What makes a satisfying story?
Greetings all. I've been meaning to create a thread like this for quite a while. As this is a forum for games based on story-telling and Telltale has become known for their stories and the joy players get in seeing these stories through, I felt this would be a fair place to ask this question:
What do you find makes a story satisfying for you personally? What is it that when it's finished--be it a game, a movie, a tv show, a novel, a comic, anything--does it make you sit back, sigh, and say, "Damn, that was a good story. Bravo," and it makes you feel that much more content?
Also just a note, I'm asking more the positive things that you like to see in a story, and I'd prefer if we could steer this discussion away from negative things that you wouldn't like to see in a story. I.e., please name for me the best elements of your favorite movies/stories etc., the cream of the crop of your favorites. Feel free to name specific titles as well.
I'll post my own answer to this in a little bit, but first I'd like to see what you guys say.
Edit: Okay guys, I should clarify that I do realize that good characters and a good plot are necessary for a satisfying story. Perhaps if you could share your own personal opinions on which characters are your favorite and why, and what kinds of plotlines are your favorite and why? What makes your favorites different from other people's favorites? What makes them your pick of the litter? Hopefully I'm being more clear.
Comments
To me the best story is when it is really unexpected. Something that would put you to shock like, "Oh wow, I didn't know this person did this!" or "I didn't expect this to happen!"
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When you are attached to character.
That depends on who's supposed to be satisfied with it. EDIT: I'll clarify, it depends on whether you're talking from a reader's or from a writer's perspective.
A satisfying story for me is one out of the ordinary. The cliche crime detective story, or a modern family in a ordinary life with ordinary problems will rarely spark my interest unless it succeeds on hitting me on an emotional level. For me, a story is escapism, and a story needs to hit the right level of highs and lows depending on what it's about to be to not have me switching off and turning the story away. A story on a good horror, an adventure, a good comedy, or a heartwarming story, I like those.
I need characters to root for and that I give a damn about. Often my favorite are buddy adventures, stories where it might only have a few characters but their chemistry are great and they all work really well off each other. Conflict or a goal is important, because if there isn't anything driving the plot forward then you've just got people in a scene chatting and that's it. I do like romances, nothing cheesy like a rom com, but I think I'm more for ones when it's first meetings than already established couples within the plot. But I do love family stuff as well, where people find family in each other, that's what I want to write about for a book.
I think there's a lot I want for a satisfying story. There's probably more but I can't think of any more right now.
What makes you attached to a character?
Okay. But what makes an "interesting" character?
Hm, I never thought of a plot twist as something absolutely necessary for a good story. But still,
@Saltlick123 and to you, happylovelyperson2016,
what for you makes a "good" plot twist?
Yeah, I mean what makes a good story from a reader's perspective, or the the perspective from the "consumer" of the story I guess I mean.
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I agree with a lot of your points, but I disagree with some too. E.g., cliches are almost never a good thing, but I do like certain genres of stories such as crime detective stories and the backdrop/atmosphere that comes with stories like that. Stories such as The Wolf Among Us that are set in such a backdrop come to mind. In addition, I believe stories of a modern family (i.e., those "slice of life" stories) in ordinary life can be emotional as well (the show "Modern Family" comes to mind, incidentally enough haha XD ), as long as the characters are well-defined and there are indeed meaningful relationships that are explored between the characters (which is the case in that show.) In fact, I believe that "slice of life" stories tend to be sadly overlooked because some don't deem them as "exciting" as the action-thriller stories of other genres, when the ordinary life stories can be just as poignant as more fast-paced stories. Not to mention, slice-of-life stories are fairly easier to relate to as well. Again what comes to mind for me is the entire running of the US version of the show, "The Office," (I haven't watched the UK version yet, though I hear I should), and how, over the course of the show's history, you really get to know these characters--their hopes and dreams, their desires for the future, their fears, you get to see them overcome differences between each other (e.g. the relationship between Jim and Dwight), and you get to see them overcome their flaws (e.g. Michael Scott, in his pursuing a relationship and having a family.) By the final episodes, there was a tear in my eye that I was finally saying good-bye to them all, after everything I had gone through with them, and there was joy too, to see how far they had all come since the beginning of the show.
And yup yup, I agree on all this.
This too, I think is very important to a lot of people. I think people like to see characters that they can relate to, and they like to see these characters do amazing things and triumph over their problems, so that the watchers/readers of the story see and say to themselves, "Yeah, I'm like them. I can do that too! I can be great too!" It's a reflection of ourselves really, and what we wish and hope for ourselves--"I hope I can be as brave as this character in this situation"; "I want to be as strong as this superhero"; "I want to be able to get over my problems, just like this character."
