
Identify a character’s objective as source of conflict, driven by discontent and burning desire, with a super objective that converges or forces choice, illustrated by Star Wars and Legally Blonde.
Frame motivation as life-or-death stakes that compel desperate, morally coherent actions. Emphasize ticking clocks, high-stakes conflicts, and inner, viewpoint-driven character logic to create relatable suffering and suspense.
Chapter 15 outlines three forms of opposition: physical obstacles, human antagonists, and inner flaw that mirror outer problems and propel the hero’s inner transformation, with escalating threats fueling engagement.
Welcome to the art of storytelling!
My name is Fredrik Hiller, and I have been a writer, director and actor for almost three decades. My ambition is to provide you with all the principles and techniques you need to create compelling stories. This class is primarily geared towards cinematic storytelling, but the principles and techniques presented here can just as easily be applied to writing plays or literature. My hope is that you, after completing this series, will see that creating compelling stories is not achieved by luck or magic — but, instead, by tangible and specific principles and methods, all of which you will learn in this class. The board game Othello boasts the slogan “one minute to learn, a lifetime to master”. I would never propose that the principles of storytelling only take a minute to learn — but you will find that the principles of storytelling are simple, clear and concise. Learning to employ them masterfully, however — that does take a lifetime.
I have divided the entire course into three parts: 1) the aspects common to all characters, 2) the aspects specific to each character, and 3) the modus operandi of creating a compelling story from scratch. In this first part of the series, we take a helicopter view on the art of storytelling — we are looking at the playing field, and its contestants, from above.
Welcome to the second part — aspects specific to each and every character!
All our classes include:
Lesson material
Questions and tip
Chapter exams
Helpful links
Rich video clips