Sublime

In a story, audiences must always know who the hero is, what the hero wants, who the hero has to defeat to get what they want, what tragic thing will happen if the hero doesn’t win, and what wonderful thing will happen if they do.

ADDING YOUR ELEMENTS TO THE STORY First, try to match the elements of your story to the archetype. Start with the core or governing loop, the loop which seems to drive the behavior of the system. This loop often closely matches the pattern of behavior over time, and…

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These characters—hero, villain, victim—represent three opposing drives within every human being—the will to triumph, the impulse to destroy, and the hope to survive.

A story starts with a hero who wants something. And then the question becomes: Will the hero get what she wants?

At the beginning of a scene characters establish themselves on fairly solid ground, pursuing a goal they believe will restore order to their world. Just when they think they might be getting somewhere, something happens to throw their world into turmoil once again.

Here is nearly every story you watch, read, or hear in a nutshell: A character who wants something encounters a problem before they can get it. At the peak of their despair, a guide steps into their lives, gives them a plan, and calls them to action. That action helps them avoid failure and experience a success.