The KEY to a Good Story...

There's one simple key to a good story. It can be stated in one word: Change.

For a story to be compelling, something has to change. Either the protagonist changes, or the world around them changes. Sometimes, the meaning in a story comes from the protagonist's refusal to change even though the world around them is radically changing.

There's nothing worse for an audience than investing an hour and a half or two hours into a story where nothing changes. Nothing changes = nothing happens in the mind of the audience. It's like getting on a plane, circling the airport for two hours, and ending up at the same airport you left from.

Change doesn't have to be sweeping. It can be subtle. It can be limited. But it must be dramatic and meaningful.

-The Illiterate Writer