WHAT MAKES A GOOD STORY
What is it about stories that have helped them stick around in our society for as long as they have, and have kept us telling them and even re-telling the same ones over and over again? And what makes some sticky and almost mythical in their presence, while others fall flat and are simply forgotten?
A good story isn’t just a retelling of events. It’s not a play-by-play of what happened to a particular person over the course of a particular period. It’s not just a lot of “emotional” moments that add up to one big narrative. And contrary to what seems reasonable, a good story doesn’t have to have a likely focal point. (Who would’ve thought a movie about talking toys would change the entertainment industry forever?)
So if none of these things constitute a good story, what does? While there are a lot of words that can be said and conversations to be had about this, I’d like to share a couple of brief thoughts that apply to most situations. Think of these like “the fundamentals of story,” not an exhaustive list. There’s so much more to say, but this is hopefully enough for now. In my opinion, most good stories prioritize these key factors which all other tertiary elements serve: tension, transformation, and theme.
Tension. A good story, in Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s words, happens when intention meets obstacle. And the greater the tension between those two forces (while still being believable), the more compelling the narrative. A character can want external things (to win a championship, to defeat an enemy, etc.), they can want internal things (to be happy, “self-actualization”), and sometimes they’ll want a mix of both (which is really interesting). And while no story is complete without some driving desire, desire alone isn’t enough. This desire must be met with some form of resistance. And the bigger those forces are when they compete, the stronger the narrative. What does your character want, and what is keeping them from getting it? That tension is the basis for a good story.
Transformation. Once our desire and resistance have been established, usually a character will set out on a journey of necessary transformation in order to overcome their challenges. Sometimes it’s literal like Frotto going to Mordor. Other times, it can be metaphorical, like Will on his journey of counseling with Sean in Good Will Hunting. But the point is that the character has begun to grow in an effort to overcome the obstacles standing in the way of their desire.
Then, at some point, the character faces a test of some kind to determine whether their transformation was sufficient enough to overcome their resistance. A lot of times this comes in the form of a final duel, a final scene in a courtroom, or a dramatic conversation with a romantic partner. And at this moment, we find out that the character’s transformation was enough to earn their desire, or if it wasn’t and they have failed the test. Sometimes this is called the climax, or the “catharsis” moment. It’s when all of the tension between desire and resistance reaches a fever pitch and the character is either successful or unsuccessful in overcoming their obstacle.
Theme. After all of this has transpired, we need some kind of unifying thread to hold it all together. That’s what a theme is. A plot is to events what a theme is to meaning. A plot is “what happens” and a theme is “what’s it all mean?” Sometimes this is a monologue, like at the end of No Country for Old Men. Sometimes, interestingly, the theme has been stated long before the climax, even within the first moments of the story, like Michael Caine’s opening monologue in The Prestige. Sometimes, it isn’t explicitly stated at all and is up to the viewer to craft their own interpretation. Regardless, a good story needs a theme to hold it together, otherwise, it’s just a collection of events that don’t mean anything. And a theme is not a single word, it’s a digestible phrase. “Courage” isn’t a theme, but “courage is a gift given to us by others” is.
Next time you finish a movie or book, stop and ask yourself, “What is this trying to tell me? What message is this trying to get across to me?” Try and make it a full sentence. And if you’re not sure, consider the main character’s desire and challenge. What does their journey communicate?
And if you find yourself in the middle of crafting a narrative for the page or screen, ask yourself if you’ve clearly communicated a challenge, a journey of transformation, and a theme to tie it all together. While there are so many other little points we can get into later about the minutiae (like how to build trust with an audience, what makes a good central character, or how to establish setting), it seems this is enough to get us started. Good stories have tension, transformation, and theme.