The Hero says "Yes"

"One of the most important of the rules that make improv possible, for example, is the idea of agreement, the notion that a very simple way to create a story - or humor - is to have characters accept everything that happens to them. ... 'Good improvisors seem telepathic; everything looks pre-arranged,' Johnston writes. "This is because they accept all offers made - which is something no 'normal' person would do."    ~ Blink, Malcolm Gladwell

This slightly different in angle (referring to accepting offers, in improv comedy) but is very much in line with what is said in Audition about not saying "no". Shurtleff corrects to actors who say "my character wouldn't do that".

If a character doesn't believe in love at first sight, but loves at first sight, isn't that more interesting? Doesn't that make for story?


Mulling on This

Thinking about this, I'm looking at stories, to see if this is true. Do all heroes say yes when someone else (the reader, for example) would say no?

In Seven Daughters and Seven Sons, the first part of the story is about Buran getting other people to allow her to say "yes"--and before that her father said, "I will teach my daughter chess, since I have no sons".

Frodo says "Yes, I will take the ring."
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell say, "Yes, we will revive magic together."
Eugenides says "I will steal the impossible."



( if you want to read examples from improv... )