The design of stories has always fascinated me when I was a kid, even though I rarely contemplated too much about them. I would be so caught up in the characters instead of paying attention to story construction. Anytime I read, I would imagine I was the characters in the books, whether they were pirates or cowboys. After reading A Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler and Hero With a Thousand Faces by John Campbell, I find myself analyzing a bit deeper, scrutinizing plot and theme. These two authors showed me that all stories are universal constructs that mirror human desires. Regardless of such barriers as geography and time, stories tell us something about the human mind and what we strive for when we dream.
When I deconstruct a story, I try to look for subtleties. In my opinion, a good story doesn't stress the theme too much, but instead quietly reinforces it with the characters' actions as well as the consequences of those actions. What I've observed most is that the people reading do not necessarily have to share the same experiences as the characters in the book in order to relate. Readers relate to the characters because of human traits like greed, love, or loneliness. One doesn't have to travel to Mordor in order to feel these things.
Despite the fact that I am not an author, I still study story to become a better animator. The act of storytelling is essential to the craft of animation, even if no words are used. Story is the driving force behind film and animation. Without a compelling story to tell, no amount of animation can save that.
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