There's a common pattern in storytelling. Act 1: Hero wants a thing. Hero puts in all their skills and effort. Things get worse. Act 2: Hero sacrifices everyt

There's a common pattern in storytelling. Act 1: Hero wants a thing. Hero puts in all their skills and effort. Things get worse. Act 2: Hero sacrifices everything and consequently loses it all until they run out of things to sacrifice. Act 3: Hero recovers. The transition from Act 2 to 3 is when they listen to what a mentor said in Act 1. Oh this mentor was right all along. A tragedy is usually defined as someone who didn't listen to the mentor. A comedy is when a bunch of people didn't listen to each other and got into deeper trouble until they realized the truth. I love the Overcoming the Monster plotline. It's a reversal of Tragedy. The Monster is usually superior, but they made mistakes and refuse to admit it. What differentiates the Monster from the inferior Hero was the Hero was willing to admit her mistakes. What comes from giving up is usually a form of humility, often subconscious. You accept that your successes aren't from your ideas or your individual efforts. You become more open to trying things that change your identity and kill your ego. Character development only happens with a form of death, letting go of who you were. Graduation ceremonies are a form of funeral - you are no longer a top student, you are now unemployed. A wedding celebrates the death of single you and the birth of married you.