From the course: The Foundations of Fiction

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Act 1: Set up (foundation)

Act 1: Set up (foundation)

From the course: The Foundations of Fiction

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Act 1: Set up (foundation)

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(instrumental music) - Okay Joe, it's pop quiz time. - What? - Don't worry, this one's fun. So what I'm going to do, is I am going to flash some characters from famous movies on the screen, and I want you to tell me the first thing that pops in your head. - Okay. - Here we go. - Has a stutter. Drinks too much. - Good. How about this one. - Wimpy. Gets picked on. - Okay. One more. - Lost his memory. - Awesome. You totally proved my point. - Which was? - Every character I showed you, the first thing you remembered about them, was their biggest flaw or their biggest problem. - Oh, you're right. Those characters definitely have big flaws. - Or in other words, these are characters who need some kind of change in their life. What do we mean by that? Well, in shot, all goo stories- whether in novels, movies, or short stories- should start with a character who has a problem that needs fixing. - Like how Harry Potter is stuck with the Dursley's. - Exactly. Huge problem. And how Elizabeth…

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