The first thing a strong story needs is a character with a great desire. The key here is the more the character wants something, the more the audience wants it for them as well. This is also known as “character identification” which means when the audience sees themselves as the character in the story, they too want what the character desires. Giving the viewer a reason to care about your character and story will engage them on a much deeper level.

The second thing a strong story needs is conflict. This can be an obstacle that stands in the way of the main character’s desire. Conflict demands the audience’s attention. The viewer wants to know what will happen next to our character and their desire?

Conflict creates a simple question. What will happen next?

Watch the full video to see how this applies to some real world stories how desire and conflict go hand in hand to tell a great story.