Lesson 7. What Changes Are Interesting (and Why) │The Mechanics of Fiction Writing

What Makes Things Interesting?

The Subjectivity of Interest

• Compiling a list of "all the interesting things" is challenging due to subjective perceptions of interest; what captivates one person may not captivate another.

• For example, a fire engine might fascinate a five-year-old boy while others may find it uninteresting compared to ants or Legos.

• Personal interests vary widely; the speaker's friend is captivated by birds, while the speaker remains indifferent to them.

Understanding Captivating Elements in Storytelling

• Identifying universally captivating elements in storytelling can be complex but essential for engaging audiences effectively.

• A personal anecdote about attending a novelist's reading illustrates how certain plot elements can transform audience engagement dramatically.

Audience Engagement and Plot Elements

• During the reading, initial sections were well-written yet failed to hold attention until a story about a boy’s first boxing match was presented.

• The shift in energy during this section highlighted how violence and conflict can magnetically captivate an audience, regardless of their usual preferences.

The Power of Violence in Storytelling

• Despite being literary types who typically wouldn’t engage with violent content, the audience became transfixed by the boxing narrative.

• This suggests that themes like danger and violence resonate deeply with people, even if they don't consciously acknowledge it.

Cultural Insights on Pain and Ritual

• An anthropology paper discussed adolescent boys from a South American tribe enduring painful bullet ant stings as part of a rite of passage, showcasing human resilience and cultural significance behind pain.

Rite of Passage and Magnetic Plot Elements

The Significance of Rites of Passage

• The bullet ant ritual in the Amazon serves as a rite of passage for boys, marking their transition to adulthood within their warrior tribe. This demonstrates toughness, akin to values held in Western cultures like hard work.

• Despite surface differences, rites of passage across cultures share a deeper significance that connects human experiences. Understanding these underlying meanings enriches storytelling.

Exploring Deeper Meanings in Storytelling

• To engage diverse audiences, writers should delve into the deeper meanings behind actions and events in their narratives. This approach captivates readers from various backgrounds.

• For those interested in the intersection of biology and behavior, Robert Sapolsky's Introduction to Biological Behaviorism class on YouTube is recommended as an accessible starting point.

Magnetic Plot Elements

• The concept of "magnetic plot elements" is introduced as essential tools for engaging storytelling. These elements resonate with readers due to their historical significance and evolutionary roots.

• Writers are encouraged to incorporate magnetic plot elements into their stories to create compelling narratives that capture attention effectively.

Human Attention and Evolutionary Context

• Humans have evolved a hierarchy of attention shaped by survival needs; this influences what captures our focus—threats or opportunities in our environment.

• Awareness of social dynamics was crucial for ancestors; understanding status and relationships among individuals was vital for survival throughout history.

Key Magnetic Plot Elements Explained

Sex

• Sexual themes are highlighted as deeply magnetic; E.L. James' success illustrates how both erotic tension and romantic love can draw reader interest significantly.

Death

• Stories about death captivate because they provide insights into mortality without personal risk. Readers are drawn to narratives exploring death's implications on life choices.

Danger

• Danger encompasses more than physical threats; it includes social risks (e.g., societal rejection). Effective storytelling can introduce danger through various scenarios, enhancing engagement.

Goals

Narrative Elements and Human Experience

The Role of Power in Narratives

• Power dynamics are central to engaging narratives, often showcasing the rise and fall of characters. Readers enjoy seeing powerful figures face consequences while rooting for underdogs.

• A story's balance is disrupted by unjust power holders, creating tension until they receive their comeuppance. This reflects real-life social interactions and keeps readers invested.

Wealth as a Narrative Device

• Wealth serves as a MacGuffin in stories, representing not just money but its impact on characters' social standings. The movement of wealth up or down the social ladder drives interest.

• Life-changing wealth captures reader attention; it’s not about the money itself but what it signifies for character development and plot progression.

Conflict: The Heart of Storytelling

• Conflict arises from opposing psyches clashing, requiring careful setup compared to other magnetic elements like sex or violence that can engage readers more immediately.

• Violence grabs attention due to its primal nature; it reflects survival instincts and societal hierarchies, making it a compelling element in storytelling.

Deceit and Its Consequences

• Deceit can have significant repercussions for characters, affecting trust and relationships. It plays a crucial role in navigating complex social landscapes within narratives.

• Narrators may either reveal deceit to the audience or keep them in suspense alongside oblivious characters, enhancing engagement through dramatic irony.

Transgressions and Betrayal

• Breaking social rules generates immediate suspense; understanding cultural responses to transgressions adds depth to character motivations.

• Betrayal differs from deceit as it involves a deeper breach of trust. Characters may betray their own values without self-deception, leading to profound narrative conflicts.

Revenge: A Timeless Motif

• Revenge stories resonate deeply with audiences due to clear causality—actions lead directly to consequences. This theme taps into historical human behaviors regarding justice.

Mystery: Engaging Curiosity

• Mysteries disrupt the status quo, prompting readers to question their environment. Unexplained events create intrigue that compels further exploration within the narrative.

Dilemmas: Inner Turmoil Explored

• Dilemmas showcase characters facing impossible choices or inner struggles, allowing readers vicarious experiences without real-world consequences.

The Stranger: Catalyst for Change

The Role of the Stranger in Storytelling

The Impact of New Characters

• The introduction of a stranger can disrupt established social environments, creating tension and intrigue. This is evident in various narratives featuring characters like Gilgamesh, Odysseus, and Frodo.

The Quest Narrative

• Stories often revolve around protagonists venturing into unknown territories to gain prestige and valuable experiences. This theme is timeless and resonates across cultures.

Understanding Plot Elements

• Magnetic plot elements serve as categories that help writers identify different types of stories. These are not plots themselves but rather frameworks for understanding narrative structures.

Categorization Challenges

• While categorizing story elements can be complex, it aids writers in identifying common constraints within specific narrative types, such as quest or stranger stories.

Tools for Effective Storytelling

• Categorization helps streamline thought processes by grouping similar attributes, allowing writers to create compelling obstacles for their characters. This ultimately enhances reader engagement with the story.

Magnetic Categories in Human Actions

Complexity of Human Actions

• Human actions often defy neat categorization; however, recognizing them as falling into magnetic categories can clarify why certain narratives are more engaging than others.

Suspense and Tellability