive?
How did it affect them? Write a report card for them at the ages of 5, 10, and 15.
What is their earliest memory?
Why do they remember it?
How did their childhood shape them?
E.g., did it set them on their current path in any certain ways?
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Family & key relationships
Who are their immediate family members?
What is their relationship with them?
Who counts as chosen family?
Think friends, mentors, etc.?
Who is their significant other?
How does this affect the decisions they currently make?
Who is their rival or enemy?
What caused the tension?
Who do they think about nowadays in the past tense?
Why aren't they in this character's vicinity anymore?
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Personality
What kind of a person are they?
E.g., consider the qualities that others name first when describing them.
How might their personality be categorized?
Think Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, extrovert vs. introvert, etc.?
What are their greatest strengths?
Think of skills or virtues others rely on?
What are their deepest weaknesses and blind spots?
Including what they may even refuse to admit to themselves. How do these flaws create tension in their life?
What are their...
Pet peeves? Hobbies? Routines?
How do they approach...
Love? Power? Risk? Conflict? Change?
What compliment do they get the most?
And what insult or criticism stings the most? Why?
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Psychology
What is their idea of perfect happiness?
List their bucket list at the age of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50.
What are their emotional triggers?
And why are they triggered by it? Draft a therapist’s case note cataloging the triggers they'd observe.
What is their worldview?
E.g., “People are basically good,” “Survival comes first,” “Everything comes with a price,” etc. Are these beliefs ever challenged?
What do they value above all else?
Name the first thing they would rescue from their burning home. What if they could save three things? Five?
What do they most want to change about themselves?
Have they tried to change it before?
What secrets do they keep?
What are they most afraid of people finding out? And what would change if the secret were exposed?
What inner conflict defines them?
For instance, duty vs. freedom, loyalty vs. ambition, etc. How does this conflict surface in their daily choices?
How do they want to be remembered?
What would they want their tombstone to say?
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Id
What is their greatest goal?
And how might it change throughout the course of your story?
What is their greatest fear?
How does this fear guide their choices and relationships?
What is their biggest regret?
How does this regret shape how they live now?
What drives them?
Is it unconditional?
What is their greatest desire?
And what lessons do they need to learn before they can succeed in achieving it?
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In practice
Put it all together now.
Given everything you've developed about their life, goals, relationships, and beliefs, write a summary of your character's arc from beginning to end of your novel that depicts their growth and change.
New location...
Write a description here...
Location
Ex. @City
Type
Ex. Building, bridge, ruins, etc.
Size
Ex. 500 km²
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Identity
What is the location’s primary function or role?
Think residence, business, sanctuary, crime hub, military stronghold, etc.? In what ways might this purpose shift if the world around it changes?
What makes this location distinct from all others?
Think scale, symbolic meaning, etc.?
What do locals say about the place?
How might their opinion differ from outsiders’ impressions?
What unspoken rules govern behavior here?
Consider customs, taboos, laws, etc. How do those rules shift depending on who is present?
What role does it play in the larger world?
How might losing this place change the balance of power?
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Layout
What does the location look like?
What is the first thing visitors notice when entering the location?
What is the general layout?
Is it linear, circular, sprawling, vertical, etc.?
What are the key areas or zones within the location?
In terms of districts, rooms, sectors, etc.?
What sensory details define it?
What do people hear, smell, touch, or taste here?
How do travelers typically navigate the area?
Think maps, guides, landmarks, etc.?
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Geography
Where is the landmark located?
How do people reach it, and how difficult is the journey?
How does the location interact with or rely on its natural surroundings?
What are its boundaries?
What is the climate of the location?
Consider temperature, rainfall, seasonal changes, etc.
What secrets are hidden within it?
E.g., underground caverns, rare or valuable resources, etc.?
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People
Who inhabits this place, either temporarily or permanently?
How do their lives reflect the location’s function?
Who holds official power here?
How stable or contested is their authority?
Who holds unofficial power here?
How might their influence rival or undermine official rule?
Who benefits most from this place’s existence?
And who suffers because of it?
What unifies people here?
Conversely, what divides them?
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Lore
When and why did this location come into being?
How might its origin affect how it is used now?
What famous historical figures are associated with it?
Why? And what happened to them?
What major historical events are tied to it?
How do different groups or eras tell the story differently?
How has its reputation changed over time?
And how might different eras use it for different purposes?
How is its story preserved?
Consider legends, rumors, mysteries, folklore, etc. How might conflicting versions of its past shape its identity?
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