Editing Story Structure Spring 2018 (section)

=== What is Story? ===

How do we get people to <span style="text-decoration:underline;">care</span>?

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._M._Forster E. M. Forster] said, "The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen died of grief is a plot."

Character/Problem/Solution

Exposition > Rising Action > Conflict > Crisis > Resolution ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramatic_structure#Freytag's_analysis Freytag's Pyramid])

For Forster "story" is more basic than "plot." Story is event following event, where plot is cause and effect, i.e. one event ''causes'' the next event.

Stories are psychological mechanisms used to make sense of the world (through emotion).

Stories make connections.

There is no real definition of "story." The meaning of the word changes in time and context.

Many things can be stories, e.g. a ledger to an accountant, tarot cards, paranoid collection of clippings pinned to the wall and connected with red yarn.

"Because" always starts a story. (Cause & effect)

"Stories to inhabit" as a goal for creating a story. Stories are compelling when the audience feels that they are living in them.

Disney makes story as a vehicle for characters in order to sell merchandise. It's all about the cast of characters for Disney.

Pixar makes story to make the audience cry. They are willing to have main characters that are annoying to varying degrees.