[One Sip of a Book] Focus on the Other's 'Lack'

Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with readers and create a point of connection with the book. Here, we introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from books.

We have entered an era where anyone can create and share stories. Writing platforms are overflowing with writers, to the point where there is a joke that there are more people writing than reading. Yet, among the overwhelming flood of writing, only a few works actually receive attention. The author, who is both a story writer and a researcher, advises those struggling with the ups and downs of writing to focus on the question, "Why do humans become immersed in stories?" To give the answer directly: it is to fill a sense of 'lack.' When a character's lack collides with the world, the character acts, events unfold, and the reader is drawn in. The author emphasizes that narratives centered on lack never become clich?d, no matter how often they are repeated; instead, they reveal the essence of humanity.

"Expanding a character in terms of time and space creates the worldview, and expanding through action creates the plot." This was explained earlier. Here, the character's 'lack' is the key. A character seeks to find what they lack by venturing into a wider world and taking more actions. Because what is lacking lies outside the character, they must move and expand their world of experience. The scope of the stage created in this process becomes the worldview, and the events arranged according to the rules of the game become the plot. Ultimately, when the lack is filled and the character grows, the extent of that growth becomes the scope of the worldview and the trajectory of the plot. In the end, what the character lacked was the order of the worldview, and the events that occurred to fill that lack were the process of approaching the answer. Humans have always loved stories about recovering something that should have rightfully been theirs but was taken away by an absurd reality. - Lecture 4, "The Structure of Surviving Stories: Worldview-Character-Plot"

The protagonist's story truly begins when their lack is triggered. Devices that ignite revenge, anger, stubbornness, obsession, or desire come from the outside world and collide with the character, making them the protagonist at last. Expressions like "the button is pressed," "the switch is flipped," or "something is scratched" are used in real life, too, aren't they? It's not just about getting angry or hurt; there are situations that stimulate an inner lack, causing deep shame, intense desire, or relentless determination to boil up. - Lecture 7, "Character: When the Lack Button Is Pressed, the Story Begins"

Genre fiction is created on the premise of "people who clearly want something." Readers who know exactly which stories about fulfilling a lack satisfy them the most choose these works. Readers of genre fiction experience vicarious satisfaction as the protagonist, after much effort, discovers the author's message and resolves their lack. Therefore, through the values and worldview the protagonist pursues, and the author's message, we can also discover what kinds of lack we ourselves possess. - Lecture 10, "Message: The Author Speaks Through the Order of the Worldview"

Just as we can categorize several types of lack that readers universally empathize with, we can also narrow down universally beloved plots into several archetypes. Among the countless stories in the world, there is a plot that runs through their core. Theories and techniques of plot analyze these 'archetypes' of plots. Developing an eye for analyzing and understanding the structures of stories that have been loved for a long time not only serves as training for creating interesting stories, but also connects to understanding ourselves as 'storytelling humans.' - Lecture 15, "The Six Archetypes of Beloved and Surviving Plots"

What Makes a Story Survive | Written by Jeon Hyejeong | Woongjin Knowledge House | 320 pages, 18,000 KRW