The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller

by John Truby

The hero fails to achieve his desire, and the other characters come up with a new desire at the end of the story. This prevents the story from closing down and shows the audience that desire, even when it’s foolish or hopeless, never dies (“I want; therefore, I am”). • Give a surprising character change to an opponent or a minor character. This technique can lead the audience to see the story again with that person as the true hero. • Place a tremendous number of details in the background of the story world that on later viewings move to the foreground. • Add elements of texture—in character, moral argument, symbol, plot, and story world—that become much more interesting once the audience has seen the plot surprises and the hero’s character change. • Create a relationship between the storyteller and the other characters that is fundamentally different once the viewer has seen the plot for the first time.