- Stories are always about heroes.
- All great heroes are flawed and conflicted. There are inner conflicts, tension, weakness.
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Heroes have passions, obsessions which connects to the conflicts inside them.
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They are full of fear which they must confront at some point in the story.
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Heroes have magnets, due to their personality. People will be attracted to them.
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Some people will be repelled by heroes, aka, the obstructions.
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Heroes have emotional wounds, and it is about how hero processes and overcomes them in the story.
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Heroes are ride takers: Use Internal or external conflicts.
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Very often hero is narrator of story.
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Heroes journey is about their vulnerability.
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They either the win or fail gloriously.
- Quest should be something that matters.
- It must have dramatic stakes. Both Internal and external to the hero.
- Quest is escape of pain for hero.
- There should be some horrible consequence if quest is not fulfilled.
- This tension and pressure needs to be felt in the story.
- An un-met need that creates a sense of urgency - inner motivation/ dark secret.
- A tangible goal that represents the fulfilment of this need.
- People of forces that oppose the Hero’s quest - Outer conflict.
- Inner forces: Fears, flaws, misbelief that block personal growth and Hero’s self worth.
- Need balance in these 4. This might not happen in first draft.
- Should be able to explain the story in one sentence.
- If you are not able to, you have not understood your story.