How to write Adventure
Forward motion is the promise: a destination, an obstacle course, and a crew you can afford to lose someone from. Track the route and what each leg costs.
Includes
Adventure, Action-Adventure, Swashbuckler, Pirate / Nautical, Survival
Beats readers look for
- Call to Adventure
- Crew Assembles
- Departure
- Obstacle
- Set Piece
- Supplies Lost
- Rival Crew
- Narrow Escape
- Destination
- Cost Paid
Story structures that fit
- Hero's Journey: A transformation arc. Best when the story is about who the protagonist becomes, not just what happens.
- Pixar / Story Spine: Eight sentences chained by "because of that". Best for testing whether your plot is causal or just sequential.
- Three-Act Structure: The plain spine. Eight beats, no ideology. Best when other frameworks feel like too much scaffolding.
Worth keeping track of
- Route & Waypoints
- Crew & Gear