What do Sean Penn’s Into the Wild and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense have in common? Much more than you would probably think. Beyond the obvious differences in genre and subject matter the basic structure of each story is almost exactly the same…except for one major difference.
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Same Story, Different Title
July 3rd, 2008 · 4 Comments
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Every Character Should Have an Arc
June 16th, 2008 · 2 Comments
But not every character should necessarily change. This runs contrary to the prevailing wisdom in modern storytelling. From screenwriting gurus to studio executives, a successful screenplay is thought to be one in which the principal characters in a story undergo significant change. But is that really true? Must every character grow in such a way that they see the world through different eyes? Partly yes, and partly no.
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The Importance of Imagination
June 10th, 2008 · 1 Comment
J.K. Rowling, in her recent Harvard commencement address, details what she considers to be the true power of imagination when it comes to storytelling.
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A Good Impact Character Makes Things Uncomfortable
Main Characters generally start out a story with everything worked out. Although they may have some deep-seeded problems, as far as they’re concerned, everything is hunky-dory. Until of course, that pain-in-the-ass Impact Character comes along and ruins everything!