Includes index.

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 (The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao) -- 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.