Story Design

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Nearly all stories contain certain basic elements: a main character, a quest, a series of events, a struggle, and some kind of outcome. But some stories use these building blocks in a way that has a more powerful effect on us. In this course, we will look at what makes these good stories different, and how you can use this understanding to create better stories of your own. This requires us to look at these basic story elements in a different way: through the lens of human nature. Because of how we humans have evolved and developed as a species, we tend to perceive and respond to the world in certain predictable and logical ways. We also exhibit common feelings and behaviours in response to the things that we experience in our lives. By learning to combine a basic knowledge of story elements with this deeper awareness of what it means to be human, you will develop a strong understanding of how (and why) certain stories work better than others, which in turn will help you become a better reader, watcher, writer, whatever.