“In good stories the hero has a single overriding goal that he pursues with greater and greater intensity.”
– John Truby, Anatomy of Story p87
Category Archives: Quotes
Your Inciting Event
To find the best inciting event for your story, keep in mind the catchphrase “from the frying pan into the fire.”
– John Truby, ANATOMY of STORY p278
Moral Weakness
“What is your hero’s main weakness when it comes to acting towards others?”
– John Truby, ANATOMY OF STORY, p140 (Moral Argument)
Give him the best.
“Never give your opponent an obviously weak argument. Give him the best, most compelling argument you can.”
– John Truby, ANATOMY OF STORY, p139
The Moment of Revelation (part 4)
“The moment of revelation should trigger the hero to take new moral action immediately, proving that the revelation is real and has profoundly changed him.”
– John Truby, Anatomy of Story, p85
The Moment of Revelation (part 3)
“The moment of revelation should be new information for the hero: he must see, for the first time, that he has been living a lie about himself and that he has hurt others.”
– John Truby, Anatomy of Story, p85
The Moment of Revelation (part 2)
“The moment of revelation should create a sudden burst of emotion for the audience as they share the realization with the hero.”
– John Truby, Anatomy of Story, p85
The Moment of Revelation (part 1)
“The moment of revelation should be sudden, so that it has maximum dramatic force for the hero and the audience.”
– John Truby, Anatomy of Story, p85
Revelation / Set-Up
“Remember, the self-revelation is made possible at the beginning of the story. This means that a good self-revelation has two parts: the revelation itself and the set-up.”
John Truby, Anatomy of Story p85
Your hero’s development
“Your hero’s development depends on what beliefs he starts with, how he challenges them, and how they have changed by the end of the story. This is one of the ways you can make the story uniquely yours.”
– John Truby, Anatomy of Story, p81
