Finding the Elements in a Story You Know

You now have five things to look for in a story: character, setting, plot, want, and obstacle. Before hunting for them in a story of your own, it's worth practicing on someone else's first — it's much easier to spot these clearly when you're not also busy inventing the story at the same time.

Think of a story you've read or watched recently, one you actually enjoyed. Who is it about, and where and when does it happen? Those two are usually the easiest to name, since a story almost never hides them.

Now for the harder pair. Did the main character want something specific? Almost certainly yes, even if the story never once says so in those exact words — you might have to guess at it from what they do rather than from a line that spells it out. Was something standing in their way? Also almost certainly yes, even in a quiet, low-key story where nothing seems to be exploding.

Why does finding both of those things matter so much? Because a want plus an obstacle is usually the real reason a story kept your attention in the first place — not the setting, not even the plot events themselves, but the pull between what a character wants and what's stopping them. Once you can spot that pair in someone else's story, spotting it in your own gets a lot easier too.