From the course: Writing: The Craft of Story
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Explanation: Feeling what the protagonist feels
From the course: Writing: The Craft of Story
Explanation: Feeling what the protagonist feels
- A story is a simulation that allows the reader to experience what the protagonist goes through. But how do we get the reader into the protagonist's skin? By letting them feel what the protagonist feels. Why is this so important? Because neuroscience has revealed that every decision we make and every reaction we have is based on emotion. Emotion comes first, and reason follows. If we're not feeling, we're not conscious. And when it comes to story, if we're not feeling, we're not going to keep reading. What do we feel? We feel what the protagonist feels. This is why everything that happens in a story needs to affect the protagonist. In fact, everything in a story gets its emotional weight and meaning based on how it affects him in terms of his quest. If it doesn't affect him, even if we're talking about birth, death or the fall of the Roman Empire, it's neutral, and so it has no place in the story. That's why in every scene you write,…
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