Most successful stories will have at least three different types of plotlines. This gives the story more dimension and depth. And while there are different combinations you can choose, by far the most popular plotlines to weave together are the external, internal, and relationship journeys.

External–this is the character’s outer journey. The character has a concrete goal, encounters an external antagonist, and struggles with the conflict to get the goal.

Internal–this is the character’s inner journey. The character has an abstract want, and in pursuing that, completes a character arc. The antagonist is the self.

Relationship–this is a relationship journey. The character either aims to draw close to or increase distance from another person (or maintain the relationship as is). The antagonistic force is what is upsetting that. How it is resolved completes a relationship arc.

Today, I wanted to delve more into how the internal plotline works.