The Mathematics of Storytelling

1.2. THE JOURNEY

Let us not change it too much, just a bit.

Let us keep Mark in his comfort zone.

So we have the first number unchanged, which we said represent him and his environment where we first eat him (the first number TWO), but we spice up his journey:

2 + 3 – 1 = 4

WHAT HAPPENED THERE?

2 – Mark is still in his comfort zone (He thinks he has just finished work and that he is going home).

3 – He goes to the parking lot and can't find his car (This is called a "DISTURBANCE" – it's a thing, a first OBSTACLE that Mark needs to overcome in the story. It's not his main desire of the story – that still remains the same – "To get home" – but there's an obstacle – "His car is missing".)

(-) 1 – He goes to the front gate and decides to call the police. Mark files a report and he travels home by taxi. (This is how he adapts to his new situation, with deciding to simply call the police and then going home and to await the policed to resolve it for him).

4 – He gets home.

The story got moving in the beginning. We have our main and "SOMETHING INTERESTING HAPPENS TO HIM", and we want to know what is he going to do about it. But our Mark isn't willing to be interesting and he just calls the police.

This is the first mistake. By adding the police we are shifting our plot to them – a whole different set of characters with their own problems.

Still not getting it? Don't worry I can use a oversimplified reference most of you should know. The famous HOGWARTS LETTER, Harry gets :D

This is a perfect example of that "DISTURBANCE" I was telling you about.

(2) We have Harry Potter living under the stairs. However horrible, this is his comfort zone and he will remain there for the foreseeable future. He hates the Dursleys and he wants a better life (In our story Mark wants to go home)

+

(3) Letters start pouring in carried by owls start pouring in trying to get to Harry (DISTURBANCE), but the "evil" Dursleys don't let him have it = OBSTACLE that Harry has to defeat. He wants to read the letter. (Mark can't find his car)

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(1) He tries do get to the letter in any way possible but the Dursley are letter-blocking him (In our story Mark decides he is going to call the police).

But Harry doesn't have the police. Hogwarts could've just stopped sending them, Harry could've ignored them and we would have no story as we don't with Mark.

But instead we have Dursleys moving around the country, and there's this "Magic factor" that we have account for – This is the point where we get really "hooked" to see what the hell is going on, since the owls and letters keep following them. And we also badly want Harry to get the freaking letter!!! (In our story, police just take the report and Mark calls the taxi.)

At last, Hagrid appears and says:

"You're a wizard Harry" – HEUREKA!

=

(4) Remember what Harry's goal was? To get away from the Dursleys – and he got it. He got to the metaphorical "home" where our Mark wants to get.

Of course, this is oversimplified, and there's obviously more to the equation in J.K. Rowling's story then to our "Mark" story. So what should we do?

More "spices"? More depth? Oh yes, we will have to get our equation a bit more complicated to get it to work properly.

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Anyway guys, what do you think up until now? Is this understandable? Should I continue to explain "Storytelling" to you? Is this in any way helpful? Let me know your ideas and be free to comment in any way.

Be sure to VOTE if you like it and find it helpful ;)