The DUDE WITH A PROBLEM Genre
BJ Markel
1 min read
An innocent hero is yanked into a life-or-death problem and, despite massive odds against them, must overcome it using their wits. Many stories are about dudes or dudettes with problems. But the keys to this genre are ordinary people who are undeservingly pulled into the predicament and forced to react.
The 3 elements of a DUDE WITH A PROBLEM story are:
1) An innocent hero who is dragged into a mess without asking for it—or even aware of how he got involved.
2) A sudden event that thrusts our innocent(s) into the world of hurt—and it comes without warning.
3) A life or death battle is at stake—and the continued existence of an individual, family, group, or society is in question.
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BJ Markel
BJ Markel first worked with Blake Snyder in 1986. He edited Blake's three Save the Cat! books and co-founded Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC with Blake in 2005. In his other life, BJ worked in video acquisitions and entertainment marketing, including 20 years at the Walt Disney Company.
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