Proving change
After character, after conflict, comes the story’s resolution.
Resolution doesn’t mean “happy ending.” Good stories reflect life. And just like life, stories don’t always have happy endings.
“Resolution” means the character has solved the problem laid out in the conflict… or not.
A & A+
What’s really important about how the story resolves is structural. The story’s first element and its last element are nearly always related.
The story always ends where it began, but with a twist; showing what changed or “what we learned.” how the character solved the problem (or didn’t). That change, is the story.
Expressed as “A” (the first element, image or line of text) changing to “A+” (the last element, image or line of text).
Put another way, “A+” is the first element, changed. And the “change” is the story.
That’s how to prove change in your story.
But more importantly, the A & A+ structure is very resonant. It’s a complete cycle, “the end of the journey.” Audiences “get it.”
Next: Once upon a time…
