>[!info] Michael Jamin is a screenwriter, and he takes a no BS, practical approach here. The goal here is to define story in a way that is instantly applicable in writing, and avoid all academic jargon and abstractions. Why do people watch/listen to stories? To see what happens next (It's not that deep). In other words, a good story has to make people want to know what happens next. A story is defined as "a hero facing an obstacle trying to reach a goal." The bigger the obstacle, the more interesting the story. The better the goal, the more interesting the story. The story doesn't begin until the audience can identify the hero, the obstacle, and the goal (all three!). How long they stay invested in the payoff depends on the medium—you can take longer to build the story in film than on TV. The sooner you start the story, the better. *Reflections: A good story could sound like something as simple as "I (the hero) want to (the goal), but (obstacle)."*