Free book excerpts from the best current books. An essential site for any aspiring screenwriter. Media Bistro Jobs, discussion, news and reviews for people in the media. There are very few happy stories in the world. This is not to say that there aren t happy endings, and that there aren t happy characters, but very few stories revolve around the good things that happen to a character, and if they do, there is generally a downside to the good things that happen to them.
Stories are about adversity and conflict.
How characters deal with adversity can create comedy, drama, romance, action, mystery and a world of other emotions and themes, but without adversity, there is no story to tell. Here are some examples of how adversity and conflict are created. Any longer work will contain most or all of these adversities. This, depending on the writer, is generally the most adverse situation that characters face. Death is a universal theme that dates back to the very first stories ever told.