#Gerrit Dou

[classic-art-favourites]

A Sleeping Dog by Gerrit Dou, 1650.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: 7-Point Plot Structure

by Dan Wells

STORY ORDER

I. Hook - hero in opposite state to their end state

Writing Notes: Hooking your Readers ⚜ The Beginning of your Story

II. Plot Turn 1

Introduce the conflict

The hero’s world changes; call to adventure

New ideas

New people

New secrets

III. Pinch 1

Apply pressure: (a) Something goes wrong (b) Bad guys attack (c) Peace is destroyed

Forces the hero into action

Introduce villain

IV. Midpoint

Movement from one state to the other

Shift from reaction to action

V. Pinch 2

Apply more pressure until situation seems hopeless: (a) A plan fails (b) A mentor dies (c) The bad guy seems to win

The jaws of defeat

VI. Plot Turn 2

Move the story from midpoint to end

Hero obtains final piece to move from midpoint to resolution

“The power is in you!”

Hero snatches victory from the jaws of defeat

VII. Resolution

Hero follows through on their decision from the midpoint

Hero becomes the opposite of their Hook state

Writing Notes: Types of Endings ⚜ Writing the Last Lines of Your Story

PLOTTING ORDER

Resolution

Hook

Midpoint

Plot Turn 1

Plot Turn 2

Pinch 1

Pinch 2

FLESH OUT THE SKELETON

Rounded characters (Sample Worksheet)

Rich environments (References on Worldbuilding)

An “ice monster” prologue (see below)

Try-fail cycles (see below)

Subplots

"Ice Monster" Prologue

Sets the stakes for the story and promises the sort of action the audience can expect to come later.

Dan Wells named it after the prologue of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.

Incorporating this addition to the 7-point method is an excellent opportunity to begin your story by using a technique known as in media res, in which a narrative starts "in the middle of the action."

Try-Fail Cycle

Adds a series of crises for your protagonist to contend with—they aren't meant to achieve all of their goals with ease, after all.

Here, your hero must strive to overcome a series of obstacles and setbacks before making progress toward the Resolution.

The most effective approach to this would be to add these challenges after Pinch 1 to show an escalation toward the midpoint, and after the midpoint to serve as tests leading to the final crisis.

Sources: 1 2 ⚜ Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Notes & References

[illustratus]

The Hermit by Gerrit Dou

[lionofchaeronea]

Scholar Sharpening a Quill Pen, Gerrit Dou, 1633

[icecreamwithjackdaniels]

Gerrit Dou (Dutch, 1613–1675), "Young Woman in a Niche with a Parrot and Cage" (detail), ca. 1660–65

[lightthereis]

Gerrit Dou - Sleeping Dog, 1650

[literaryvein]

L. V., i found this poem at the tip of your lit cigarette

[granstromjulius]

Gerrit Dou

[moonlitmistyforest]

Gerrit Dou - Astronomer by Candlelight, late 1650s oil on canvas, 32 × 21.2 cm Getty Museum

In an arched, window-like opening, an astronomer works late into the night. Concentrating, he reads an astronomical treatise and measures the distance between two points on a celestial globe. The candle he holds provides the only source of light; it illuminates his face, the book, the precious globe, the beaker of water, and his hourglass. Strong contrasts between light and dark show the painter Gerrit Dou's knowledge of a popular Baroque technique known as chiaroscuro. Carefully rendering minute details such as the handwriting in the book, the texture of the glass flask, and the folds in the astronomer's cloak was Dou's special talent. Collectors treasured these small, detailed paintings for pleasurable observation in their private rooms. via

[portraituresque]

Gerrit Dou - Self portrait

[saturneel]

“Victoria aut Mors”

Inspired by "The penitent Magdalen" by Gerrit Dou, I redrew his painting and changed a few things to make a fanart of Mello hehe. The title I chose means "victory or death" in Latin and I thought it fitted the character of Mello, considering how his life went 😭

[classic-art-favourites]

Old Woman with a Jug at a Window by Gerrit Dou, 1660-1665.

[nancydrewwouldnever]

Gerrit Dou, A Woman Playing a Clavichord, ca. 1665, oil/panel (Dulwich Picture Gallery, London)

[digitalfashionmuseum]

Oil Painting, 1646, Dutch.

By Gerrit Dou.

Portraying a girl in a yellow dress and blue apron and a little boy in a black plumed hat.

Royal Collection Trust.

[lionofchaeronea]

The Night School, Gerrit Dou, ca. 1660-65

[carloskaplan]

Gerrit Dou: Capricho