For example, consider this opening Scene:
PRCO
Potential: Knowledge
Resistance: Order
Current: Chaos
Outcome: Thought
In the future, a totalitarian government knows with authoritative certainty that 13% of all children between the ages of 10 and 13 will be abducted. They even know who that 13% will be–they’re just not telling anyone. (Potential)
In an effort to overcome this apparently unavoidable fate, parents in the region construct a heavy system of rules and regulations designed to keep their children safe–children who naturally, don’t like being told what to do. (Resistance)
A small segment of the preteen population rebels against the systems in place, both from parents and the government, inciting anarchy and social unrest–and giving the totalitarian government every bit of justification they need to end this uprising. (Current)
The parents of the surviving 87% become overly attentive to their children’s every need–paranoid that if they don’t capitulate to every childish request, their offspring might consider a course of action that involves becoming a member of the next 13% (Outcome)
1234
1: Knowledge
2: Order
3: Chaos
4: Thought
Sc.1: The Government releases its latest round of numbers: this time, 13% of the preteens will be abducted. They refuse to release names.
Sc. 2: Life in modern suburbia: a display of rules and regulations designed to keep children safe and off the streets. Government agents watch as parents keep their potentially unruly children in line, terrified that their young ones will make some kind of mistake. A powder-keg ready to explode.
Sc. 3: A small band of preteens meets in a clubhouse to discuss their plans for anarchy and overthrowing their parents and eventually the government. But first, a little playful vandalizing of the local major’s office and town square. Snatch squads–military units specializing in keeping the peace–interrupt the kids’ night of fun and steal them off the streets. Never to be seen again.
Sc. 4: Parents of the 87% watch as the Unfortunate Ones (the title of the story!) mourn the loss of their loved ones. In response, the parents overly attend to their children’s needs, making sure not to upset them or give them reason to revolt.
TKAD
K: Knowledge
A: Order
D: Chaos
T: Thought
Situation: Everyone in this world knows every last thing about everyone around them. Happy to share everything from their current location to what they’re eating to their thoughts on subjects ranging from music to politics, the people of this world give up anonymity for a greater sense of feeling connected to everyone (Knowledge).
Activity: Parents in the area pattern themselves after a community of families in the far North known as the Everlasters. These families lead a rigid and scheduled life devoid of problems and struggle–and devoid of joy. But no matter–they’ve outlived and outlasted every other family, why not follow their example? (Order)
Manner of Thinking: Pop-Ins. That’s what the Government affectionately calls their unpredictable and nerve-wracking visits to a community–day or night. Their thinking, one that is shared by the more mentally disturbed in the community, is that a sense of randomness encourages people to live their authentic selves. If you have no idea when the boogie man arrives, you’ll be more encouraged to act this way all the time. (Chaos)
Attitude: Everyone here lives a mindful life. Respectful of both neighbor and Mother Earth, the community routinely gathers for group meditations and thought-seminars where they get together to discuss techniques for ridding one’s self of troubling thoughts of rebellion or individuality.
PASS
This would be categorized as a Passive Structural scene–while it contains many Elements direct from the Storyform, the narrative illustrates these Elements rather than pushing the narrative forward.
Storyweaving
While you could tell this Scene in the exact 1234 order, you could also Storyweave them in a complete different order while maintaining the structural integrity of the 1234 order.
For instance, you could open up with the preteens descending on the town square, rebelling and vandalizing the area (Current). Perhaps a parent arrives to save their child from the Snatch Squad, revealing the older generations’ motivation for doing so (Resistance). The kid could end up being the Main Character and though he tries as hard as he can to resist, his father succeeds in securing him away just in time – and just in time to watch the rest of the children disappear off the streets forever.
On the drive home, the father could be overly attentive and the son could take advantage of it (Outcome). They turn on the radio to hear the nightly reading the of the numbers–like a weather report, 13% from now and through the weekend (Potential).
Cue Title Sequence.