What's your Dominant Story?

We have so many stories within us and they coincide in this kind of crazy private multi-verse, right? But no matter how many stories you have going on, there is always a dominant story that you are telling yourself. Sometimes you see stories become bestsellers… maybe sometimes you feel that yours must be a flop?

This way of thinking leads to self-sabotage.

By always comparing your dominant story to other stories sometimes you are actually sabotaging the Hero. How could Superman maintain his strength if he constantly compared his story with the story of Batman or Wonder Woman? What if he started thinking less of himself as a Hero simply from the lack of focus of his own strengths and his own purpose? I don’t belong here. No one will ever truly understand me. I can fly… so what? Super-strength… so what? Would he hate himself and become the villain instead?

When you feel like giving up, remember your story’s Protagonist. Give the Hero a chance to be brave and do something truly amazing. Sometimes you just need to pull out a fresh page and start with an outline.

What’s your setting?

Maybe our stories are meant to be great but your Hero Protagonist might just be stuck in some bad sitcom or perhaps surrounded by a bunch of teenager werewolves and vampires in some small little gloomy town? Well, some of these stories actually become bestsellers whether they’re great or not. So, your first step is to stop comparing your story to other stories and recognize that your potential has nothing to do with your setting. It has to do with your choices. It has to do with the next adventure, the quest, the dream that your Protagonist is about to embark on. Sometimes when you let your Protagonist discover himself, your settings naturally change to fit new goals and the determination to reach them.

Having such a strong focus on the setting is actually an excuse. You’re writing out pages of thin description with bad dialogue. Your true potential resides in your character’s growth. Remember, the setting is just simple various weather patterns, worn out buildings and handfuls of random people. The setting might be grim. The setting might be extravagant. The setting might be a town called Smallville in Kansas… But it is not the be-all end-all of your story.

What story are you telling yourself?

Writing exercise:

Start your Hero Protagonist Journal today!

Take some time and think about your most dominant story:

· Who’s the Protagonist?

· What are some personality traits… Strengths? Flaws?

· What is the setting?

· Who are the side characters & what are they like?

Write out a few sentences for each of these elements.

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