For me, it's good story and characters. And that's really all there is to it.
Complex characters and relationships.
Good characters, an inviting atmosphere, plenty of action and suspense, some memorable moments and an emotionally satisfying ending.
My question: "What makes a satisfying story?"
Your answer: "Good story."
...Thanks bro.
Relatable characters, gradual, nuanced lore and a good plot formula, with enough twists to keep it interesting.
For me a Story NEEDS to Be well written. Like Relatable characters, Good Plot Twists, good dialogs And a good And fitting Ending. A good example is Fargo. Both Movie And TV Show. The Second Season is probably my favorite Season of every Show.
EDIT:
Believable and flawed characters: Nobody is perfect. Deep down, everyone's at least a little selfish and troubled. I also dislike one dimensional characters. In order to create a relatable character, we need to know their story, what makes them happy, what makes them do certain things, etc. Let's not forget about character development. It's great to see a story where they slowly change, become more mature, etc.
Good plot twists: and by that I mean believable plot twists. I've seen tons of stories with explanations that didn't seem to make any sense.
Pacing: You have to know how to balance action scenes whit the purpose of developing the plot and slow-moving scenes with the purpose of developing the characters. The protagonist needs a moment where he reacts to everything that's happening. The audience needs a ''breathing space'', otherwise they'll feel suffocated.
What makes a satisfying story is how developed characters are.
As a fanfiction author, it's quite hard to really develop characters to an extent. Since my characters are pretty much celebrities so I'll need to brainstorm a couple fitting backstories to really make it click with the story.
Also, when I read books, I always look for the conflict -- like, what problem pushes the story further? If it's bland and boring I'll stop reading
I don't read books where the main character's parents died in a car accident because that shit's overdone.
Good plot, characters, plot twist.
Personal though I love character arcs and flawed characters, some of the best stories are ones where the hero doesnt truly succeed (Ex. Dies) or doesnt get the praise they deserve (Wolf Among Us is a good example of that)
A good plot twist is something that's unexpected and that makes sense like "Oh I understand why this person did this," etc.
Anti-heroes are what always make a story for me. (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, A Clockwork Orange)
It's usually boring to have stories where our main character is Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes all the time. Being good is good, but being bad can be loads of fun. With that said, that doesn't mean I hate it when the protagonist does right because it's right. I just think "Wow some of these guys can be really boring sometimes."
I'd go for the opposite side - namely where you can sympathize or at least have your values challenged by the antagonist. I know I keep going back to Ghost in the Shell (in this case the 2nd Gig) and Psycho-pass, but those have some of the best antagonists.
Honestly, in the movies I like the plot is usually only the narrative framework for either character study (dealing with issues of the self or delving deeply into a particular emotion), or social/philosophical issues posed by the interaction of the characters and the world they live in, this is especially true with science fiction.
The characters, if I can empathise or sympathise for them and understand them, I feel attached to them and become more interested in the entire plot, making me feel more emotional in different scenes or chapters or events. I think relating to a character is the most important thing about a satisfying story, second would be having no overpowered characters, it makes it less immersive when a character who can blow up planets for example gets defeated by a character with superhuman strength, unless of course they have a believable weakness that isn't just discovered before the battle for plot's sake.
Thanks for making this thread. I've been going through some bad writers block due to feeling inadequate.
Character studies are one of the best kind of stories in film. Whiplash and Raging Bull are good examples.
Amazing characters, a great plot, at least some twists and turns, and in my opinion, diversity.
I see some people saying "relatable characters" but let's be real, you can't make an entire cast of characters relatable. They'd just be the same as each other. If they weren't the same, then it's much more easier for people to relate to certain characters.
My bad, Lemme expand upon that. If you really wanna go into the "official" rules of storytelling that a lot of well known screenwriters and directors are known for, your story has to have a dramatic premise, character arcs, and consistent storytelling. If you're doing an adaptation, I guess the question is, what can you add or what can you do better without completely fucking the source material and giving it an STD?
While not essential to make a good story, meaningful sacrifice is an element that tends to strike a chord with me. A character giving up something important to them and, in doing so, preserving something more precious.
It's kind of a matter of personal taste. But I think originality and humor are the biggest factors for a satisfying story.
In video games, it's always the ability to be part of the story rather than experience it.
A journey. I love a story where at the end, you can reminisce and look back at the beginning, and just think "Wow, what a ways we've come". The prime example I can think of of course is Sam and Frodo's journey in The Lord of the Rings, or the book The Alchemist.
And spiritual and emotional journeys work just as well, such as the story of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episodes 1-6.
Personally, characters who stir an emotion from me. Like em or hate em. Of course the plot and subject matter are very important too and things and mysteries that interest me.