I don't know why this knowledge isn't taught often, but I want you all to know these indisputable, latent truths so that you can deconstruct narratives on the deepest level. Pay close attention; this will exponentially evolve your analytical thinking. I will begin with Axiom 1.

AXIOM #1: Every action a character takes is in pursuit of a goal. There is no such thing as a pointless action, only a fruitless one. The character may not consciously know what their goal is, but they are always actively pursuing it in everything they say and do.

Goals can be big or small: finish your homework, ask out that Jessica girl, conquer the Mediterranean Sea...but no matter what they are, they ultimately lead to one of these kinds of self-fulfillment:

Romance (Connection, Clarity)
Success
Dominance
Wealth
Physiological Pleasure

Note that all of these have sexual components to them; it is not a coincidence. Although goals may not explicitly involve reproduction, their components always include an indicator of reproductive competence. These sources of self-fulfillment have opposite, life's eternal and omnipresent terrors:

Embarrassment (Isolation)
Confusion
Humiliation
Pain

All of these have terrifying components. Death is often a combination of all of these, so its inclusion is redundant.

Look at your favorite stories and consider what self-fulfillment the characters are most strongly seeking in their actions. The answer is often obvious and makes understanding the characters' motives significantly clearer.

Goals lead characters away from the terrors and propel them towards the sources of self-fulfillment.

This is the end of Lesson #1.

>>24518595 (OP)
>sexsexsex everything is about sex
okay, faggot

>>24518595 (OP)
Fuck off retard. That's not how you learn storytelling. You learn by studying great books like a textbook and imitating them. The formulas are espoused by hack retards;.

>>24518616
Yes. The reason you are upset about it is because you're afraid of being wrong about it (confusion/clarity) and you're also trying to sound above it (dominance).

>>24518646
You are also trying to do the exact same tactic as the first guy. You feel threatened by the truth not coinciding with your own (confusion) and want to appear smarter or better than me (dominance). Your goal is typically weaker than more fulfilling goals like romance (which does not necessarily need to be about typical romance that we associate with said word). Romance is about the excitement of exploring the mystery of our love for each other. You don't express that interest whatsoever.

>You learn by studying great books like a textbook

You can learn these things from ANY story, whether you think they're "great" or not. That's the beauty of it, the axiom is universal and inescapable.

AXIOM 2: A character will only try as much as they deem necessary to achieve their goal. If a character tries very little to achieve their goal, they try very little. If they try very hard, they perceive their goal as very difficult. The former is an important aspect to reflect a character's competence, and the latter is important to deliver a compelling story. We are inspired and intrigued by characters overcoming great odds. These are also often used to exemplify overconfidence and doubt, which are common obstacles a character will face.

AXIOM #3: There are only two general reasons why a character opposes another character's goal (protagonist vs. antagonist): They either do not know what the protagonist's goal is, or they do not care to help achieve it. The former reason is often used in comedy like sitcoms with miscommunications. The latter is the more common element in an antagonist, especially the morally opposing ones.

AXIOM #4: The only thing that has to be realistic about a story is the characters. Whether it's sci-fi, fantasy, or some absurd realm that defies physics, it is the characters' ability to appear true to life that makes them compelling. All of our imaginations are about "what if" scenarios because we don't have the fortune (or misfortune) of experiencing them ourselves. We seek to place ourselves in special circumstances to examine how we would react to it, likely in preparation of a similar (but more mundane) real-life scenario. Perhaps we will never live a story as extravagant as the romance of Romeo and Juliet, but we will certainly combat with love closed off by disapproving onlookers and associates. That pursuit of projection is inescapable.

If they try very little to achieve their goal, they believe their goal is easy* >>24518937