Petitioning is often put down first on the list of dramatic scenarios. Sometimes called supplication, this particular scenario ties in well with other scenarios. You can check out some of the other scenarios here.
- An unfortunate needs help with a problem from an authority.
The unfortunate is the victim here, suffering from a problem. They have a goal to reach: gaining aid. The problem is often the source of the conflict your plot seeks to resolve. Authority figures in this case don’t need to be traditional authority figures, merely those who have the power and choice of whether to help or not.
In this particular situation you have two options for where to place your main character. Either he is the unfortunate who needs help, or he is the authority from which someone else is seeking help. Because of it’s flexibility, this scenario can either be the main plot of a story, or else be used as a way to get characters into trouble.
As a main plot, gaining aid from the authority in question is the goal, and you only need to throw obstacles in the way to keep your characters from reaching the authority and completing their goals. Also consider that the goal is to gain aid, and that one obstacle may be the doubtfulness of the authority in question.
As a minor plot, this can be easily used as an opening goal for your characters to start the story, and present the major conflict itself, as well as a reason why your characters are involved in the first place.
The Written Vixen 