Q: Intentions vs. Obstacles: Story of our Lives?
A: Yes, according to Aaron Sorkin, Academy and Emmy Award winning screenwriter, producer, and playwright, who shares that compelling stories of human drama require believably irresistible intentions, in conflict with believably immovable Obstacles, played out in character development and relationships.
Yet, "Novels are about the consequences of actions (human behavior) rather than the actions themselves," adds Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford. "STORY," by Robert McKee, appears to express his agreement with both Sorkin and Ford. From McKee's website:
OR, PURSUE WANTS/QUICK FIXES
BODY: Lower-Brain Physical Fight or Flight!
McKee, "The inner circle or level is his own self and conflicts arising from the elements of his nature: mind, body, emotion."
Campbell, DVD 1, "The Hero's Journey:
Long before medieval knights charged off to slay dragons, tales of heroic adventures were an integral part of all world cultures. Campbell challenges everyone to see the presence of a heroic journey in his or her life."
Campbell, DVD 2, "The Message of the Myth:
Campbell compares the creation story in Genesis with creation stories from around the world. Because the world changes, religion has to be transformed and new mythologies created. People today are stuck with myths that don't fit their needs."
OR, AWAIT RESCUE/
VICTIM
HEART: Mid-Brain Emotion Justify or Modify:
OR, BE IN DENIAL/BLAMING
MIND: Upper-Brain Reason or Distortion:
McKee: "The third circle marks the level of extra-personal conflict- all the sources of antagonism outside the personal: conflict with social institutions and individuals- government/citizen, church/worshipper; corporation/client; conflict with individuals- cop/criminal/victim, boss/worker, customer/waiter, doctor/patient and conflict with both man-made and natural environments- time, space, and every object in it."
Campbell, DVD 5, "Love and the Goddess:
Campbell talks about romantic love, beginning with the 12th century troubadours, and addresses questions about the image of women- as goddess, virgin, Mother Earth."
Campbell, DVD 6, "Masks of Eternity:
Campbell provides challenging insights into the concepts of God, religion and eternity, as revealed in Christian teachings and the beliefs of Buddhists, Navajo Indians, Schopenhauer, Jung and others."
OR, BE NOT RESPONSE-ABLE/STUCK
TRANSCEND: Free to Start Again or be Stuck:
Campbell assisted George Lucas with the filming of "Star Wars," a dramatic expression of "A powerful journey into mankind's universal search for meaning and connection."