From the course: Writing: The Craft of Story

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Example: Cause and effect

Example: Cause and effect

From the course: Writing: The Craft of Story

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Example: Cause and effect

- Let's see how this works with a story we probably all know, "Romeo and Juliet." First, what do they want? They want to be together, preferably out in the open. Every decision they make is based on that one single overarching objective. Think of their internal mantra as if I do this, then I'll overcome the obstacle that's keeping us apart, therefore, we'll be together. The external if, then, therefore logic plays out against this internal logic all the way through. The thing is, we humans are wired to assume that each little thing we do will solve the big problem. And how often does that really happen? Usually never, particularly not in a good story. Which of course means the therefore we get is almost always something other than what we expect. The more things get messed up, the harder Romeo and Juliet try to bend the external world to their internal desire. With that in mind, let's see what's going on in Verona. Romeo meets Juliet and…

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