Conflict, stakes, wants & objectives · Core
Stakes
Also called: consequences
ELI5
What can be gained, lost or harmed if the characters succeed or fail.
Used in conversation
“The stakes are large, but they do not yet feel personal.”
Definition
What can be gained, lost, damaged or changed because of the character's choices and conflict.
Here “Stakes” means: What can be gained, lost, damaged or changed because of the character's choices and conflict.
Pitch context
Use this when explaining how the story works on the page or across the finished screen experience.
Why it matters: Helps describe how a story works on the page and how its dramatic parts fit together.
Sources & evidence · 6
Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.
- Screen Australia — Story Documents: DramaDirect source · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- Scriptnotes / John August — Pitching Television, or Being a Passionate WidgetDirect source · practitioner · checked 2026-08-14
- Writers Guild of America West — No Writing Left BehindDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Screen Australia — What is a Synopsis? An Outline? A Treatment?Supporting source family · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- ScreenSkills — Online Learning Glossary and Job ProfilesSupporting source family · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- pitch.dog — Pitch Dictionary Deep Research SynthesisSupporting source family · practitioner · checked 2026-08-14