With the recent escapist video in regards to what makes a good story, and getting to hear what the E-Crew thinks on that matter, it got me curious. What does make a good story, and can we even justify why that is? I'm interested in hearing what people on the forums here think (because lord knows I actually have some inkling of respect for this forum as opposed to say... well, almost anywhere else) but before I get to that, I'd like to make a point.
Lots of people look at the Harry Potter books as being a genuinly great example of modern story telling, right? Well yes, they do. And so do I [to an extent] as I have read all of the books at some point and found them as enjoyable as many did. However, when I look back on it, were they really telling a good story, or at least, were they telling it WELL?
Allow me to elaborate a little. Some seven to eight years ago now I had one sleepless night wherein I decided the best remedy would be to pick up one of my many unread pieces of young peoples literature and crack through it. What I dragged off the shelf was a somewhat short sized story about a wolf that didn't particuarly interest me then, and certainly wouldn't now. What I can tell you however is that even without looking it up on the net or re-reading it (impossible on both counts as I neither still own or remember the title) I recall that the story itself revolved around a group of kids who find a wolf that is made out to be dangerous- only for the wolf in question to be captured and caged, leading to obvious moral questions, and then being freed in a dramatic great escape-esque mission by the children. Aside from being something seemingly devised by the Frog brothers I can at least remember all of this about a book I read in a single night back when I was barely twelve, and didn't really give a damn about.
I cannot however, remember a god damn thing other than the last chapter or so of the last Harry Potter book (aside from the many characters who end up snuffing it) which I read pretty much as soon as it came out. That's a massive chunk of literature and some several hundred pages that in my memory were completely blank, and you know what? As if that wasn't bad enough, it doesn't in any way affect my understanding of the story.
Now this isn't a rant on "why I now hate Harry Potter" because I don't, but it is... interesting isn't it? That such an acclaimed masterpiece that came out so recently can prove forgettable. And if that's the case, how could it really have been improved?
Well anyway, my LONG digression aside, what do people really think are the components and requirements of a great and memorable story?
Lots of people look at the Harry Potter books as being a genuinly great example of modern story telling, right? Well yes, they do. And so do I [to an extent] as I have read all of the books at some point and found them as enjoyable as many did. However, when I look back on it, were they really telling a good story, or at least, were they telling it WELL?
Allow me to elaborate a little. Some seven to eight years ago now I had one sleepless night wherein I decided the best remedy would be to pick up one of my many unread pieces of young peoples literature and crack through it. What I dragged off the shelf was a somewhat short sized story about a wolf that didn't particuarly interest me then, and certainly wouldn't now. What I can tell you however is that even without looking it up on the net or re-reading it (impossible on both counts as I neither still own or remember the title) I recall that the story itself revolved around a group of kids who find a wolf that is made out to be dangerous- only for the wolf in question to be captured and caged, leading to obvious moral questions, and then being freed in a dramatic great escape-esque mission by the children. Aside from being something seemingly devised by the Frog brothers I can at least remember all of this about a book I read in a single night back when I was barely twelve, and didn't really give a damn about.
I cannot however, remember a god damn thing other than the last chapter or so of the last Harry Potter book (aside from the many characters who end up snuffing it) which I read pretty much as soon as it came out. That's a massive chunk of literature and some several hundred pages that in my memory were completely blank, and you know what? As if that wasn't bad enough, it doesn't in any way affect my understanding of the story.
Now this isn't a rant on "why I now hate Harry Potter" because I don't, but it is... interesting isn't it? That such an acclaimed masterpiece that came out so recently can prove forgettable. And if that's the case, how could it really have been improved?
Well anyway, my LONG digression aside, what do people really think are the components and requirements of a great and memorable story?
