I think the best stories say something interesting about human nature. The deep desires which drive the main characters, both the protagonist and the villain, should be something we see in ourselves.

Man, telling a good story isn’t an exact science, and that’s what makes it so awesome. Some people try to put narrative into a formula (like the Hero's Journey, which Hollywood loves), but at the end of the day, what hooks us into a story are more subjective things.

First, characters have to be real people (even if they’re a robot or a dragon). If the character is flat, emotionless, or doesn’t have real dilemmas, no one will care about them. Second, there needs to be some kind of conflict. It could be an internal struggle, a nasty villain, or just the protagonist fighting to pay their bills at the end of the month. Without a problem or challenge, the story gets boring.

Another thing: it has to make you feel something. If it doesn’t stir up something in the audience, it’s done. It doesn’t have to be some big drama, but it has to make you feel – whether it’s laughter, anger, fear, or that urge to message a friend saying, "dude, you gotta see this."

Now, as for structure, there are a bunch of cool ones. Besides the Hero’s Journey, there are some neat frameworks like:

• Kishōtenketsu – commonly used in Asian stories, it doesn’t have an obvious villain or direct conflict, but there’s a twist in the middle that makes you go "wait, what??"
• Kurt Vonnegut and narrative arcs – he argued that all stories follow some basic patterns, like "ups and downs" or "the hero comes back from rock bottom."
• John Yorke and "Into the Woods" – a book that shows how TV shows and movies build stories in a way that’s addictive.

In the end, the best story is the one that grabs you, makes you forget about life, and leaves you thinking about it after it’s over. If it was just about following formulas, we’d just use AI to write everything (and let’s be honest, AI-written stories are still pretty meh). The magic is in the soul of the story!

I’m a professional writer, not to brag or anything! I’ve gotten @grayruby to buy one of my books and write a review!

The key is to have at least something about the character that’s relatable to the reader so that the reader cares about them. They identify with them.

Then make the character have to feel feelings. They’ll make the reader feel. In this cold, numb existence we all call “life,” make @grayruby feel

But u gotta show don’t tell. We all know GRAYRUBY IS STUPID STUPID MAN, but how does that make his co-host @Undisciplined feel?

I think if it shows a like existence proof for something that was counter intuitive or most people didn't know so it gives you a good delta in updating your view of the world

I agree, and I see a lot of what he mentioned in great films. Well-written characters and storylines that tap into fundamental human emotions—love, sacrifice, revenge, overcoming adversity—are strong elements. Many of the stories I enjoy include these themes.

A classic formula is the “hero’s journey”—it’s practically the foundation of good storytelling. When used well, it blends seamlessly into the narrative, making its structure almost imperceptible.

Robert Mckee argues in Story that, at a high level at least, it's value shifts in characters - e.g. love to hate, disorganized to organized, fearful to confident, etc.

Relatable characters helps. I want to empathize with the people on the screen.

bad guy that wins at the end....

Dragons definitely dragons

Just watched the whole video. WOW has he written some amazing Pixar movies. In awe of him dedicated to his craft. Truly extraordinary. Pushing the limits. Incredible.

Finding Nemo is referred to in all modern story classes!

To my students I often prescribe Aristotle's Poetics. However to general audience, there are a bunch of those often include:

• Strong dramatic content: A story that captures attention with conflict, tension, and surprise.
• Varied rhythm and structure: This keeps the narrative engaging and unpredictable.
• Believable, memorable characters: Characters should evolve and be relatable to the reader.
• Effective story sections: Important moments in the story must be impactful and well-executed.
• Deepened plot with subplots: These add complexity and richness to the main narrative.
• Every line of dialogue counts: Dialogue should be meaningful and advance the story or character development.
• Immersive setting: The world-building should be vivid and transport the reader.
• Conflict and tension: These are essential for keeping the story dynamic and driving the plot forward.
• A compelling hook: The beginning should intrigue the reader and make them want to read on.
• A strong voice: The narrative voice should be distinctive and consistent.