In my copious notes on finding ideas, I stumbled across a type of story or plot that I have to admit I particularly enjoy. I’m not sure why… But beyond that, I think it’s a fine tool for possibly coming up with a plot structure, and the logistics behind a plot.

The type of story is a “Threat-Protection” plot, which basically means the main character is threatened in some way, and protected by an individual or group around them. This isn’t always the main point of the story–sometimes the threat is incidental, as is the protection. For example, in The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo is threatened because he carries the ring, and the fellowship protects him–but the primary mission of all involved is to get the ring to Mordor to destroy it.

Here are some of the reasons and methodologies from my notes on Threat-Protection stories.