It had never occurred to me that every story is focused around one main question that the reader is constantly reading on to find out the answer to. Even if the reader isn’t sure what that one question is, the reader will always be wondering what the end result will be by the end of the book. This question is often paired closely with the protagonist’s goal/desire. Meaning that the question is often: will they reach their goal? Having this set up to a story can more easily drive the plot and convince the reader to keep reading in order to find out the answer. However, the book notes that it’s important to have a resolution that is yes, no or maybe. If it ends up being a coincidence or act of God that just resolves everything, it’s kind of a disappointment. I agree with that claim. If you spend the whole story watching this character work towards the goal and there is no action the actual character makes to meet it, what’s the point? That doesn’t happen in life.
How can most stories be structured around one goal/question and still be interesting and compelling to the reader? It’s important to note that conflict is what makes a story interesting. The book even notes that “to keep things really interesting, the conflict should keep escalating…the more fierce the fight, the better the story” (58). This is so true because the stories that keep us on our seats are ones that have a lot of conflicts when attempting to reach the end goal. For instance, I love Pirates of the Carribean because Jack doesn’t just get the heart and it’s over. He has to find the key, then he must locate and take the chest it hides in. Then he has to fight with many other people in order to get the heart away from it’s hiding place and onto his ship. He has to hide it in a jar of dirt while he swordfights. The minions of the guy who’s heart was in the chest, takes it. And by the time Jack gets back to his ship, there’s nothing in the jar of dirt because someone else stole it without him looking. So much conflict!
