What makes for an interesting story? A first answer is, something “interesting” happens. Something good happens to a character. Something bad happens to a character. Something has to happen for a story to be engaging. That is the bare minimum.

Vonnogut helps us see that when a story opens the main character can be thought of as either up or down. Either in a happy place, or an unhappy place. The author takes us through the character’s journey from up to down or down to up. And then, it could, and back again!

The video is not well recorded. It is a bit blury. The sound isn’t perfect. But the ideas are worth hearing. For me, the drawing he makes on the chalkboard to explain his idea is the “picture that says a thousand words.” Watch this video. I am sure you will find its ideas helpful the next time you sit down to write a story.