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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/47754
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I am a big fan of the four-stage thought process. In my writing group, we call it the story cycle.

We start with an event (an inciting incident for the current moment)

1. Emotion (reaction)
2. Reasoning (logic and "in-character" attitudes)
3. Anticipation (expectation of good or bad outcomes)
4. Action

With these four steps, you can steer a character through the initial emotional impact, via logic, and into anticipation in such a way that you can make quite wild "out of character" moments.

## Example

For example, our hero the boy scout and local do-gooder is driving home. There is a lot on his mind and he does not see the woman until too late. He gets out of the car. She is bleeding out on the floor and moments from death.

### 1. Emotion

His first reaction is emotion - shock, horror, guilt, etc. - she looks kind of like his wife.

### 2. Reason

Then he starts to think about calling for an ambulance and trying to save her.

### 3. Anticipation

Before he can act, we allow him to anticipate. What will his kids think? Will he lose his license? Will he get kicked out of the PTA? and so on and so forth.

### 4. Action

He looks around. There is no one in view. Before we know it he jumps back into his car and speeds away. This sin will probably haunt him for the rest of the book.

Original score: 2