Mystery Gift Box #022 | If change is king in storytelling, then this is the only type of change that matters...

Hey friends,

Each month, I would explore one new thing; a skill, a subject, or an experience.

I called this the 4-4-4 exploration project. For the month of January, I explored the subject of writing and storytelling. Why?

Writing and storytelling, just like public speaking, is what I considered to be a multiplier skill. It’s transferable across projects AND it multiplies project results by X factor depending on how good you are.

It’s now the end of January.

I have read a few books around the subject of writing and storytelling. Now it’s time to synthesise the information into principles and actions I can apply to my life. I will complete this next week (if time permits) and share it in next week’s newsletter.

In this week's newsletter, following up on my previous one on the crucial principle of storytelling being centered around change, I will delve into the idea of The Flawed Self in storytelling.

🎭 The Flawed Self

The most fundamental principle in storytelling is some kind of change.

But not all change are created equal. There’s one type of change that rules them all. In fact, I would even go as far as saying this is the only type of change that matters and that is…

The change of self (the main character in the story).

Good stories cover the change of self. It’s not so much about the surface events that happened as they are are about the characters that have to battle them. Those characters, when you meet them at the beginning of the story, are never perfect. And through a series of cause-and-effect events, these main characters are given a chance to change and fix their flaws.

So now that we know two principles about storytelling: change and the flawed self, how are they connected and being used to create a compelling story?

At the stake of every good story is to answer the fundamental question that drives all drama: who am I?

At the beginning of the story, we meet the flawed self; the flawed main character. The flaws can be represented as an internalised web of beliefs that control the character’s perception and “reality” of the outer world. The main character can’t see his own flaws because it’s what defines him.

Then comes an ignition point; the first event that forces the main character to question his deepest beliefs (his flaws).

These events disturb the internal beliefs and controls that the main character has; it breaks down the beliefs that the main character has about his identity, values, and theory of control. Essentially, it breaks down the main character’s reality and perception of the world, which it’s a painful transformation.

But it is this ignition point and transformation that forms the greatest stories. Through this events, the main character has to learn and change their flaws; to decide to become a better person that can calm the external chaos.

At the end of the story, the main character learned from the events, changed his inner beliefs, and has become a better man.

The combination of change and flawed self can be summed up as follows:

🍿 Physical: 100 netflix show

📚 This week, I finished reading…

Have interesting gems you want to share with me and others? Share it by replying to this email and I will include it in the next gift box :)

With love,

Ryan O. 🎮

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