A great story doesn't need a huge budget.

It doesn't need hundreds of characters.

And it doesn't need complicated language.

But it does need a few essential ingredients.

1. A Character We Care About

Give us someone whose journey matters. We should want to know what happens to them.

2. A Problem

Without conflict, there is little reason to keep reading.

Something must stand in the character's way.

3. Something at Stake

What happens if the character fails?

The greater the consequences, the more invested we become.

4. Emotion

Stories are remembered because they make us feel.

Make us laugh. Make us worry. Make us hope. Make us cry.

5. Change

By the end, something should be different.

Perhaps the character has changed.

Perhaps their world has changed.

Or perhaps we, the audience, see the world differently.

A great story isn't simply a sequence of events.

It's a journey that makes us care about what happens next.

Which of these five do you think is the most important?

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