Introduction: Old school, new adrenaline
Part one: Essential principles of plot. Drop the hammer (Hamlet) ; Ask dramatic questions (Finding Nemo) ; Explore all endings (The Night Of) ; Connect with "therefore," not "and" (South Park, "Breast Cancer Show Ever") ; Escalate risk. (Pulp Fiction) ; Clash expectation with reality (Breaking Bad, "Dead Freight") ; Max out the middle (If Beale Street Could Talk) ; Begin the end with a critical decision (Frankenstein) ; Confirm the decision (The Godfather, Part II) ; Wrap up fast (Late Spring)
Part two: Essential principles of character. Make your hero active and decisive (Red Dead Redemption) ; Provoke dilemma ("The Best of Times, the Worst of Times") ; Layer conflict (Ms. Marvel: No Normal) ; Peel the onion ("Interpreter of Maladies") ; Write characters to the top of their intelligence ("Stan") ; Mask everyone (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) ; Earn transformations (Fun Home) ; Motivate fierce antagonists (The Piano Lesson) ; Confront evil ("The Lottery")
Part three: Essential principles of setting, dialogue, and theme. Link inextricably to your setting ; Exceed expectations (30 Rock, "Jack-tor") ; Craft actionable dialogue (Death of a Salesman) ; Hide meaning (The Remains of the Day) ; Hunt big game (Beloved) ; Amplify your theme (Double Indemnity) ; Attack your theme (The Brothers Karamazov) ; Transcend thought (Fever Dream) ; Conclusion: The necessity of story.