- Getting lost in a story requires “willing sense of disbelief” –- the *story* has to hook enough for that to happen. - Story is how the things that happen in the plot affect the protagonist and how he or she changes as a result. - Protagonist must embody the change that proves the point. - Protagonist doesn’t start from “neutral” or “blank slate.” Must start with the very particular beliefs the story forces them to question. - “Food nourishes us, sex begs us, stories educate us. We don’t turn to story to escape reality. We turn to story to navigate reality.” - If at any point the character can give up and go home without suffering great personal cost due to her inaction, you don’t have a story. #nonfic/article I think this is why “instant mating” stories are so popular. They jump ahead to the part statistically more readers of romance (middle-aged middle class women) care about: not the “will they, won’t they” part relevant to teens and people in their early twenties navigating their first relationships, but the part where people have to navigate being “stuck” in a relationship and make it work and overcome the challenges. Additional notes: [[story_genius_flash_cards.docx]]