A Flawed Model of the World
How to mould a believable psyche by determining your protagonist’s most protected, irrational belief. Lessons from Will Storr's "The Science of Storytelling".
Drawing on findings from neuroscience and psychology, award-wining writer Will Storr presents us with an elegant thesis of the flawed human psyche in The Science of Storytelling.
Thomas Aquinas once opined that the things we love tell us who we are.
Unfortunately, many of the things we hold dear and true, the wounds we nurse, and the fears we nourish don’t serve us well. Whether we believe timidity or temerity will enable us to accomplish our goals, notions of how we might succeed—or merely survive—in the world are uniquely our own.
According to Storr, our individual models of the world result in a sacred flaw, a mentality we are unable to relinquish even when the telltale cracks begin to appear. The beliefs we are irrationally, and yet, understandably protective over, form the backbone of our identity. And thus, no saviour thinks himself a tyrant, no jester considers himself a fool, and every coward will tell you discretion’s the better part of valour.
Such distorted or merely limited worldviews have their root in a point of damage: that one illuminating, watershed moment, most often experienced or witnessed in childhood. A belief system begins to form, and much like the pearl growing around an irritant, it’s ultimately nothing more than a defence mechanism.
For a time, this flawed model allows us to gird ourselves from the machinations of men and the cruel whims of fate. We tolerate—and epitomise—fickle lovers and fairweather friends; live by the maxim that no good deed goes unpunished, and are painfully conscious every betrayal begins with trusting another.
This time, of the flawed model being useful and protective, grinds to an abrupt halt the moment the plot kicks off in a story. In what Storr refers to as the ignition point, an event occurs which cuts the main character to the quick, forcing them to reassess what they hold as self-evident truths, including who they believe themselves to be. In fact, it is this process of the protagonist continually questioning ‘Who am I?’ which Storr believes is the very essence of story.
In Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, the protagonist’s sacred flaw is revealed to us almost immediately. Indentured to a thieving crew, Vin believes anyone she befriends will inevitably turn their back on her—or worse, sink a knife into hers. Although we are not yet privy to the details, we know the damage point occurred when she was betrayed and abandoned by her own brother.
Vin’s first triumph over her inner demons is what sets the plot in motion. By agreeing to learn to harness her magical powers, rather than continuing on with her rather less inspired “goal” of merely getting by, Vin takes her first steps toward trusting a veritable stranger. Not only does she accept an apprenticeship, but also the mysterious concoction her new mentor proffers.
This is the ignition point, the moment the story roars into life; the opening gambit to an eventual heroic transformation. Vin’s uneasiness with people’s better nature is an issue that she will continue to struggle with, presumably until the end of book three, the capstone to her character arc.
Storr provides a step-by-step guide to applying these principles—the sacred flaw, its damage point, and the ignition point—to mould a believable psyche and to allow for organic character growth. I highly recommend you check out:
Storr, W. (2020). The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Make Us Human and How to Tell Them Better. Abrams.
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