Expert-Secrets full book

• Make the character a victim of some outside force, so
we want to root for them.
• Put the character in jeopardy, so we worry about
them.
• Make the character likable, so we want to be with
them.
• Make the character funny, so we connect with them.
• Make the character powerful, so we want to be like
them.
After you’ve introduced the identities, it’s time to introduce the character
flaws that have caused you (as the hero) to struggle. Sharing flaws is critical to
gaining rapport. No one cares about Superman until we introduce kryptonite.
He’s an uninteresting character until he has flaws and weaknesses, and the same
is true of any hero. Sometimes it’s scary to share these flaws in your stories, but
they are the key to building rapport.
2. Introduce the desire for something more. Every story is
about a journey either toward pleasure or away from pain. The
hero must have suffered some type of wound, or carry an
unhealed source of continuous pain, in the backstory. Because the
wound has never healed, it causes the fear and pain that drive the
character. Usually, the hero desires to accomplish something they
believe will heal that wound. There are four core desires that
drive most heroes. Two of them move the hero toward pleasure,
and two move away from pain.