I'm preaching to the choir preaching the horse's mouth* here but sometimes it needs to be said - stories are very simple things.
A character wants something (a goal).
There are obstacles.
These obstacles do their best to thwart the protagonist at every turn. But he carries on no matter what. In the end, he "wins", or achieves his goal.
PROTAGONIST wants GOAL but OBSTACLES
Another point is that stories can or cannot have happy endings. But life doesn't have a happy ending.
If a story ends with a "they all lived happily ever after," fair enough. But really, it should go like this: "they all lived happily ever after......until the next obstacle reared its ugly head."
OBSTACLE > OVERCOME > NEW OBSTACLE > OVERCOME (ad infinitum)
There are no happy endings in life, so if your story has a resounding happy ending, maybe there's something wrong with it?
That's not to say there can't be happy endings (it all depends on your story and theme afterall), but this game makes my point.
Obstacles never stop coming and there are no happy endings. In the end you always turn into a fine mist / hit a wall / fall to your death. Enjoy......
PS: My top score is 6817 - let me know if you top that.
A character wants something (a goal).
There are obstacles.
These obstacles do their best to thwart the protagonist at every turn. But he carries on no matter what. In the end, he "wins", or achieves his goal.
PROTAGONIST wants GOAL but OBSTACLES
Another point is that stories can or cannot have happy endings. But life doesn't have a happy ending.
If a story ends with a "they all lived happily ever after," fair enough. But really, it should go like this: "they all lived happily ever after......until the next obstacle reared its ugly head."
OBSTACLE > OVERCOME > NEW OBSTACLE > OVERCOME (ad infinitum)
There are no happy endings in life, so if your story has a resounding happy ending, maybe there's something wrong with it?
That's not to say there can't be happy endings (it all depends on your story and theme afterall), but this game makes my point.
Obstacles never stop coming and there are no happy endings. In the end you always turn into a fine mist / hit a wall / fall to your death. Enjoy......
PS: My top score is 6817 - let me know if you top that.
* 'Angel' reference
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